KrisK Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 Since I haven't been able to get Zachary to the vet about his body tremours, I have found something that seems to work. DH mentioned that he often keeps Zachary's coat on while he's in the house and that when he does, Zachary seems to be quite relaxed. So, I've resorted to keeping his coat on him and at night, swaddling him in an extra blanket. Since I've done that, he's had almost no tremours and if he does, they don't last long. He also is sleeping comfortably, eating well and drinking and eliminating normally. I have heard that some aspects of Tellington touch use t-shirts etc as part of the therapy to calm a dog. I don't know why this is working for Zachary, but it does. Has anyone use T-Touch with their dogs? Has it worked? I'm very curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 Maybe he's just cold and the coat keeps him warmer? Since he's getting older and has the heart condition and it's colder than you know what, I'd think he'd be feeling the cold more this winter. Whatever the reason, I'm glad he's not tremoring as much. Hope you're feeling all right too. Word to the wise, keep taking your anti inflammatory, don't skip a dose. It makes a big difference. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afrancis Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 I have heard that some aspects of Tellington touch use t-shirts etc as part of the therapy to calm a dog. I don't know why this is working for Zachary, but it does. Has anyone use T-Touch with their dogs? Has it worked? I'm very curious. Really glad you found something that works Kris. Took your DH a while to share this tidbit, didn't it?? I did mention massage/touch before as a thought for Zachary; I haven't applied T-Touch, and don't know very much about it but I have to tell you that Skye sidles (sp!) up to my DH every night for her daily full body massage and absolutely loves it. She stands still as a mouse, her ears go droopy and she gets this sleepy and completely contented look on her face. Then she leaves and goes to lie down on the couch. Sometimes it lasts a few minutes and sometimes up to 10. I would believe that this would benefit any dog, esp an anxious elderly one. There must be a website and DVD for T-Touch. I'd check it out. Ailsa P.S. Oh, and what Ruth said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy in AZ Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 Sounds like results you might get with the T-Touch "body wrap" method: http://www.crvetcenter.com/bodywrap.htm I have a decades old VHS tape on T-Touch for canines buried somewhere around here. ETA: the benefits of this body hugging method have also been expounded upon by Temple Grandin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 When I first got my (fearful and reactive) dog, my original trainer mentioned the body wrapping as a potential solution to get him to be calmer and more relaxed in general. We never ended up trying it, but it seems a very reasonable thing to try, and if you're getting good results, a great idea! From my understanding, it's kind of like swaddling a baby - gives them a feeling of security? Another site with information: http://www.geocities.com/foxterrier_rescue/wrap.html Good luck. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal & Mad's Mom Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 When I first got my (fearful and reactive) dog, my original trainer mentioned the body wrapping as a potential solution to get him to be calmer and more relaxed in general. We never ended up trying it, but it seems a very reasonable thing to try, and if you're getting good results, a great idea! From my understanding, it's kind of like swaddling a baby - gives them a feeling of security? Another site with information: http://www.geocities.com/foxterrier_rescue/wrap.html Good luck. Mary I use it in emergency situations like you would a horse or bird. Over the head too. It works. My neighbors have some nippy little chi's and they needed their shots I wrapped them for a second and they were really good even though their owner spent here whole time stressing that they would bite me. Kris I'm going to vote your guy was cold too adding to his other symptoms. I have the yorkie chi pup here and yesterday she was so cold I took an electric blanket off my bed and plugged it in for a while untill she warmed up. If you need extra coats once you can get out a boys size 10 12 fits a thin bc and a 14 fits a big one. You cut off the sleeves and make a big V in the bottom to pee. I also make a small v in the Neck and you have a cheap coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted January 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Thanks for the links and information. Well, last night, thinking he needed to take a break from his coat for a bit...I took it off - BIG MISTAKE! Within a half hour, he was trembling uncontrollably and worse yet, panting heavily. I got his coat back on, swaddled him but it took 8 hours for him to calm down completely. He would settle for a bit, then start panting, and shaking again. I tried rubbing his ears, massaging his legs which was difficult to do with him being wrapped up. I think he finally settled down around 5 this morning. Needless to say, neither of us had much sleep. He's now sleeping snuggled in his coat and a big blanket. I'll be much happier when I get him to the vet. We are wondering if the shaking/panting is related to his heart condition getting worse. Word to the wise, keep taking your anti inflammatory, don't skip a dose. It makes a big difference. - too late, I learned that one the hard way Back on the recommended dosage now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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