anxiety and dementia ( the rainbow bridge)

[Dal & Mad's Mom]

I'm curious about people's opinion on dogs who already had a life long history of anxiety and are now getting up in age. Dave is at least 10 by all accounts and he was put into rescue for serious (Dangerous style) anxiety and is now hypothyroid having good control on his meds but, typical of an older dog his eyes are dull and his behavior is becoming more odd.

 

He has excaped our fencing repeatedly in the last few weeks but, it's things like climbing over serious barriers and destroying my moms desk that lead me to believe his issues are increasing. We have given him a great 3 + years but, mom and I cant agree that if we love him that It may be more fair to let him go. She says she feels like the grim reaper.

 

Editted to add that I'm more of the opinion that we should get comfortable with letting him go before he does something that will kill him or require him to be put down. His elderly owner turned him into rescue after he raced back and forth across the 4 lanes of 81 repeatedly over gun shots.

[Laura L]

I think that it's a hard decision to make, but maybe made a bit easier by knowing that you have given him a good 3+ years. I certainly wouldn't think badly of you having made the same decision about a similar dog that I had last year. You have to look at what's good for the dog and good for you and the rest of your family. When the bad starts to outweigh the good it's time.

Laura

[Dal & Mad's Mom]

I think that it's a hard decision to make, but maybe made a bit easier by knowing that you have given him a good 3+ years. I certainly wouldn't think badly of you having made the same decision about a similar dog that I had last year. You have to look at what's good for the dog and good for you and the rest of your family. When the bad starts to outweigh the good it's time.

Laura

 

 

Thanks I'm hoping that people will share thier experience with advanced age in these truly phobic dogs. It might make it easier to learn form others. We love Dave to death but, The thought of him excaping and running in panic into traffic is awful.

 

We had a dog we adopted out who was accidently trapped in a bedroom during a storm and he dug untill he exposed wires and was electrocuted.

 

You hope they mellow with advanced age but, I'm worried that seeing alzehimers pts that in phobic's that might not be the case.

[in2adventure]

Poor Dave And poor you, lots of things to think about. I know it sounds silly, but have you tried a Thundershirt? I bought one for Lucia this weekend after a friend loaned us one. The results were amazing. Not perfect by any means, but anxiety was greatly relieved. My friend's dog was as bad as Dave and now can lay at her feet during a storm or fireworks. It's pretty simple and I raised an eyebrow over it, but really believe it makes a difference when used under stress. Couldn't hurt and it's holistic. They say it works in 85% of the dogs and they have a money back guarentee

 

Here's a pic of lucia in the Thundershirt at the NADAC Champs last weekend. It saved the weekend because she was freaked out by all the noise and stress of the huge areana. She wouldn't look at the camera for the picture, silly dog.

[Dal & Mad's Mom]

Poor Dave And poor you, lots of things to think about. I know it sounds silly, but have you tried a Thundershirt? I bought one for Lucia this weekend after a friend loaned us one. The results were amazing. Not perfect by any means, but anxiety was greatly relieved. My friend's dog was as bad as Dave and now can lay at her feet during a storm or fireworks. It's pretty simple and I raised an eyebrow over it, but really believe it makes a difference when used under stress. Couldn't hurt and it's holistic. They say it works in 85% of the dogs and they have a money back guarentee

 

Here's a pic of lucia in the Thundershirt at the NADAC Champs last weekend. It saved the weekend because she was freaked out by all the noise and stress of the huge areana. She wouldn't look at the camera for the picture, silly dog.

 

 

I'm willing to try it we tried the meds people were using during the week long fair in town and while it may have helped he wasnt down by any stretch of the imagination. esp on fireworks night which are set off across the street from my moms.

 

I'll look into buying him one.

 

The problem that I thinks is really getting worse is his sepertion anxiety. She used to be able to leave hm with other dogs then it progressed to leaving him crated with other dogs who will make him lie down. Last week he dug out and showed a number of dogs how to go too. The odd thing is my dad is right next door at their new house he bipassed him and searched town for her.

[Tuxedodog]

Timely topic, I feel for you in a big way, I was going to post something similar this AM. I don't really know what to say, I am in a similar position with Buster. While he no longer tries to endlessly escape, he is still anxious about lots of things that I have no control over. Wind, rain, tree branches and walnuts falling on the house... we put him back in the family room 3 times this morning (with his new friend), we had left the room to get ready for work, he climbed over the chairs to be in a "safe" part of the house. He was so anxious about going outside this AM, he came in and started to poop in the house, not a usual issue with him. As much as Clomicalm is not meant to be taken forever, I can't see him coming off it. Buster is 11 and I wonder how much of his behavior is age related. Every time we get him adjusted and seemingly happy, he finds a new phobia, most of them go away when we are around him, but we have to work also. I don't want to be discouraging, I am resigned to keeping Buster, but we only have 2 dogs, and we have lived with escaping and wholesale destruction, so there isn't much more unless it becomes a quality of life issue for him. That is a difficult decision, my husband and I discussed it before we got the new dog, were we going to have him PTS for convenience (something neither of us could live with), or would it be better for him? I am so sorry you are having this problem, but I don't think there is a magic solution short of 24/7 human companionship - not practical for most people.

[in2adventure]

Try the Thundershirt. Nothing to lose. My friend who loaned me hers is a vet tech and said they sell them in their office. The only dogs it hasn't worked on had medical issues that needed attention. It may not get rid of the problem, but from the results I've seen in just a couple used with Lucia, it may make life livable for both you and the dog.

 

Good luck.