Briar Barking - Pheno?

[Cheri McDonald]

Briar has adjusted well to the Pheno for her seizures. Vet said it might slow her down for awhile or go the other way and make her excitable. Well, we are seeing or should I say hearing a lot of barking behavior that she never used to do.

 

She has always been a talker, howls and little whoofs to express her pleasure. But this is out and out barking for the sake of barking. You look at her and she barks :eek: . We have begun downing her and telling her "No Bark" and are hoping this phase passes. Any ideas?

[sea4th]

Hi Cheri,

 

I think with Briar's brain adjusting, you can expect some behaviors that didn't exist before. Some might be permanent, some might be just during the adjustment period, and they might lessen or increase with medication adjustments.

 

My Dolly has no off switch and if something sets her off barking, nothing you can do will get her to shut up. Mothing. It can get really annoying. I'm speculating, but I attribute Dolly's barking to some of the more severe seizure episodes she had when she was younger, and possibly the really high doses of phenobarb she was on for such a long time, which --- assumption here---caused some brain damage.

 

Notate this and any other behavior in Briar's seizure journal.

 

Vicki

[Cheri McDonald]

Thanks Vicki. I love her beyond all reason but it is starting to wear on us. I started her journal on the day after the cluster and make some note in it everyday. Even if it is just a blurb of what we did that day. I took it with when we went for her pheno levels test. The vet thought it was the greatest thing ever and said she wished everyone did it. Thanks for telling us to do that!