She managed to do that from her cage....across the room. Yes, she moved her cage across the room, brought the blanket into her cage and destroyed it. That's the second blanket this week. We've yet to find a cage that can hold her.
Oh, it gets better....she's medicated too. Yes, this is ON medication. Without medication, we end up in surgery because she does things like rip the pad off her paw. After bringing in a behavioral therapist, we decided to try some new activities with her, hoping she'll realize there's more to the world than me. We have a pool out back which she plays in daily, but we decided to try out some different water. We took her to a local park and down to the creek. She had a blast, once she finally got in the water! Thankfully, there were a lot of kids down there for her to play with, and of course her favorite playmate...daddy!
Since the dog got to play outside, it only seemed fair to let the kitty go for a walk as well!
We've tried all the usual things to kick the anxiety, but if anyone knows any secrets, please let me know!!!!!
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8 comments:
I wish I could help somehow, my chocolate lab, Hershey was and still is crazy. I tried getting one of those doggie DVDs where Dogs constantly bark for two hours and I came back to my apartment to see that drove him crazy and he pooped everywhere. Have you tried taking her to Doggie Daycare?
Hershey dislikes the water as well, you can really poop them out by throwing a tennis ball into a pool.
If you leave her loose at home, leave the TV on. I would like to see the progress of this story, please keep me undated.
Thanks valentina. We have another therapist coming in a couple of weeks so I'll update after that. In the mean time, we're going to keep going down to the park.
I know this is the last thing you want to hear...but have you thought about getting her a friend? My beast dog, Maggie, does much better when she hangs out with our other dog. She still gets anxious, but as long as she's in her crate, she doesn't hurt anything or herself. Plus, it gives her something to do besides follow me around. What about a dog walker? Someone to let her out and run? Good luck! It's sad that she's hurting herself (and your stuff).
My dog (a schnauzer) was litterly dying from anxiety. He developed serious diarrhea and shaky nerves. My vet said to get another dog because he needed company. I did (a Jack Russel). The anxiety stopped and both dogs lived to a ripe old age. I now have a Catahoula who after 6 years still shreds a blanket or dog bed every now and then. Vet said she needed plenty of exercise and play time to wear her down so she wouldn't be so destructive. That helped. So maybe another dog and/or plenty of exercise for your dog may be beneficial.
I don't have a dog, but have friends and family members who do. I recently saw an ad for thunder shirts--a velcroed shirt that is supposed to comfort a dog the way a hug would. I don't know anyone who has used them on canines with separation anxiety, but it might not hurt to try one. They come in different sizes and start at $36--a bit pricey, but with the price of blankets and therapy, it might not be a bad investment. You can check them out on http://www.thundershirt.com/?gclid=CNKkwcW3sakCFQoTbAod41S1KQ
Lillian Lane/jkklane@surewest.net
We tried a "helper" dog for about a year, but that ended up with dog fights on my lap....literally. In addition to the anxiety, she's also quite territorial.
Lillian-We have ordered the ThunderShirt. It should be here in a few days.
SOrry I was chuckling. Did you hear me? My black lab decided to eat the home baked bread yesterday. I made three loaves of bread (for communion at church) and she ate one of the loaves. Needless to say, I couldn't bring in the others (fear of dog hair, drool, all the above). Off to the store and a great story to boot!
Aimee
Would it help to get her a doggie friend for company when you're away?
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