2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Lavenders_Blue]

I just wondered whether the collective experience and wisdom of the Omlet community might be able to come up with some ideas for helping my parents with their dog.

 

He is a 14 year old terrier cross breed who we have had since a puppy. Strictly speaking, the dog is mine, but he stayed with my parents when I moved out from home 5 years ago. He has always been quite highly strung, hating to be left alone even if you just go into another room. He also doesn't seem to cope if his regular routine changes (i.e. if he can't get his after dinner game of ball, if he sees my parents get their suitcases out to go on holiday). He seems to associate just about everything with a negative experience and get completely wound up.

 

As he has got older he seems to have got worse, not better, with my parents now often waking up to find he has made a mess overnight where he has got so wound up about being separated during the night. He has never been allowed to sleep in the bedroom, so this is not a new change to his routine.

 

He also gets very wound up if he has to come and stay with me and hubby while my parents are on holiday or out for the day. He has stayed with us many times, he knows the house and of course he knows us very well. However, he won't settle and seems to fret until mum and dad come back. This, again, has got worse recently with him now occasionally making a mess if we have to go out and leave him in our house which he never used to do.

 

He has also, in the last couple of years, become quite funny about being touched or fussed. Whereas he used to love being stroked and tickled, he now yelps as if in pain if you touch (or often before you touch) him anywhere other than on his head or back. He is absolutely impossible to take to a vet... last time he had his vaccinations it took the vet and two nurses to pin him down to get it done, so having a vet check up is really out of the question.

 

So... does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for helping a nervous and neurotic dog? Is there a kind of dog equivalent of Prozac available?! Or anything that might help calm him. My parents are both retired and have been since they got the dog, so he has always had them around day and night and had the same routine since a pup. He does get left, of course, while they go out (never for more than 5 hours).

[Chucky Mama]

I know that he is difficult to take to the vet but I would strongly advise you to have him checked over. In the meantime you could fit him with a DAP collar (they are now called Adaptil Collars). This may take the edge off and will also help calm him for his trip to the vets. There are doggie versions of Prozac. There is one over the counter one called Zylkene that you could try. I would still advise a trip to the vets though as there may be something going on that requires treatment that is making him like this.

[beach chick]

I agree, he might be a nightmare at the vets but there could well be something phsyical going on which is causing all this. and at least if you rule that out, you could look at talking to an animal behaviourist and or trainer? I'd recommend someone from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) if you go the trainer route.

[mollyripkim]

Hi, I would suggest the vet as well even if it's difficult. I think dogs can suffer from dementia so become confused more easily and dislike change. I dog sit and we had an elderly dog who sounds very similar, he would also decide something freaked him and nothing could change his mind, in one instance this was any manhole or drain. He did live for several years after that, not much help as I can't remember what treatment he had.

Good luck anyway, it's always hard when they are much loved part of the family.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Thanks for the responses. I suspected you would all suggest a vet visit.

The vet usually gives the dog a once-over when he goes for his annual vaccinations (last went a couple of weeks ago) but finds it extremely difficult to examine him as he wriggles and squirms so much and then starts growling The vet always puts a treat on the table for him, but he always looks at it suspiciously as if it's poisoned - usually he will hoover up anything. More than once the vet has suggested he has a heart murmur, but is not 100% sure as the dog wriggles so much it's hard to get a reading and he is so stressed his heartbeat sounds more like a buzz than individual beats!

To be honest... I'm not sure how much a veterinary examination would reveal, simply because he makes it so impossible to be examined. But I will certainly suggest Mum and Dad call the vet to discuss the problem and see what their suggestion is, maybe mentioning some of the suggestions on here (e.g. DAP). This weekend just gone, hubby and I gave Mum, Dad and the dog a lift to a family get together. The dog was so stressed out he paced the car and hyperventilated for the entire journey. Normally he loves a car journey because it means interesting walk, but he had clearly picked up on the fact that this was different and got stressed. In fact, by the time we arrived, we were all stressed!

[The Dogmother]

I know that he is difficult to take to the vet but I would strongly advise you to have him checked over. In the meantime you could fit him with a DAP collar (they are now called Adaptil Collars). This may take the edge off and will also help calm him for his trip to the vets. There are doggie versions of Prozac. There is one over the counter one called Zylkene that you could try. I would still advise a trip to the vets though as there may be something going on that requires treatment that is making him like this.

 

I agree; it sounds like something physical to me..

 

Just to add that a friend has tried Zylkene on her bag of nerves dog and it worked a treat.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Spoke to Mum this morning and offered your suggestions. She said the Zylkene would be no good as it's now impossible to get him to take any tablets. If they're hidden in his dinner, the bowl is licked clean with the pill sitting in the bottom, untouched or if she hides them in a treat he refuses it, or spits it out when he finds something in there

However, she thought the DAP collar/diffuser sounded interesting and has set my dad on the case to investigate. I have suggested they speak to the vet too, although she wasn't sure it would be any help as they vet saw him a couple of weeks ago when he had his jabs, could see what he was like and didn't raise any concerns then.

 

Thanks all for the suggestions though.

[lillybettybabs]

I agree with getting him checked over for any physical problems,

sadly we humans cause a lot of problems in our dogs without realising it . If you are looking for a behavourist

I can recommed Jez Rose, he has trained with Turid Rugaas and Ian Dunbar i have met him a couple of times at seminars.

[franklyrabbit]

I know that home visits by vets cost more but perhaps this could also be considered

[arwesa]

is there any other symptoms? does he bump into things? hear ok? has he had his eyes checked?

[Lavenders_Blue]

His eyesight is fine, but his hearing is not as sharp as it used to be. He's not completely deaf, but doesn't always hear people knock at the door or hear you calling him when he's out on a walk (although that is also partly selective deafness ). His hearing is going to the extent that you would expect from a 14 year old dog.