# Anxiety Meds?



## LittleHead (May 20, 2004)

Are there anxiety meds for dogs? 
I don't know what is going on with Butter today and that's not good because I'm the only one who understands her needs/wants all the time.

She's always been a very skittish dog but today it's super skittish and as mean as it is to say, it's annoying because I don't know WHAT to do to make her happy. You know how when you have a crying baby, you've fed it, you've burped it, you've bathed it and changed it, but it still goes on and on. We keep the girls' water bowl right by our water dispenser and occasionally it will make noise on its own so Butter is very intimidated by it and won't get near the water. I woke up an hour ago, and the poor baby came running through the hallway in my room, whined, and then ran over there to let me know what she wanted. So, I held the bowl while she drank. 

A few minutes later, she was whining again. I offered her water but she didn't want that. I saw Britney was eating (she's very stingy and Butter won't get near the food if Britney is there), so I took the food and put it near her but she didn't touch it. 

It's hard explaining without pictures but in my house there are 2 different ways to get to where you need to go. From my bedroom, there's the long hallway which will take u to the living room and front door of the house and there's also a smaller hallway where we have our pantry, washer/dryer and then the kitchen. So when I was trying to figure out what Butter needed, I noticed she didn't want to step over to where I was, by the water dispenser. In fact, she went ALL the way around through the hallway, passed the pantry & washer/dryer and stood right in the kitchen. 

*sigh* Sorry for the long post but I'm just wondering if this type of medication is what I should consider for my dog because honestly, she has issues.


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## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

I would check with your vet because they do have anxiety medications for dogs, but the type and dose varies from animal to animal and situation to situation. My roommates big dog has really bad storm anxiety, so he has two Rxs one for Acepromazine and the other Lorazepam. 

I had considered putting Elliot on Reconcile for her separation anxiety at one point. It is pretty much doggy prozac. I decided against it since after I got Pip her anxiety about me leaving home decreased dramatically.

There are options, but it really takes a professional to determine what is best for her type of anxiety.


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## Chihuahuasloveme (Jan 8, 2010)

Baby-Love needs storm medication!!!! She is the alpha dog int he house but when it comes to storms she is insanely scared and runs in circles


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

I would try to avoid meds if you can. Can you move the waterbowl to a quiter place. I know I have a self-feeder waterbowl & my Chi doesn't like the bubbling sound either. She'll stand as far away as she can & get a drink. Try talking softly to her saying "It's o.k., mommies here! Many Chi's are skittish by nature & you just have to win their confidence that you're there to protect them.


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## Jerry'sMom (May 5, 2009)

Crystal--Could she be going into her heat cycle? That does tend to make some dogs whine and act differently...


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Have you ever tried any of the Bach's remedies? Rescue Remedy helps sometimes. Georgie my pomeranian is on a combo of 4 of them for anxiety. He FREAKS if he can't see me, and he will sit in front of hubby and I on the couch and just STARE at us, it's really unnerving sometimes. Georgie is 3 years old, and I rescued him in March, I am his 3rd home, he latched onto me at work where he was for adoption, and tugged at my heart strings....he's VERY attached to me. We have made progress, but he has fits in doggie daycare when I leave him (even though I am still in the same building), he is also EXCESSIVELY protective of my grooming area as some days he gets to hang out and chill with me.

Here is what I give Georgie:

*Walnut* - for protection Helps the animal ease into its new surroundings or situation 
*Heather* - loneliness Overly concerned with companionship. Constant barking 
*Holly *- jealousy, need more love, neglected Jealousy of other animals or a new baby in the home. Angry growling, hissing, barking, snapping or unprovoked attacks 
*Red Chestnut* - worry too much excessive fear & anxiety

What I do is take 4 drops from each bottle, put them into a 30ml amber dropper bottle w/5cc of Vegetable Glycerin (as a preservative) & the rest bottled spring water, then shake well before each use and he gets 4 drops of the combo dropper bottle 4x a day as needed. It has really made a difference. With thunderstorms he gets this in addition to Bach's Rescue Remedy. I am looking into a 'thunder' shirt for him which is supposed to help with storm anxiety. I don't like using 'drugs' such as Prozac or Promace unless absolutely necessary.


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## LittleHead (May 20, 2004)

Therese, there is a chance since she's never acted this way before.
Heather, thanks for the suggestion! I think a liquid remedy may be more helpful than trying to get my girl to chew a pill! 

She's still been whiney but now it's not the water dispenser, it's the actual water bowl. We have their food and water right next to one another, so this morning and yesterday as well, I took about a handful of food and put it where she was (about 10 feet away from the water bowl) and she gobbled it up.


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## LDMomma (Mar 28, 2009)

I know at Petco they have calming gel that comes in a container by the Nutri-cal. It looks exactly the same as nutri-cal. My Mom uses it for her dogs.


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

butter dont be so crazy wazy! we need to keep u sane for a long time now <3

britney, SHARE!!! :bootyshake:


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## skwerlylove (Apr 24, 2010)

Jerry'sMom said:


> Crystal--Could she be going into her heat cycle? That does tend to make some dogs whine and act differently...


Ooh good sleuthing skills!!! I would have never even thought of that, but Elliot turned into a nut when she hit her heat cycle. 

Another thing I thought of was something our clinic uses in exam rooms. They are almost like a Glade plug in, but I believe they have calming pheromones in them? I would have to go and ask someone what they're all about as I haven't paid much attention to it.


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## GemFairy (Feb 5, 2013)

On Christmas Day, my partner swooped our Chi Pancho up suddenly from behind when our big dogs came out of their room unexpectedly. When he sat Pancho on the bed, Panch did his usual stand on hind legs and look out the window, only he must have saw something (I assume he did anyway -- what? I don't know) and just freaked! He shook & panted. He did the same thing a year ago when a fly got in our house -- seriously freaked. He hates flying bugs. Not sure why as he has never been stung and doesn't go outside to potty, etc. Anyway, this went on for an hour and I couldn't help him get back his sense of confidence. He scooted on his bottom and just was odd. I called the animal hospital and they said we better check him for injury. Since he was running and jumping into our arms with no problem, I decided to watch him overnight. Still anxious in morning, we spent 4 hours at animal hospital on Christmas Day. They thought his anal glands might be the issue, and drained them. I got ahold of my vet the day after Christmas, and she gave him a pain med since he would bark and jump out from under his covers, but then pant or breath fast. Two days of that, a disrupted feeding schedule... and finally he started feeling safe enough/no pain to poop and even played a little with a toy and loved walking around the house with our Aussie. 

This morning though, he seemed frightened again of pooping. I gave him Rescue Remedy (can it be given in the mouth? I put it on his shoulders) and wa-la... he ran off from me and pooped and laid in the living room for a while. I've never had the experience of a frightened Chi and it sure scared me! I am so glad for Dr. Bach's Rescue Remedy. We still aren't all the way back to happy and silly Pancho, but hopefully some reg meals will now help and all will be well.


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## Pitluvs (Jul 24, 2013)

We are having the same issues with our Bubby right now and it is tiresome. I have three kids and another chi that demands my time as well as being a full time student with a boyfriend who works on the other side of the country. You explaining it as a baby that you have done everything with but still isn't happy is right on the money! I'll read through all these posts and hopefully we can both get some peace from this anxiety!! ((hugs))


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## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

Any possibility one of the other dogs has "claimed" the bowl and made her afraid to use it? You could try 2 feeding/watering stations that are WELL separated, maybe even different rooms.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I ssecond the above suggestion. Get a water bowl away from the one that makes noises! The other suggestion for doggies that have 'issues' is the thunder shirt. They advertise it for storms, but it works wonders for anxiety also. Try one and see.


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

How old is Butter? I would shy away from meds. I gave acepromazine to my first chi during thunder storms. But only like 2 or 3 times because even just a shaving from one low dose would knock him out! So I don't go that route anymore! You have to work with her! Little by little show her that there is nothing to be afraid of. Maybe set up a confined play area by the water bottle and play with her and treat her for a fe minutes several times a day. For feeding, they have to be separated. Unfortunately there is no quick answer!


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

This is a 3 year old posts. Hopefully she found resolution for Butter by now. It's very important to find out what's causing the upset so you know how to deal with it. Medication and vet visits are not always the remedy. My chi also has a fear of flying insects that developed about 2 years ago because she got stung by a bee. Now she tends to freak out when she sees a fly and will scamper off to her safe place up in my room on the bed. I talk to her and tell her it's ok--that it's just a fly.


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## GemFairy (Feb 5, 2013)

Thanks, Woodward  I know it's an old thread, but at this site all the threads -- whether old or new-- are so helpful for me as a "new" Chihuahua mommy  Pancho is 3 years now & I'm learning so much from everyone here! I use the search here and find topics I need info & experience about. 

Pancho doesn't go outside, and we've had him since he was a little little handful -- literally! haha  So, no sting from a bee BUT he did get a flea once from my daughter's visiting doggy, his friend, and he is so smart. He did NOt want that darn bug on him! We got it with our comb! HA! I think he really understands the connection of bugs being not cool, maybe instinctually, thus he likes to "diggy diggy " his bed occasionally (my bed, snuggling between my legs) and he also has "told" me there was a nat in the house. He doesn't freak from them, though. 

Anyway, an update -- this morning Pancho played with his little "bone bone" food! (a nice soft made in usa treat, organic... not grain free but don't want to change his diet suddenly right now) stretched, was HAPPY !! I gave him tramadol in the middle of night after getting on FB & learning from friends that anal glands can be a very challenging and VERY painful issue. Not just a matter of draining and done. Big difference!  

I learned Dogs need the right food (grain free & canned pumpkin are helpful in the diet) as well as gentle, pain-free time to move and get them to keep draining with BMs -- imperative. Many little dogs' anal glands simply don't drain well. Some big fur friends too I learned have had trouble. So, it was pain, not anxiety. The animal hospital made it seem so casual and no big deal -- I had no idea they were more than uncomfortable and needed to keep draining this week! That is why forums like this and social media is so important. 

Personally, I have Vernuil's Disease -- a autoimmune disease that cause my apocrine glands to fill and become stuck too, even abscessed. Very painful and from this experience, I've had docs who were so low-energy and uneducated -- who just try to drain them w/o pain meds -- then give me pain meds after draining as they realized it was awful and painful-- so backwards! Good docs give generous pain control, drain very slowly and continue pain meds afterwards as my moving keeps the drainage going and healing. So, I guess I'm an expert on draining glands and can be an advocate for the issue. 

With Vernuil's, like anal gland problems, some docs want surgery and the idea that "total clean out" is needed to "fix" it -- but studies show this is unhelpful for glands in Vernuil's and I have a hunch it isn't a fix for anal glands either. Certainly, a friend in Australia substantiated that hunch when she shared with me last night that (her lab mix had the procedure done many times under anesthesia and healing afterwards was tough... not really "fixing" anything, is it?). Another friend said her dog's anal glands were removed. I want to avoid surgery and pain for my angel, so I'm going to be AWARE now and make sure his glands are as ok as they possibly can be. The glands are still draining, so like my sweat glands, they take time for healing and pain control is a must to heal. 

Anxiety... well, yes.. but caused from the pain. Still using rescue Remedy and it is a HUGE help! And I'm in joy because he is happy and not frightened and way better today! He even scooted again, so he's working on it. Well being surrounds us and happiness, relaxation are abundant. I'm so grateful for this thread and this website. My hope is that this thread will help others too -- whether today or years from now.. 

xxoo Rita and Pancho


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

Regarding anal gland issues, Charlie has had problems but I have been able to eliminate them by watching his diet. He never had problems on straight kibble but when I switched him to straight Ziwipeak he began to have issues. On ZP, he has very small, soft stools. Also, he requires a lot of bone with his raw to get a solid stool. I think with him the combo of low volume and soft stool didn't allow the pressure necessary to empty the anal glands naturally. Now he does well on half kibble and half ZP and sometimes a meaty bone. I am not saying that ZP is a bad food, I think it is a great food. But every dog is different.

Also, regarding timidity or nervousness, I had Charlie evaluated by a trainer and she pointed out that by telling him everything was ok and trying to soothe him that I was actually reinforcing the behavior. Now when he is frightened I stop, let him take his time to look things over and only praise him when he makes a step towards whatever frightened him, or even if his body language relaxes, you know tail and ears come back up, that sort of thing.

Also, and this is purely opinion, any kind of clothing makes Charlie feel less nervous. I think it is kind of like swaddling a baby.


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## GemFairy (Feb 5, 2013)

Thank you MiniGrace  I'm watching our dry/wet ratio, made an appt to check with our vet to make sure glands were drained /still draining, and found a ZiwiPeak store here in my city! Anxiety was going great until Pancho ran at full speed (like I've never seen) through the house happy and had a reverse sneeze! Darn! It scared us both. We'l keep being brave and making sure pain is gone baby gone so well being abounds again. Things are better every day! Thank you, Gracias! xxoo Rita and Pancho


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