Papillon Kisses

I’m so sorry, Rebanne. Please take gentle care of yourself, ok? When the shock wears off you might find yourself spinning. Vale, darling Opal.

Poor dogs, those three things would certainly be feeding into each other. Dr Michelle at Earlwood Animal Hospital has a special interest in behaviour, as does another one of the vets there but I forget which one exactly. Or if you can afford a behaviour vet, Pet Behaviour Vet, Vet Behaviour Team, or The Whole Hound. I can personally recommend PBV.

Erm, sorry T, but you’re outing yourself as never having looked at any dog bite statistics as they are there. The small breed most commonly ranked higher up is the Jack Russell, not so surprising given it was historically bred to dispatch vermin. The dogs that rank highest usually have some biting or killing aspect in their breed history. Staffies, Amstaffs and their mixes typically well outnumber the others. To be clear I don’t support breed bans as they’re not supported by science. What is needed is education. For everyone. And part of that education is understanding what the dog in front of you has historically been bred to do, it’s capabilities (yes any dog can bite but let’s not pretend there aren’t differences in the amount of damage that can be done), and how they experience the world. Yes I’m including all breeds in that, lest anyone jump to conclusions. Many don’t pay any regard to a tiny dog’s rightful fears and autonomy, especially when it comes to Chihuahuas and small white fluffers. They learn they have to shout to be listened when their subtler body language is ignored. I’m sending this comment out into the world rather than you specifically, but I get very tired of “don’t bully my breed” types turning around and shitting on small dogs and their people.

Zylkene is one of the few supplements that has an evidence base, but again more for mild-moderate anxiety. We tried it as an adjunct to meds at our BV’s recommendation and decided not to continue. We learnt from adaptil to stop after the recommended trial period if something didn’t seem to have much/any benefit, rather than just holding out hope… all these things can really add up. So that’s our story with Zylkene, but I know other dogs who benefit from it either by itself or in addition to their anxiety meds.

You’re welcome. Your dog being unable to eat suggests that he’s too anxious to do much of the training component and you need to treat the underlying medical problem first (e.g. anxiety disorder). If you were being chased by a lion you wouldn’t want to stop for snacks! Being unable to eat is also a reason why I suspect DAP by itself may not be enough. I too would start with a vet. I’m getting the impression that the vet you saw isn’t that knowledgeable about behaviour if they just referred to you to what sounds like a dog trainer (any non-vet person can call themselves a ‘behaviourist’) and they had that setup. Idk it just seems suss to me. The Behaviour Vets I know cost a bit more but their consults run anywhere between 1-3hrs and include things like phone/email support in between consults. You’re not just palmed off to a trainer after 30mins. Unfortunately I can’t think of any suitable GP vets in WA, only BVs. Good BVs are worth every cent but are a chunk of cash if your budget is stretched. Do consider when crunching numbers that all the over the counter stuff adds up fast whereas the most common meds for GAD (if he ends up needing meds) are something like $10 from chemist warehouse. Regular vets can prescribe too, it can just be a challenge sometimes finding someone knowledgeable about behaviour.

Hi Nick, My dog didn’t have storm phobia, but he did have generalised anxiety disorder, noise sensitivity and OCD. We saw a number of behaviour vets and a vet behaviour specialist as he was a tricky case, alongside a lot of behaviour management and force free training to help him feel better about the things that worried him. DAP is one of the few over the counter remedies that actually has an evidence-base, however by itself it’s only really for mild to moderate fear/anxiety/stress. There is a money back guarantee (see ADAPTIL website for terms) if your dog doesn’t respond to it. Mine didn’t, but my parents’ dog is now able to have a lower dose of one of his anxiety meds as long as he wears his adaptil collar, which I think is very cool! I have a sneaking suspicion that your Huntaway has generalised anxiety disorder and storm phobia. I’d recommend getting him assessed by a Behaviour Vet or a behaviour-savvy GP vet, to see whether that’s the case and if so what treatment he needs, such as anxiety medication or an evidence-based supplement, along with DAP if you choose to try it. If nothing else you need them to rule out and treat any medical problems that might be contributing. Chronic pain for example is highly comorbid in dogs with noise sensitivity/phobias. Please don’t just go out and buy stuff without individualised vet advice. While DAP has an evidence base and is unlikely to harm given that it’s just a smell, over the counter products often promise to do things they do not and are sometimes contraindicated for the dog in front of you (a product being perceived as ‘natural’ doesn’t necessarily mean it’s appropriate, safe or effective). One can waste a lot of time and money on things that were never going to touch the sides, all while the dog’s underlying medical problem/s go untreated and worsen. If it’s determined that your Huntaway would benefit from anxiety medication, know that the right medication/s and dose/s for him won’t change his personality for the worse, nor turn him into a zombie. If anything it will enable his personality to shine as we’re not our best selves when riddled with anxiety. Once his anxiety is reduced to a level where he’s able to eat, you can start playing counter-conditioning games where boom = high value treat rains from sky. Don’t be stingy, use something special, and make sure you do it in that order: thunderclap THEN treat. You want the scary thing to predict good things happening, rather than the other way around or else your dog might start panicking at the mere sight/smell of that tasty treat! On a related note, our behaviour vet recommends staying away from thunderstorm CDs without professional instruction, as she frequently sees dogs whose well-meaning humans (before seeing her) have accidentally sensitised rather than desensitised their dogs by playing them. Oftentimes when storm phobia is left untreated it generalises, and everyday wind, shadows, and other noises can become triggering. Untreated and under-treated anxiety also tends to worsen over time. This may have been what happened with your guy. It highlights how we really want to treat storm phobia early, often and thoroughly. That and panic attacks place tremendous stress on a dog’s cardiac and respiratory systems over time and this can be deadly. (I am not being hyperbolic, see first section: https://www.dvm360.com/view/storm-phobias) Re thundershirt, you could experiment with a scarf or bandage to see if that helps (look up ttouch wraps). Unsure if thundershirt also has a money back guarantee. You do need to be careful that your dog is genuinely calm not just shut down, and that it doesn’t come to predict the scary thing. I know dogs who ask for their thundershirt when they sense that a storm is coming (no better meteorologist than a dog with storm phobia) as they know it helps them feel better. I also know dogs who panic at the sight of it because it has come to predict a storm. Note also that thundershirts do up by velcro which can be an issue for noise sensitive dogs. With the “sulky” look when you ask your other dogs to do something. What you’re likely seeing are more subtle signs of fear/anxiety/stress (see link with body language handouts). It wouldn’t surprise me if he has a punishment history from the people or rescue who had him before you, and has come to fear anything that looks like obedience training despite not raising your voice. I can’t stress enough how important it is to stick to rewards-based/force free methods, for all dogs but especially these sensitive ones. A force free trainer can help you with a behaviour management and modification plan for his anxiety including the game I mentioned above. For WA, I’d check out Pet Professional Guild Australia and IMDT directories. Link dump https://www.anzcvs.org.au/chapters/veterinary+behaviour+chapter (many of these will do Telehealth consults if needed) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180320100719.htm https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/318 https://www.drmartybecker.com/wp-content/cache/wp-rocket/drmartybecker.com/fear-free/2-things-pets-firework-fears/index-https.html_gzip https://illis.se/en/eliminating-firework-and-thunder-phobia-in-dogs/ https://www.vetbehaviourteam.com/client-handouts/ https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/you-cant-reinforce-fear-dogs-and-thunderstorms https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2016/06/seven-reasons-to-use-reward-based-dog.html https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/find-a-professional https://www.imdt.com.au/find-a-qualified-imdt-trainer

I chose Central Animal Records as a second (to NSW CAR) registry many years ago after asking for or reading recommendations here. There were a bunch of media stories around the time about holiday goers driving found pets across borders so their usual vet could scan them, and these weren’t even dogs in border towns…

A classic case of before you buy a dog, look into what they were historically bred to do lol.

Big day! You might like to ask him about trying Pregabalin in place of Gabapentin. One of Malcolm’s more specialist vets, who had MANZCVS level qualifications in anaesthesia and critical care (which overs analgesia) and in vet behaviour, switched him over to it as it’s easier on the organs and has fewer side effects. Malcolm was getting completely wiped out by gabapentin at doses high enough to control pain, whereas with Pregabalin we got the needed level of pain relief without the side effects. Another more novel drug she prescribed was Amantadine. You’d need to search “amantadine and analgesia” to get relevant information as it’s used for different things in humans than in dogs.

Thinking of you both

If that was a question for me, I was referring to the dry food that comes in bags. I wanted to mention it as there’s a lot of kibble shaming and fear-mongering online.

If you’d like to learn more about nutrition, a few websites that I’d recommend are the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, Tufts Clinical Nutrition Service, and Veterinary Nutrition Group. The WSAVA handout for pet owners includes questions you can ask of manufacturers. The best diet for a dog is one that is complete and balanced, appropriate for their life stage and any health issues they have, and which they enjoy and appear to do well on. Grain/wheat free is largely a gimmick. I personally would not feed it unless your dog has a diagnosed intolerance or allergy as there are risks. Part of dog’s evolution from wolves included their ability to digest grains. The vast majority of homemade and raw diets aren’t complete and balanced for a dog, some are extremely unbalanced, and this includes ratio diets. If you want to make your own I’d suggest buying a recipe or a doing a consult with a vet nutritionist such as VNG linked to above. You’ll note how they include recommendations for supplements that are needed the vast majority of the time. Be aware that ‘nutritionist’ without the ‘vet’ in front of it isn’t a protected term. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, whether or not they have any qualifications, and if they do have some sort of certificate it’s not necessarily worth the paper it’s written on as anyone can put together a course. There are some degree qualified, non-vet nutritionists out there but they are in the minority. Incidentally the same applies for human nutritionists! For variety, I like to give some fresh food in qualities that don’t unbalance the diet, e.g. as training treats or when stuffing food toys. However there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding kibble. It is a convenient, accessible and economical way for many people to ensure that their dogs are getting the nutrition they need to thrive.

Does your vet have a recommendation? They would be familiar with internal medicine specialists in Melbourne if referral is needed.

In Barn Hunt the rat is alive and enclosed in a tube while the dog hunts for them. They are supposedly trained to be ok with this… I’m not convinced? Predation Substitute Training appeals more to me from the little I know about it. I think meeting needs is important and that it need not be at the expense of another animal’s welfare.

Drat I feared it might just point to the ‘watch’ page... leading to anything and everything showing up. Words (c) All Pets Education & Training. 13 October 2017. [quote]Sometimes you need to think outside the box when it comes to enrichment. Enrichment means improving something or increasing value. It doesn't however always need to involve food. Scent is incredibly powerful, sniffing helps calm dogs and also helps fulfil the dogs natural seeking requirements. This activity is especially powerful for older dogs with restricted mobility or dogs on crate rest. It has been something that I've incorporated in to Poco's life for many years due to his several medically required extended crate confinement periods. What you need: • It helps to have another dog to take with you - they are better at finding the smells than you or I. • A bag of clean rags • A spare bag to pop the scented rags in to Go for a walk. When your helper dog finds an interesting smell - rub a rag over it and pop it in the spare bag. Repeat repeat repeat. Now this activity does require some common sense: • Watch what you are rubbing your rag in - obviously we don't want to bring home chunks or gross organic matter. • Also I would advise against this for immune compromised pets or pets that have not completed their puppy vaccination schedule. Parvo can live in the environment for years! • Bring your scented rags home, and give them to your dog that needs some extra mental stimulation without the physical walk. • Supervise them. - Ensure they don't eat rags etc. - If you have a dog that resource guards similar objects perhaps this isn't the best for them. Poco loves this activity. He sniffs, tastes, and sorts his rags for up to 30 minutes. And he sleeps very soundly afterwards. And yes I am that crazy lady people tend to avoid when out walking - walking around polishing poles and trees. I've even had a class client mention that they spotted me out and about doing this and thought I was a complete nutter. [/quote]

Do you have anyone who could bring a walk or other outing* home to the girls? https://fb.watch/k9YzQqk0gp/?mibextid=ykz3hl *I know someone who brings bits and pieces home for her dog who can’t join them for dog beach trips. And one time I brought the zoo home to Malcolm. Edit. If the link doesn’t work, tell me and I’ll try to do a write up. Or search “all pets education training rags” in Facebook and hopefully that will bring it up.

What I’m hearing is that you have a couple of woolies hot chook influencers How are things today, LMO?

Mal and I loved the Velfast cones! Would love to see them as options at more vets for situations like these where the hard plastic type are needed. I hope your girls feel better soon.

In our thoughts

You could always ask for a referral to an internal medicine specialist, if there is one within travel distance. Alternatively your vet could call one for advice (a vet-to-vet consult). A few things could be going besides Cushings. For example Addison’s Disease, which is basically the reverse. It’s more difficult to spot, to the degree that it has earned the nickname “The Great Pretender”. Your dog would need to be off steroids for a period to have accurate results on an ACTH test. My dog lucked out when diagnosed - the only external symptom he had was polyuria/polydipsia. For most dogs it’s a story of odd waxing and waning symptoms that could be any number of things, some temporary improvement with a course of steroids if given, but no diagnosis until they have a life-threatening crisis.

It occurs to me that this emoji is the wrong way around. Picture all of us hugging you.

@Adrienne you might like to look into RightPaw.

Welcome, Jacci Sorry this is long!! I had a chihuahua terrier mix with generalised anxiety disorder, noise sensitivity and canine compulsive disorder (dog equivalent of OCD). When I first got him he was scared of men like your little one… lots of rushing and barking then hiding behind people or under furniture. With force free training, and anxiety treatment from a Behaviour Vet, he made huge progress and came to love my husband in particular. The instructions included having all men ignore him initially - no talking to, looking at or touching him. From what you’ve said it sounds like you are probably in good hands with your dog trainer and vet, though as Amazetl said seeing a Behaviour Vet can be a good idea if you want a second opinion. They’re like seeing a psychiatrist rather than a general practitioner. Do keep in contact with your prescribing vet too so they can monitor his response to medications and modify them if need be - sometimes different doses, combinations or medications are needed. Depending on the medications/s prescribed don’t expect a quick response either; some take up to 6-8 weeks to fully kick in. But if you and he are really struggling there are short-acting meds that can be prescribed alongside those ones to get the panic level down quicker. Regarding medicating young dogs and pups. Early intervention gets the best response vs waiting until later. It was explained to me that a lot of synaptic pruning goes on when they’re young and they can nudge it in the right direction with medication. And being on meds for life is totally fine, but when you get in early you also have a greater chance of being able to reduce or stop them as they get older. I recommend keeping a short diary to track how things are going. For two reasons. When you’re living this day in day out it can be difficult to notice improvement until you zoom out and realise how far you’ve come, so it can help boost morale on those harder days to see it. And it can help guide your vet as to whether the medication is helping as it should. Please don’t give your dog any anxiety supplements without running them by your prescribing vet. Adaptil is fine since it’s just a scent, but combining e.g. tryptophan treats with anxiety medication can lead to serotonin syndrome. I wouldn’t get a second dog especially with a puppy. Spend your time and money helping your little guy feel better. A second dog can make the first more anxious, or result in two dogs with behavioural issues which is much more work. That you can reinforce anxiety by comforting your dog is another one of those dog behaviour myths. Emotions drive behaviour, and we cannot reinforce anxiety by comforting a dog. On the contrary, ignoring a dog who is seeking comfort can make them feel more anxious, and when we help them feel better their behaviour can change in turn! So please comfort your little one if they seek it. Be their secure base. I highly recommend K9 Nose Work for confidence building. It was amazing for our Chihuahua, particularly with his OCD and neophobia. You do need the right instructor and class as when anxiety is involved not all can be suitable. I’ve been to classes all over Sydney and greater Sydney if you’d like a recommendation. I would never recommend taking an anxious dog away from their safe person and flooding it with triggers. Here’s a video re calming fearful dogs and how it’s not reinforcing anxiety.

Because dog training is an unregulated industry where any non-vet can call themselves a ‘dog behaviour specialist’ or any other title regardless of whether they have any education or qualifications at all, or if their knowledge base even belongs in this century. So desperate people get preyed on because they don’t know where to go for help when their dogs have behavioural issues (aggression is mentioned in the article). And maybe they ask on social media or dog forums but often the same abusers get trotted out each time, and if you say anything because your dog or friends or clients dogs have been damaged by said trainers or the methods they use, you get attacked. Meanwhile on our television screens the outdated rubbish is further promoted, whether by self-proclaimed ‘dog psychologists’ and ‘behaviourists’ Cesar Milan and Graeme Hall, or celebrity vets like Dr Harry and Dr Chris Brown. If it’s on National Geographic or out of the mouths of everyone’s favourite TV vets it’s gotta be sound advice, right? If they’re quoted in newspapers they must be experts, right? Journalistic standards and all that? Dog owners are victims too in my mind. People doing the best with what they know at the time, then beating themselves to shreds long after their best friend has died. The pain is even greater if they were too damaged by the time they saw a veterinary behaviourist, and had to be euthanised to relieve their mental torment and for safety reasons. PS. I hadn’t heard of that particular company, but at the risk of driving traffic to it his website is WILD. Like CM, he’s got the secret sauce passed down by god.

Hi there! Sorry to hear about your frightened dog and heating woes. I had a noise sensitive dog with generalised anxiety disorder and OCD so I know how tough it can be. I’d recommend seeking help from a force free trainer (Pet Professional Guild Australia is a good directory to check in VIC) who can show you how to desensitise and counter condition properly and refer you on if needed. Let me know if you’d like help finding suitable people. I see a lot of people accidentally sensitise rather than desensitise their dogs, and I don’t mean by using food or comforting the dog as is mentioned in that reddit thread. You cannot, I repeat CANNOT, reinforce anxiety. Please comfort your dog if she seeks it. An example of how things can go wrong is directly in the reddit thread where the commenter states that you should have the dog close to the trigger. They need to be far enough away that they are aware but not frightened. Too close and you’re flooding the poor thing, like if an arachnophobe was forced to have a tarantula facial. Another way things can go wrong is timing problems where the treat comes to predict the scary thing happening rather than the other way around. A vet check is always worthwhile. Dogs with noise sensitivities and indeed behaviour problems in general (other types of anxiety, aggression, hyperarousal issues) often have underlying pain of some description, and there are other medical problems that can contribute to fear/anxiety/stress too. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/318 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2018.00017/full Some dogs benefit from evidence-based supplements or medication for their anxiety if they’re too frightened for training by itself to be successful. When considering that it’s best to speak to a vet with a special interest and/or further qualifications in behaviour. A lot of products on the market have zero evidence behind them along with quality control issues, and aren’t necessarily safe for all dogs especially if you haven’t had that vet check to confirm that your dog is otherwise healthy. If you could find some alternate heating in the meantime that would be ideal but I know that may be a lot to ask. Continued negative exposures are likely to worsen the fear, and generalisation may occur where she starts becoming fearful of other random noises too (vet behaviourists see that a lot in dogs with untreated/under-treated storm phobia for example). Hope this helps!