pyrnet-l-digest Sunday, January 29, 2006
[pyrnet] HEALTH: Prozac for Pyrs Oliverslb@aol.com [pyrnet] Pyr with seperation anxiety drmanny3@cox.net Re: [pyrnet] Pyr with seperation anx Oliverslb@aol.com
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Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 09:24:37 EST From: Oliverslb@aol.com Subject: [pyrnet] HEALTH: Prozac for Pyrs
Good Morning everyone!
I am starting Sophie on Prozac this week (as a last resort) and was looking
to the list for advise on experience/dosage. My vet has prescribed the
lowest end of dosage, which is about half for a normal dog of 114 pounds,
recognizing that Pyrs metabolism IS different.
Sophie has HUGE separation anxieties, and it gets worse, and worse. I have
owned her for four years, she was an owner surrender at age three (and I am
her fifth home), only because the mother had to go back to work and she could
not be left without breaking out of the house and was in danger of getting hit
by a car.
I quit my full-time job away from the home and work out of the house and I
had moved my ENTIRE house and family out to ten acres to help, but that
situation did not work, so we are back in the city in my home of 14 years. She has
broken out every window on the main floor of this home and chewed through
doors like a beaver. Currently, it is cool enough that I can leave her in the
yard when I leave for short periods. I have a five foot wall surrounding the
property and she has shown no desire to escape. Up until four weeks ago, I
was able to bring her with me if I had a night commitment. The first time,
she turned into a piece of boneless chicken and somehow got through four
inches of window (it was about 50 degrees outside, so she was NOT hot). Then she
chewed OFF the entire inside door of my Explorer and let herself out. The
first time, she went into the Sam's Warehouse Club where I ran in to get
laundry detergent, bleach and paper towels (essentials). There came an
announcement that there was "a Polar Bear loose in the store" and would the owner come
to get her (she was just trying to get a hot dog~)
All kidding aside, I am concerned for her safety and am trying to prepare
for the coming summer months when I will not leave her out in 90 plus degree
weather.
She has had regular vet check-ups every six months and has had x-rays,
sonograms, everything to determine she is a sound, healthy dog and there should be
no physical reason for her to be acting this way. She is my most solid dog
in temperament (aside from the destruction) and is excellent with every
living creature she comes into contact with, including kids, cats, puppies, and
other dogs. Currently, she is being treated for a sinus infection (on the left
side). I noticed her to have two nose bleeds (that I witnessed) and she
started snoring in a way that concerned me. My vet has prescribed Baytril for
the next week and if it does not clear up they will do a nasal flush under
anesthesia. While this is a new condition and I am treating it as
conservatively as I can, her underlying issue of separation anxiety has gone from bad to
worse and I fear for her safety. It is incredible that she has only suffered
minor abrasions during her Peter Pan episodes of flying through glass
windows...and you can see from my signature line that there is PLENTY of company
here - so don't recommend that I get her a cat for company :)
Please help! Regards, Lisa Oliver (Beardie), Derby (Aussie), Jelly (Tibetan Terrier), Taffy (Kuvasz) Sophie, Baloo, CeeCee, Tonka, Cubbie, & trixiesueFRANCES (Great Pyrenees) ALL RESCUED! Oliver's House, Incorporated - 561.379.8328 - oliverslb@aol.com "Dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and placement of dogs in Palm Beach County" _www.oliverslb.com_ (http://www.oliverslb.com)
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Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 15:20:01 -0800 From: drmanny3@cox.net Subject: [pyrnet] Pyr with seperation anxiety
My wife mentioned this recent Pyrnet story about how a Pyr tore up their home and now may be placed on antidepressant medicine. Before you go that route might I suggest the following:
The Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan says that when a dog has separation anxiety,
that the underlying problem is that the dog is the pack leader and is upset
that its pack members have left. When the humans are pack leaders and the
dog is a follower then they do not tend to get upset to the point of
destroying things.
You may not want to buy into this, however we are on our third Pyr and have
learned a lot about leadership and dogs. As Cesar would say they are
animals first then species than breed, then people (as we would have it)
Because we are not sensitive to their needs as animals they tend to react in
ways that can be destructive. I tell you since watching his show on Cable,
we have become real believers.
May I suggest that you look up his web site http://dogpsychologycenter.com/
and check it out before administering drugs. We purchased his DVD and found
it fascinating.
I know our Pyrs are special.
Regards,
Manny Fernandez, Jr.
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Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 20:25:18 EST From: Oliverslb@aol.com Subject: Re: [pyrnet] Pyr with seperation anxiety
Thanks, Manny, for your reply.
Sophie will break and jump through windows WHILE I AM HOME.
She makes up her mind that she wants OUT, and there is no stopping her.
I resigned from a full-time position away from home to work at home so that
I can be here with her. I do have to make deliveries and purchase the items
that I make the dog treats with but am only gone for two hours at a time,
max.
I have never learned more about dogs and behavior than I have with Pyrs and
have with any other dog. I never stop reading and learning about dog
behavior, health, and nutrition, so I do not feel that I am lacking in that
department.
It is almost as though her behavior is too primitive for this century of
living...if she were living in France she would probably be regarded as an
excellent family and working dog, but here in downtown West Palm Beach, complete
with being in the flight path of the airport (we live two miles due east of
Trump and he tried to move the airport to no avail), we have stimulus that I
do not believe this breed easily adapts to. I subscribe to the Whole Dog
Journal and recently, they did an article not only about feeding dogs what they
normally would eat in their normal environments, but also owning breeds that
were developed for the climates where we reside. Moving to France, with my
four years of high school French lessons, is out of the question at this time...
Regards,
Lisa Oliver (Beardie), Derby (Aussie), Jelly (Tibetan Terrier), Taffy (Kuvasz) Sophie, Baloo, CeeCee, Tonka, Cubbie, & trixiesueFRANCES (Great Pyrenees) ALL RESCUED! Oliver's House, Incorporated - 561.379.8328 - oliverslb@aol.com "Dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and placement of dogs in Palm Beach County" _www.oliverslb.com_ (http://hometown.aol.com/oliverslb/myhomepage/profile.html)
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End of pyrnet-l-digest.20060129 ***********************************