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My little angel, is ony three years' old, and everytime he hears a firecraker, he acts up, and goes into a panic attack.
I am just wondering, if anyone knows about a pill or medication that I can get for him............going to a veterinary is not possible, at this time. I live in a big city, and the prices are astronomical...........thank you so very much, and have a great day..........
You might try Benedryl to make him drowsy. Contact your local humane society to see if they can help you find help on a sliding scale basis.
Be careful not to inadvertently reward him for separation anxiety and other fears. Cuddling him, cooing to him, showing him a lot of attention just before you leave and again upon your return will make it MUCH WORSE. Please research this issue.
I am not trying to be unkind, but if you cannot afford to provide whatever medical care your dog needs, then you should not have a dog. Dogs and cats need regular vet care, heart worm and flea prevention, etc. It is not cheap. If you do not have the budget for your dog, then you should look for a home for him where they can provide for all of his needs.
Have you tried leaving snacks and food puzzles for you dog?
Have you tried coming and going briefly so your dog sort of gets use to you being away but for short periods.
The worst thing you can do for separation anxiety is make a HUGE deal of "bye sweetums, bye fluffy wuffy, Mommy is going to miss you" when you leave, and then do the whole "Mommy is home!" bit when you come home. You should try coming and going unceremoniously without any fanfare. Just disappear and then just arrive home and leave a dog treat or puzzle with your dog when you leave to settle it down.
Of course, that may not work at this point if your dog has it bad. You may need the help of a dog behaviorist.
Have you tried leaving snacks and food puzzles for you dog?
Have you tried coming and going briefly so your dog sort of gets use to you being away but for short periods.
The worst thing you can do for separation anxiety is make a HUGE deal of "bye sweetums, bye fluffy wuffy, Mommy is going to miss you" when you leave, and then do the whole "Mommy is home!" bit when you come home. You should try coming and going unceremoniously without any fanfare. Just disappear and then just arrive home and leave a dog treat or puzzle with your dog when you leave to settle it down.
Of course, that may not work at this point if your dog has it bad. You may need the help of a dog behaviorist.
Precisely. I had a dog once that suffered from severe separation anxiety. I tried everything for years, and nothing worked. Finally, as my own health began to fail and I could no longer keep up with the results of the anxiety, I had to have her euthanised, but I tried for 12 long years to help her get over it. In the beginning, I know I unwittingly made it worse by cuddling, cooing, soothing before and after I left. I had no experience of this problem before this dog, and what I did was a HUGE mistake. I know better now at least.
Have you tried leaving snacks and food puzzles for you dog?
The worst thing you can do for separation anxiety is make a HUGE deal of "bye sweetums, bye fluffy wuffy, Mommy is going to miss you" when you leave, and then do the whole "Mommy is home!" bit when you come home. You should try coming and going unceremoniously without any fanfare. Just disappear and then just arrive home and leave a dog treat or puzzle with your dog when you leave to settle it down.
Of course, that may not work at this point if your dog has it bad. You may need the help of a dog behaviorist.
THIS THIS THIS! OP you may have inadvertently set your dog up for anxiety because of how you treat him. There are many articles about managing separation anxiety and fears about things like firecrackers. As for medications, there are herbal calming OTC treats for dogs. Check with your local pet supply. They tend to work better for some dogs than others so it will be trial and error. Rescue Remedy is a well known one.
When I leave for work, I leave. No kissy face, cuddly goodbyes. I have them do their business outside, give them some treats, make sure they have fresh water and anything else they need, and out the door with a quick goodbye without looking back.
When I return I make no big deal. I say hi and go about "landing" before interacting with my dogs beyond a hello. It works. It seems insenstive but it is not. Wolves have this dynamic. All pack animals have this dynamic. The leader leaves and returns without drama.
You need to establish yourself as "Pack Leader." Read up on it. You are the Leader, and you set the tone. Your dog will follow suit. You will be surprised how quickly your dog learns if you adopt this method. I have a somewhat velcro dog who has some separation anxiety. I established predictable patterns that work for both of us.
When I leave for work, I leave. No kissy face, cuddly goodbyes. I have them do their business outside, give them some treats, make sure they have fresh water and anything else they need, and out the door with a quick goodbye without looking back.
When I return I make no big deal. I say hi and go about "landing" before interacting with my dogs beyond a hello. It works. It seems insenstive but it is not. Wolves have this dynamic. All pack animals have this dynamic. The leader leaves and returns without drama.
You need to establish yourself as "Pack Leader." Read up on it. You are the Leader, and you set the tone. Your dog will follow suit. You will be surprised how quickly your dog learns if you adopt this method. I have a somewhat velcro dog who has some separation anxiety. I established predictable patterns that work for both of us.
This is exactly right. I do not even say hello upon returning. The dog I have now does not seem to have any tendency toward separation anxiety, and I want to keep it that way. I make sure not to show my dog any attention at all until I have been home for a while, done some chores, checked messages, etc. Once I do acknowledge my dog, I do not go overboard. I might say hello and give him a quick pat on the head, but that is all. He gets more attention if we go outside to play or to go walkies.
OK I confess that I do go overboard when I am at home with my dogs. I am very affectionate with them and always kissing and petting them and giving them ear/neck/face/head scratches. My boy dog, the severe abuse survivor has learned that I will respect his boundaries, but he's also started kissing me back when I say "give me a kissy" (yes I know it sounds stupid). He will come up and kiss me with a very sweet look on his face. He also now comes several times a day and asks for ear, head and face scratches. As a former massage therapist, I tried massaging him but it causes him anxiety so I choose not to do it. He loves being brushed though. He's a hair machine. My girl dog loves massages.
OP try the techniques/policies in my post #7 and see if they work. There are also "calming chews" you can buy but they probably take time to build up (not in time for July 4th). I give my dogs glucosamine chews for their joints. It took a month for the chews to build up in their systems and work. But they do work.
OK I confess that I do go overboard when I am at home with my dogs. I am very affectionate with them and always kissing and petting them. My boy dog, the severe abuse survivor has learned that I will respect his boundaries, but he's also started kissing me back when I say "give me a kissy" (yes I know it sounds stupid). He will come up and kiss me with a very sweet look on his face. He also now comes and asks for ear, head and face scratches. As a former massage therapist, I tried massaging him but it causes him anxiety so I choose not to do it. He loves being brushed though. He's a hair machine.
My dog's raison d'etre is to shed. His mantra is "I shed, therefore I am."
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