keeping a SA dog safe

[crashtestcase]

I've posted here before about my dog Jonesy who has a severe case of separation anxiety. He is currently on Prozac and takes Alprazolam one hour before I leave the house. He had some other anxiety issues which have been mostly resolved since taking Prozac, but his separation anxiety is still a constant battle. I can't even run to the corner store

Comments

[miss_teacher]

I don't have an answer to you specific question, but I noticed the drugs you are using are different from ones I recently heard work well, so I'll type out my notes from a seminar I went to. So that's where I would start. It doesn't sound like the meds he is on are helping much with his SA.

Here is the treatment protocol from veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nic Dodman:

Sorry if my notes are a bit scattered, sometimes he jumped around in his lecture.

1. break the cycle of anxiety
2. make leaving fun
3. environmental enrichment
4. low key returns
5. independence training
6. optimal management
7. pharmacological interventiion

break the cycle - dog sitter, dog walker, friend, etc. whatever you can do so someone comes in often when you are gone. If you can prevent the anxiety the rest of the treatment can really take effect.

- feed meals when you leave, pick up all food when you come back.

Feeding
-feed meals twice a day (from kongs only, not bowls)
-offer morning meal immediately before departure
-jolly routine (not sure the details here)
-pick up all food on return, and all toys
-feed evening meal an hour after coming home for the day

-tasty kongs
-frosty paws
-novel food toys

Olfactory fun
-chew toys
-chewing relieves stress
-make it appeal to olfactory senses by adding vanilla or anise (or hunting lure scents)

On leaving - minimal fuss - direct, don't sympathize

Environmental enrichment
-room with a view
-bird or squirrel feeder
-room tone (tape loop) when home there is noise going on, but when you leave it's too silent
-open crate
-dog door (some dogs do better with this. They freak out inside, but can escape to outside and are better for a bit, if they freak outside they can escape inside...personally I would worry about them getting out from the backyard)

Homecoming
-pick up food and treats
-low key greeting
-respond to dog only when calm
-goal is to even out emotional rollercoaster
-no punishment

Independence training
-down stay - you move away
-time out during the day
-no access to owner's bed (not sure why exactly)
-no close contact while resting
-no responding to demanding behavior
-reduce owner interaction
-reward calm and independent behavior
-ignore attention seeking behavior

Optimize management
-agility
-breed specific activities
-cardio exercise
-diet: eliminate high performance rations (if used)
-exercise and train dog before (immediately) leaving

Meds
FDA approved
-Clomicalm (by Novartis)
-Reconcile

extra label
-other SSRIs (Paxil, Zoloft
-Benzos - Valium and alprazolam
-beta blockers - inderal
-clonidine

Clomipramine
-sde effect - decreased appetite, sedation
-quicker results but levels out at 3 months compared to behavior modification alone

Fluoxetine
-4 weeks to take effect
-big difference compared to behavior mod alone, but this med designed to be used with behavior mod, not by itself

Behavior Mod program (BOND)
B - be positive
O - only reward calm
N - no more drama
D - develop dog's independence

Treatment success
-good improvement in 70% of cases

Prognosis is better if the onset is recent, dog does not have an anxious temperament, and there is owner compliance.

[miss_teacher]

Ok, so long story short:

I would:
1. exhaust him mentally and physically before leaving, leave him toys and food that he doesn't get at all when you are home.

2.talk to a veterinary behaviorist about the meds more specifically gears towards SA (Tufts, where Dodman works, does phone and fax consults with you and or your vet)

3. Have someone come over part way through the time you are gone anywhere, even if it's only an hour to break up the time into more manageable chunks for him.

[crashtestcase]

Sadly, I've been doing all of this already. The biggest issue with number 3 is that he seems to become much more agitated when someone comes to check on him and leave again. He will go from totally freaking out to totally freaking out and pooping, peeing, and vomiting after the check-in.

[miss_teacher]

Hmmm that's a tough call then. What else does you vet say?

If you can afford it I think it would be well worth the money to see an actual veterinary behaviorist (or do a phone consult if you are not lucky enough to have one in driving distance).

[crashtestcase]

I've seen 3 vets at this point and none of them seem to think he's a dog that just isn't going to get better. I've seen a couple of trainers and consulted with a behaviorist, and I was told that once a dog with SA breaks out of a crate, it is nearly impossible to solve the SA. Because he's destroyed multiple crates, I keep coming up against a lot of skepticism about whether or not he can be rehabilitated.

I just wish there was a way I could keep him safe.

[miss_teacher]

That's why I suggest a veterinary behaviorist. There are less than 50 of them in the States. Normal vets are not trained/schooled in behavior (some take a few elective classes) and dog trainers are not schooled in pharmaceuticals. And many of the "behaviorists" out there are just dog trainers who self appointed themselves behaviorists.

I really don't see any other options for you right now since he's hurting himself and your current professionals cannot figure out something that is helping.

http://dacvb.org/about-us/diplomates/

I really have no clue if there's some method out there that can help him or if the people you have talked to are correct. But if they think there's nothing to be done what do they want you to do? Put him to sleep?

[crashtestcase]

Oh no, I meant to say that I did consult with a veterinary behaviorist who is a friend of one of my current vet. She is actually semi-retired, but she took on our case as a favor to my vet. She also did not have high hopes for him because of how severe his case is and how he has not been responding to counter-conditioning. Euthanasia has been gently suggested a few times, but I'm having a really hard time swallowing that one because he is just such a young dog (under 2 years old).

I've tried contacting the rescue to help me figure this out, but they're being pretty unrealistic about the severity of his problem. They think I just need a bigger, stronger crate. I had initially thought about returning him, but I can't put him back with a rescue who refuses to acknowledge he has serious special needs. And I think returning him would just further traumatize him and I can't do that.

[miss_teacher]

Oh ok, I misunderstood then.

Well maybe a different medication will help. I really can't say since I'm not a vet, but since there are several to try from I'd keep on trying. Maybe asking the vet if a different dose would help as well. There must be something. Poor guy.

If none of the meds help I guess it's a tough choice between drugging him up so much he's sedated when you leave or the option everyone else is talking about. Unless you'd be able to find him a home where someone is home *all* the time.

Doesn't sound like there are any easy decisions here.

[miss_teacher]

Dur, reconcile is prozac. Sorry, brain issues on my part.

[crashtestcase]

I've thought about switching to Clomipramine. I think it might be time. The Prozac combined with training has definitely helped with his fear of strangers, but not the SA.

I do most of the other things listed above, except for agility. Homecoming is always low-key and I wait for him to be calm to give affection/attention. He actually calms down much quicker now because he seems to get that I only give attention/affection when he is calm. We're also doing a lot of independence training. I tried the feeding only through the Kong, but he isn't much of a chewer. He'll just lick at it, get frustrated when nothing comes out, and then ignore it.

He's a sweet dog and I love him so freaking much. I just don't know to help him with this issue.

[miss_teacher]

I think it's worth a shot. After 7 months the reconcile would have kicked in long ago. So maybe his brain chemistry just needs something different.

If not a kong then try a buster cube. No licking required, but he will have to knock it around with his paw or nose to get the food out. Or a tug-a-jug.

I'd also start training him to be better at stuffed kongs. Make it simple and rewarding at first and then slowly work up to it being harder.

[harro_der]

Wow, thanks for typing that out.. our foster right now has (atm) minor SA and it's really great to read all that.

[miss_teacher]

Hope some of it helps.