Anyone got any suguestion? I've got an older Lab that has a lot of joint and health problems and now is slowly lossing her sight. The vet has her on pain meds. and tells me she is not suffering. She is a sweetheart, however lately she has become a nut case and completely fearful if I take my other dog out for a walk. Last time she got so up set I thought she was having a heart attact.
Last night when I left the house she again became fearful and start slamming her head into to wall. I put her in the kennel as I'v done before but due to her hips that cause her great pain if she has to stay for in length of time. She is only 8 does anyone have any suguession?
She is well trained as is my other dog. I am working with him as a service dog, but have had to stop part of his training because of her. She has always liked being with me but this is not just liking to be with her master. She completely is coming undone and even shown some signs she would bite when she is in this state of complete fear.
Nothing has changed in her home setting, except her failing eye sight and poor joints, the joints have been a problem from day one. She was an pup that some stupid farmer was breeding his labs and passing them off as good huntering dogs. They where going to throw her in a pond and kill her because of the poor hips showing up alreading at 4 weeks.
I know when I got her that she would not ever be a dog able to be anything thing but a good pet. And that she has been.
It makes me angry when people to this to breeds and even know that they are doing it. I did turn the guy in to the AKC so he could not reg. the rest of the pups the way he was trying to.
Any help would be great.
thanks......valerie

 Quote:

The vet has her on pain meds. and tells me she is not suffering.

Valerie,
Well, it sounds like your vet may be wrong. How does HE know she is not suffering? It sure sounds like she is. What meds is she on? They can have a drastic impact on behavior as well.
T

The med is called Metacam she is a 80 pound dog and they have her on 75 mg a day.
This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug given oral.
It does seem to help her limping. But that is a good point to look at, her weird behavoir and eye sight did start aroung the same time the new med did. But she was also to a point with the joint pain I was thinking about having her put to sleep. I love the dog and do not want her to suffer and if at all possible for her to have any quality of life is still there I'll do what I can but if not I'll let her go.

Metacam actually has less side effects than rimadyl or deramaxx does. If she's having problems with metacam, you might have to consider the alternatives unfortunately.

My old dog was on Metacam for the last year of her life. It helped her a great deal with her very bad back and overall joint pain. She never changed her temperament on any drug though - except she did get nauseus on Rimadyl. I suspect her fear-issues are directly connected to her failing eyesight. Poor girl. Have you tried to crate her when you have your other dog separated? Putting a thick blanket or bed in the crate might be more comfortable for her than the kennel, and she would get to stay in her familier surroundings. Worth a try.

molly

Thanks Tracy and molly,

Because of the earlier question about the med. I called the vet they didn't seem to think this med would change her behavior but there is a small % of dogs that can become aggressive. She is not changed in that way, just a bit touchy and no longer wants kids around her. But that doesn't concern me with the pain and failing eye sight I would except that.
Molly I've tried the kennel it is an x-large (one that was for a grait dane). She use to like the kennel wiht her bed in it but she can't get her back legs stretched out and if she is confind for more than an hour she can't get up on her oun. I think the eye sight is playing a big role in her fear reaction as she seems to have the need to be touching either me or the other dog when things up set her or something changes. Today even the weather. I don't think she is meaning to hit things so hard she is just becomming more fearful each time she can't get to me or the other dog and she panics. I've been hoping for so some kind of fix for her but sadly may have ran out of them.
To look at her at first glance she looks to be a healthy shiny happy Lab that love life and everything that goes with it. But it doesn't take long anymore for anyone who knows anythng to know she is struggling.
Thanks for the advice.

 Quote:

Thanks Tracy and molly,......just a bit touchy and no longer wants kids around her. .....I think the eye sight is playing a big role in her fear reaction....

I took care of a blind dog while his owner had surgery last year, and at the time I had a deaf dog of my own, so I looked up lots of stuff on these subjects.

This site addresses exactly this issue (including the breeder aspect of it), and I thought it was a great guide for caring for a dog who's gradually losing her sight (even though that wasn't the situation I had).

http://www.digitaldog.com/living.html

I took a book out of the library, and I learned a lot. I put essential oils (scents) on the legs of all furniture, either new or moved, and on every barrier (like a step up) -- this all came from the book. And I had two different scents; one was for barriers or obstacles, and the other as "guides", which led the way to the outside door and to the food and water dishes. I used lemon and vanilla, so they weren't unpleasant even when newly applied, and they lasted a LOOOOONG time for the dog (although to me they were gone in a couple of days).

I'll try to find the name of that book and PM you. It was old, but terrifically helpful.

Good luck.

P.S. The dog's fear about being in a strange place declined quickly as my own nervousness and fear declined. I credit the reading 100% for that. I learned that not coddling him and being very calm and matter-of-fact about helping the dog to be independent was the best path for all concerned.

 Quote:

.....I took a book out of the library, and I learned a lot.

Found it! It's Caroline Levin's "Living with Blind Dogs." It addresses dogs losing site as well as dogs blind from birth. I thought it was a goldmine of information.

valerie, i had a dog with similar health issues who passed on just this past july. we put him on prednisone and it helped him enormously. some dogs can stay on it for quite a while and it can make their last years so much better. ask your vet about it.

Thanks we've all ready tired the prednisone it was only helpful to her for a very short time. And due to the side effect of weight gain that is a major problem with this pretty lady as she a Lab and a big girl at that. Tring to keep her at least 80 pounds to keep the weight off the joints is much needed. With the prednisone is was like a circle the med help the pain but cause weight gian that increased the pain.
But thats for the thought.