Need help! My little dog Cami
 

Cami is my sweetie and I need some help. She's a med. size Chihuahua and she has a phobia. I don't know what to do about it. She's terrified of any thing that buzzes. If a fly gets in the house, she goes bonkers, instantly running tail tucked from wherever she is. She shakes all over and if I don't pick her up, she claws at my leg until I do. Usually I know the minute this happens because she will come out of a dead sleep and come to me immediately, stand under my chair tail tucked shaking. It takes hours to calm her and we always have to stop whatever we are doing and track down the buzzer or buzzee :p and kill it.

But it takes so long for her to calm. She wouldn't let me walk away from her even tho I managed to find this one and let it out the door. I tried taking her in the front of the house and then walking back to the back where I was originally sitting until this particular event today. As long as she was in the front she seemed a little calmer. Then I tried going back to where I was and she ran to our walkin closet and hid in it. Right now, I'm in the front of the house sitting at my computer. I can't hold her because of the broken sacrum and I can't just ignore her either, she scratches my leg so hard wanting up. I finally drug a footstool over, threw a towel on it and deposited her on it. Then I sat with one hand on her until she has gone to sleep covered in the towel.

She's a brave little dog, will challenge anything on 4 feet or 2 feet, but something must have stung her. And now she is terrified if it buzzes.

Anyone have any idea of anything I can give her to calm her when this happens? My vet won't give us anything for her.

Thanks,
Billye

Billye

i have heard good reports about
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they make a lot of really good remedies for humans and animals

well researched in terms of holistic health and very pure ingredients.
they answer emails too :)

HTH for you and your Cami:hug:

Chemar & Mrs.D
 

Thanks,
I'd like Mrs. D to see what she thinks of this product. It does sound good, but the recent dogfood scare really un-nerves me with something like this.

Billye

Doggie noise phobias are fairly common, I think. I know my dog was really afraid of thunderstorms.

I think it takes a lot of patience and work to get them to not be afraid of whatever the noise is. I looked up a couple of places you might want to read about what to do with noise phobias. Good luck!


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Now this is interesting.
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Some good ideas
 

Thanks Doodie,
There are some good ideas there. I particularly like the one that offers a "safe place" to go. I appreciate your effort in finding these links.

Billye

You're welcome Billye.

LOL, I think we need a 'You're Welcome' button as well as the 'Thanks' button! :wink:

there is another remedy...
 

From Bach's flower essences... Rescue Remedy. I have used it a bit for hummingbirds who get lost/tired or injured.
I read in a cat book that some vets use Rescue Remedy for rescues/or injured animals.

You know, Billye....on the Dog Whisperer show, Ceasar defused a dog's fears about air compressor noises in the garage, and one about motorcycles.

His take is that if you reinforce a dog with "LOVE" when it negative reacts, you inadvertently reinforce the behavior. He uses his "pack leader" style, to expose the fearful dog to the noise, by being a leader, and not using love. He did this on camera within 10 minutes, but some later fear exposures further help.
I know he is controversial, but at times he makes good sense. When you have such a small dog, who is obviously in distress it is just natural to pick her up and try to console her. This may have further reinforced her fears. Just a thought.

Thanks Mrs. D
 

I had heard about the Bach Flowers before. I think I'll try them before I do anything else. She's just so little and so afraid. It's hard to not pick her up and console her. I know,...I know...but my maternal instinct just won't let me yet.

Billye

good that Bach's rescue remedy can be used for doggies too! as it is excellent stuff that we always keep here.
My son has especially benefited from it when his TS/OCD anxiety stuff is waxing

hope it works for Cami too, Billye :)

I'm with changing behaviors....
 

I'll put my two pennies in for what evers worth!
But I'm for changing this behavior and NOT medicating each "crisis".
It will take at least half hour start to "finish" with medication...first finding the med, administering, then waiting for blood levels to peak (20 mins minimum) the hoping the medication helps.
I think this would be hard to deal with each and every buzziebee-buzzing!
What seems better for all involved is having the dog not react with such fears/phobia's instead of having to medicate each "incident".
Perhaps just ask Cesare Malone this question....see his take on this.

Our neighbors dog, Toby, a Berienese Mt Dog...huge dog....has an extreme phobia to T-storms...a rareity around our neck of the woods.
But we when we do have one...usually see them coming miles away.
Toby comes to my home, acres away and seeks me out to give him comfort.
He's so strong and has broken down our front door when he broke in late one night...talk about freaking out!
I don't know who was freaked out most...me for thinking a robber was coming to get me...or Toby desperate to get inside my house so I could comfort him.
He's done so much damage many times.
Now they give him Benedryl....same doseage they give humans.
I use this for sleep aid and was told by a doctor is also perscribed instead of meds such as Xanex or Valium to those who're having stress or anxiety issues.
Somehow I don't see how this could work better for such....but oh well!
They give Toby a hefty dose but we don't see any changes regarding his freaking out...He's just groggy-freaking! Poor guy!
Hope this helps. Cheryl

the good thing with Bach's Rescue remedy (and I am told also with the PetCalm drops I mentioned above) is that they are sublingual and work really quickly...within a minute usually I find

Always be cautious tho...
 

As I've had to tranquilize my cats on occasions and also horses.....I have found that the smarter ones suddenly realize that their defenses are 'down' and become more self-protective. That means they mite bite, scratch or become more panicky than they were to begin with. Try it a couple of times and see. If it gets really bad, set up a comfy spot in the bathroom or spare room and simply leave them there...You have to be safe as well, and your safety comes first-even tho it's heartbreaking.

I've seen several of the 'horse-whisperer' types and they can and DO amazing work on animals of all kinds. I have seen enough of them and know of folks who have received help from these folks to tell that what many of them do is on the up and up. Just wish I had these particular skills!

Here's a site of a animal trainer I took my horse to a clinic to...some of the philosphy is a bit....well.... but IT definitely worked a lot of good on my beast. And this lady cares. She did have the human participants use their touch on each other... one side only [shoulders] than broke for lunch - It was cruel! I demanded we do the other side after as I was soo relaxed and I was really listing until we did. - j


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PS it's easy to learn, do, and is non-invasive - if it works who cares? If not, no harm done.

Cami
 

Billye, just saw this thread - is Cami doing any better about the buzzing? One of the cats I lost last year at 16 got stung by a bee while we were sitting on the patio reading - got a week or so she woldnt come back outside at all - then started to again - and felt safe I guess when she was close to me cause would crawl up and wrap herself around my head (luckily she was little, only 6 pounds) - and slowly developed courage again.... I know its impossible for you to pick her up - mabye just letting her cuddle - etc... as you have been doing is the best thing - sure seemed to help my little girl.....:)

She's ok
 

I guess we are having so much rain that the flying things are at a minimum. And so far no more flying things in the house. She is very cautious about putting her head out the door tho. I finally learned that my husband was only half closing the door to the garage when he had to go in and out for a brief period thereby letting the evil doers in the house. After I made him sit and hold her until she quit shaking one afternoon, he now closes the door.

She's ok right now.

Billye

Hi Billye,

Sounds like things are ok, but I read somewhere if a pet is anxious due to a storm (or a buzzing insect).... to distract with play time/fun time. This may still be rewarding anxious behavior with attention, but I think the idea is to make 'storm time' a fun time.... more of a distraction strategy.

Eliminating the buzzing creatures is preventative measure I'm all for~

Cara