Pet Lovers

[shoobee]

He is a rescue/owner surrender. Had been tied up outside most of his life. Was always afraid of flies but as he has gotten older it is getting worse. Now anything that flies scares him. Gnats, bees you name it. Was watching the fly movie and the sound scared him. He will just sit for hours shaking. Vet will only recommend rx but it will probably sedate him. Any one know if the calming chews work or have a brand they like?

[ThinkingOutLoud]

First, I feel bad for this situation.

If you haven't already, do a search on these forums since others have asked before on how to help pets with anxiety. I'm sure you'll see a variety of ideas.

[CrazyDaisy]

There are anti anxiety medications that do not sedate the dog.  Had one on Prozac for years.

[ThinkingOutLoud]

Do you want to fix it or mask it?

The reason I ask is because in the past, there have been posters that have asked for ideas but their response clearly showed they just wanted a bandaid so now I try to tailor my input accordingly.

[beach-mom]

@shoobee - I just told DH (a veterinarian) about your situation. He said you might want to think about taking him to an animal behavior specialist. They work with situations like yours and will often prescribe a routine that will help pets cope with their specific anxieties. Whatever you decide I hope he eventually is calmer.  

[geezerette]

@shoobee 

I had a dog with somewhat similar anxieties.

She developed a fear of bees.  (I could only assume she may have been stung by one, but I never knew for sure.)  We lived in the desert at the time so there weren't many flying insects, including bees, so it wasn't much of a problem.

But a few years later when we moved East to a humid environment where there were many flying insects, it did become a problem.  She became afraid of flies, especially.  She would shake and try to hide, and as you say, it got so that she'd shake for long periods even after the fly was gone.  As she aged and developed health problems, her phobia got worse, and began to include fear of thunderstorms.  Eventually she did need a prescription.

But until her fears got extreme, I was able to give her a daily supplement--Composure by VetriScience.  I could give her an extra right before a storm if necessary too.  It wasn't a cure-all, but it helped to keep her from going over the top and I was able to work with her to calm her.  As I say, it didn't work as she got worse.

I hope you can find something, either medication, behavioral or a combination, that will help your dog.  It's awful to have them go through something like that.❤️

[luvzchiz]

@shoobee   Thank you for giving this sweet dog a home and trying to help him.  I don't have any solutions but to hug and love him.

[1Snickers]

 @shoobee  An animal behaviorist would be best, but you could try a thunder coat. When he has a problem put it on and it hugs him. It's worth trying. 

[geezerette]

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@1Snickers wrote:

 @shoobee  An animal behaviorist would be best, but you could try a thunder coat. When he has a problem put it on and it hugs him. It's worth trying. 

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@1Snickers 

Thank you for mentioning this.❤️  I forgot to do so in my post.

The Thundershirt also helped to calm my dog for several years.