It was a busy weekend for Rogue, and I’m still trying to process everything. Posting about everything will probably come in bits and pieces as I sort it all out.
I know that I’ve posted some about the holistic remedies that we’ve been trying for Rogue’s anxiety, but none have had any effect that I could see, and her anxiety if anything seems to be progressively getting worse to me. So…I decided that I needed to try something else. I can’t remember if I posted about our failed attempt to get bloodwork done at one of the local vets here. I don’t think I did, but the visit was pointless because they said they couldn’t find a vein to draw blood unless they sedated her, and I was unwilling to sedate her just for that. I decided to go to the veterinary hospital that Sheltie Rescue of Utah uses in Salt Lake, since I know that they have been happy with them and the vets there are also familiar with Shelties in general.
So, Friday we had an appt. at noon to have an exam and bloodwork done, and during the exam we decided to have x-rays done as well. I was really happy with the exam, I felt like he was very thorough, and by Monday we had the results back and they were normal. Nothing to explain the sensitivity to touch and anxiety increasing. So, in a way that’s a relief…
On Monday Rogue was also scheduled to have her private lesson with Leslie McDevitt. I really didn’t know what to expect from Rogue, since her threshold for handling pressure in new situations has decreased lately. It wasn’t a suprise for me when she pretty much was overwhelmed as soon as we entered the building. Leslie didn’t even try to do any training with us, just sat and talked to us for the hour instead. She said that in her opinion, Rogue has generalized anxiety disorder that requires medication.
Fortunately, she said that with meds she thought that Rogue’s ability to deal with anxiety should improve alot, and that we’ll be able to get past this place where we’re so stuck. She recommended getting a fax consult with Karen Overall to assist our vet in finding the right meds. I have to admit, I came home not really thinking that Karen would have time to take on our case, since she’s involved in a research study right now, but on Tuesday, I had a reply from her stating that she would be happy to take Rogue’s case. 
For parts of the last two days I’ve been trying to fill out the forms that she sent us. After that I’m going to try to get my husband’s help to get video of Rogue in several different situations to send along with the forms so that they get a good picture of what needs to be addressed. I feel kind of like I’m trying to complete a school assignment or something. LOL
So…that’s about it for now.
Good luck.. I know how frustrating it is to deal with a dog that has issues that are difficult to manage.
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Best of luck to little rogue! I really hope they are able to find something that works for her! I really enjoyed giving her treats and it made me happy that she would take them from me!!
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Thanks Lora,
I really hope that this is best course to pursue!
Thanks Christy,
I hope this works too! I know how exhausting it is for me to just try to figure out how her brain is working, so I can’t imagine how tiring it must be to actually be her…
Are you ever leery of vets and trainers who recommend anxiety meds right away? I am. I also know you have worked with Rogue for hours and hours and you know her best and maybe this will make things easier for her. I hope so.
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Honestly Lindsay,
I don’t think that any of the vets in my area would have ever suggested anxiety meds. Probably because we live in such a rural area and it’s not really that common for people to invest much, (time, money, training, etc.) in their pets. It’s more common mentality to get rid of the animal if it’s not working out than try to find a way to work through the challenge.
But, yes, I would agree I would be leery if anxiety meds were recommended without thought to the other aspects of behavior modification. I’d also be leery if it were presented as a quick fix to behavioral problems.
My goal is to be able to get Rogue’s anxiety level to a place where she can think and be able to utilize the training tools that we’ve been trying to give her.
I am very interested in how the meds will affect Rogue. I have hopes for her and the meds. They help lots and lots of people, and dogs, so I hope they will help her too!
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Hey Cyn,
Yeah, I have hope that this is the link that we’ve been missing in our training for a while now. This may be off topic a bit, but I’ve wished for years that my dad would find something to help him deal with his anxiety, well today I guess my dad was worse than usual and my mom told him, “you know you’re just like Marie’s little dog!” LOL I nearly fell over laughing when she told me that on the phone. Who knows, maybe if the anxiety meds work for Rogue, my dad will reconsider…
Leslie would not have recommended anxiety meds unless she felt they would help her. I hope this will work out for both of you.
I think that’s true Astrid. I also respect her opinion since she deals almost exclusively with anxious/reactive dogs.