Meadow’s Little Helper

Although the title of this post is an attempt at being amusing, it is really not a laughing matter. But, if I can’t try to find some humor in it, I will probably give over to despair. Nick and I have discussed it with each other, several trainers, spoken with our vet, and even researched it on Google, (I know, I know…), and have decided to use behavioral medication to try and help Meadow.

In the past, we have both scoffed at the use of medications in dogs, refusing to ‘drug’ our Doberman who suffered from separation anxiety, and immediately weaning Toby off the Clomicalm that the shelter had him on when we adopted him. So now I am having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that we need to medicate Meadow at all, but as others have told me, if it can possibly relieve her stress and make her feel well again – there is no shame in giving it a try. It is not like we decided to drug her from day one.

Despite my reluctance, I am trying to remain hopeful that this new path will help Meadow – because seeing the damage done by just two fireworks, is completely and utterly devastating.

Over a week has gone by since the bottle rockets flared, and while Meadow has improved, some, she is still a shadow of her former self. It took about four days after the fireworks for her to stop walking around the house with her tail tucked between her legs. Four days. Now, a full week later, she appears to be her normal self – inside the house. She is still not comfortable in the yard, where she played so joyfully only days earlier that I boasted (and posted) about how far she had come.

For the first few days after the incident, we had to literally drag Meadow outside just to eliminate – something we have not had to do since last year – during the fall thunder storm season. Even a few days later, when she would walk out the front door willingly, she clung to us, not willing to wander further than a few feet. Her tail remained tucked through most of this.

Just yesterday, after days of talking to her in a high pitched voice while waving toys in her face trying to entice her to play, I finally convinced her to chase one. Instead of pouncing on it and carrying it back to me with her usual bouncy glee, she ran past it – but it was an improvement all the same.

I can easily accept a dog that is frightened of fireworks and storms. But when a dog is frightened a week after a scary event, something needs to be done about it.

Tomorrow, as it happens, Nick and I are both off from work, so we will be starting Meadow’s new medicine while we are home to make sure she does not suffer any ill effects. However, don’t expect an update any time soon – it can take up to six weeks to kick in, if at all.

Apparently, each dog reacts to behavioral medications in a very individual manner, so even though we have decided to try one, it may be months of trial and error to figure out the proper type, and the proper dose.

Another concern is that Meadow has been particularly bossy with Toby and Cinder, even worse in this past week, (maybe compounded by her stress?), and while we are simultaneously working on that issue, we have to tread with caution because some behavioral medications cause increased aggression and assertiveness. Paradoxically, the medicine we decided on, Prozac, is also sometimes used successfully to treat aggression. If I am lucky, it will ease both issues.

Only time will tell…