aggression in severe CCD deafblind pup

Question
QUESTION: She has FINALLY gotten Rx for chlomicalm for her CCD, which has given her huge relief. Treating her flooded colon, nothing working, a suggestion to feed low fat, low protein, her colon healed!  However, aggressoin is off the charts.  Is it possible that low protein is depriving her of essential amino acids for seratonin?  I have since put her on L-tryptophan and B12, the OTCs of choice for serious aggression problems, and have seen a marked improvement, in that she doesn't spend waking hours growling and snarling.  However she will still go into that zone and attack totally unprovoked.

Doc said essentially nothing about aggression, except that it is behavioural.  We were lucky to get a renewal on her chlomicalm, nevermind any aggression drugs.  We are on our own trying to help this little abused foster pup from Texas.  

I really need help with her, we have overcome so much, she has come so far AND she gained 3 pounds between her March and April vet visits! This is HUGE!  She was underweight, flinging food in a fury and spinning spinning spinning on a hip with fho from blunt force trauma.  So this weight gaine is huge.  She is deafblind so communicating with her is touch.  When she aggresses, I grab by scruff and if it is an attack, she gets a pop on nose with fingers.  When she attacks my other deafblind, my nanadog grabs her by scruff and pins her.

I really need help.  Am reading right now about beta blockers in serious aggression cases.  Any suggestions?

MANY THANKS!
Karen, Lethal White Aussie Rescue - Carolinas

ANSWER: I have in the past experimented (with a veterinary colleague) the use of propanolol in the treatment of aggression.  Beta blockers truncate the adrenaline rush and, with behavior modification, they can work very well.  Any related side effects (such as a drop in blood pressure, too slow heart rate, etc.) must be monitored carefully.  However, given the condition this dog is in, it's well worth the risk.  With such a terrible combination of problems, this dog is suffering enormous anxiety.  Instead of using physical intimidation, you (as a human conspecific) should try using scent.  Conditioned response can be built on anything.  Associating a strong scent that you do not use in any other venue with a small food reward, in the classical conditioning exercise, gives you a way to reward the dog for her compliant, non aggressive behavior without compromising your trust bond by physical punishment.  Try it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: THANK YOU! Would you think it is behavioural?  I had investigated whether CCD may trigger a psychomotor seizure?

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_se ... order.html


PSYCHOMOTOR SEIZURES
This type of seizure is predominantly behavioral with the animal involuntarily howling, snapping, circling, etc. The abnormal behavior may be followed by a generalized seizure.

Possum's CCD behaviour WAS just about a constant when she is moving at all, or moves from one spot to another, or one toy to another. Her aggression was a constant in these episodes. By simple interruption, we have decreased her spinning 50%. Cholicalm gave us another 25%.  Her aggression went off charts until I started her on the LT and B12.
She attacked DeafBlindGabriel this morning, they slept snout to snout and she woke up and attacked him. I had bloodshed in the hallway this morning.

I cannot trust Possum at all with Gabriel. Gabriel will turn mean as a result of this constant battering and he is terrified of her. Even Ambrrnanadog will walk around the room to stay away from her.

Vet said it is behavioural, and not anything to do with misfirings or seizure behaviour in her brain.  All that we have looked at is at http://www.handicappedpet.net/helppets/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10816

Possum isn't treat motivated at all.  In fact her aggression around food is so serious, she can't have a biscuit, because she won't eat it, but she will do her level best to kill anyone who comes near it.  I firmly believe she had to fight for her life in Texas, judging by how far she has come with behaviour modificatoin, trust building & etc.  But if it is behavioural, and maybe thinks the best defense is a good offense, should she learn that this very serious aggression is not allowed?  

When she got here, she didn't know what people were, what a massage was (in fact, she would squirm away) and never ever cuddled.  Now she seeks out cuddles and sleeps with either my cousin or me.  It is so beautiful to see how far she has come, but this aggression issue may be the nail in her coffin.

She is so delightful and gets cuddles, play, massage, tickles and play ALL the time she is not aggressing.  She loves it.  When she's in the red zone, though, my cousin has pet her or touched her to reconnect her with the world.  To my mind, that is reward for this behaviour.  So, I will start like this, if I read you correctly (and if I don't, please please correct me!)
We will start by scenting an object and start massage and/or play immediately thereafter.  So then when she associates the smell with good things, we keep that rag or sponge soaked with scent handy to wave under her nose, and when she reconnects we reward with play and silliness?  She does love silliness.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!  I have worked too hard with this little girl to give up without seeking ALL answers.


Answer
I normally consider circling and other OC behaviors seizure related, but in the case of this dog with her multiple deficiencies, it's anyone's guess.  Medicating for seizure disorder is not always successful and this dog has a plateful already.  The side effect of phenobarbital is sedation and often reduced cognition.  Life isn't just about breathing; it's about quality.  There are times one has to make a humane choice (would that it were possible for humans to make these choices for themselves.)  Before adding yet one more behaviorally challenging medication to treat seizure disorder, I would at least (given your dedication) have a CSF (spinal tap) and an MRI of this dog.  This is extremely expensive and extremely stressful to the dog (not to mention travel to a teaching veterinary hospital.)  For discussion of epilepsy in dogs and related medications, go to http://www,canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/other meds.html.