Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Question
My Staffordshire Bull terrier is 4 years old and for the past 3 months every evening for about three hours she is panting and shaking and clawing at my legs so i pick her up like she is scared of something. she wont eat her food and is not happy to be away from you at any time this attack happens this has happened every year a fire work night but this time it hasnt ever stopped. Has anyone come across this before or can give me any advice i would be soo grateful. Thank you

Answer

Hi Heidi,

For severe anxiety problems such as what your dog appears to be having, there is prescription anti-anxiety medication available which might help. You should talk to your vet about this.

For something over-the counter to try, two products come to mind. You can look into DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) an odorless synthetic hormone that dogs can smell, and causes them to relax in stressful situations. DAP comes embedded in a collar, as a plug in diffuser, and as a spray. You can read about DAP here:

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/behavior/a/dogbehaviorprob.htm

http://dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Easing_Dog_Thunderstorm_Anxiety

Rescue Remedy is an herbal product that has a calming effect in any stressful situation, or if your pet needs help overcoming a variety of emotional or behavioral problems. It can be purchased it at almost any health store, pet stores or online. You can read about Rescue Remedy here:

http://www.rescueremedy.com/

Along with the products or medication that will take the "edge" off of your dog's anxiety, counter-conditioning and desensitization training will also be helpful. Read about how to go about that here:

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00312.htm

http://www.newhopecattledogs.com/forms/BEHAVIOR%20MODIFICATION-REDUCING%20FEAR.p...

http://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/fearful%20dogs.htm

If reading about how to help your dog doesn't seem to be helping, then it's time to have a dog behaviorist evaluate your dog. A live person is so much more effective than just reading about a possible solution because he or she can actually observe the dogs behavior and make helpful suggestions specific to your particular dog. Ask your vet for a referral for a dog behaviorist, or you can locate one here: http://www.iaabc.org/suchen/

Best of luck,
Patti