Old rescued dog

Question
In Feb I rescued an 10 yr. beaten down and up Chow mix.  I was told she liked cats (I have 2 blind cats.)  In the beginning she left them alone but now she goes after them.  Not good as they are blind and cannot run away.  I spent $1000 at Shelbys Dog School but the behavior continues.  When on a leash she walks by them.  Different when off the leash.  Any advice other than keeping them in separate parts of the house?

Bear (dog) is on Previcox & Tramadolfor for arthritis.  This has affected her appetite and it's a struggle to get her to eat.  The vet had her on two different appetite stimulant meds but they had adverse effects (hyper and constipation) so I decided last night to stop.  Just ordered 2 different appetite stimulants online, then saw your website.  Is there any advice you can offer on that too?

Thank you so very very much.

Answer
Hi Judith,

It sounds like Bear needs a refresher course in not chasing your cats. When you're in your home, keep the leash on her so you can physically prevent her from chasing the cats. Tying the leash to your belt loop is a handy way remaining in "constant contact" with her. The moment Bear even looks like she's thinking about chasing the cats, give her leash a tug, and tell her "No!" After a few weeks, keep the leash on her, but let it drag on the floor, so you can step on it, if Bear takes off.
Praise bear when she's just sitting calmly next to you.

When you're not around to supervise (if you don't crate Bear) keep her contained in one room with the help of a child-gate so the cats don't have to interact with her, if they doesn't want to.

Hopefully, the over the counter appetite stimulants you've ordered will help. If Bear usually eats a dry food, you can try mixing in a little canned dog food into her meals. Bits of cheese or hot dogs can also tempt your dog into eating. Warming the food to release it's tempting aromas can help your dog's appetite too. Dogs seem to love cat food, and while it shouldn't be part of your dog's regular diet, giving her a little cat food to help jump start her into eating is okay.

Sometimes, when a dog refuses food long enough, her blood sugar drops, and she can feel a little queasy, making her more reluctant to eat. If you can't get your dog to eat, it can help to rub about a teaspoon of corn syrup or honey onto her tongue. Wait about 10 minutes and see if your dog isn't feeling a little better and more like eating.

A spoonful of brewer's yeast brewer's either sprinkled onto her food or mixed with a little bit of molasses might also help improve Bear's appetite.

You might consider acupuncture for Bear. It can be helpful both for improving her appetite, and in treating her arthritis (along with her prescribed medications). You can locate a veterinary acupuncturist here:

http://www.aava.org/php/aava_blog/aava-directory/
http://www.ivas.org/member_search.cfm

Best of luck,

Patti