The Fuzzy Headcase - A Status Report

Thursday, November 6, 2014
I went to day care today. I'm tired.
Shortly after my last blog post about Ms. Jackson Pi, we went to see her vet. After a thorough explanation of her behavior and a consultation with another vet who specializes in animal behavior, we made the decision to put her on Prozac. Or, as our vet diplomatically put it, he thinks "she could benefit from some pharmacological intervention" aka "your dog is a head case."

So we started her on the medication, and gave it a few weeks to work.

We have noticed a difference in her behavior. When she gets wrapped around the axle, it's a bit easier to calm her down. When she starts obsessing about an object (squirrel, dog, etc.) it's a bit easier to get her attention. And she's stopped losing herself so completely on walks. While she still throws a hissy when she sees another dog, I can (eventually) get her attention and make her sit and look. There's been no more incidents of growling or snapping.

The meds have not changed her personality or her energy level much - she's still prone to the same occasional freak-outs, the kind all dogs and cats have when they're young and excited.* But she's better behaved at Day Care, and her recall skills are much better, presumably because she's not quite as obsessive as she was.

So we're still working on her OCD behavior (leash aggression) from a training perspective, and will continue to give her the Prozac until she's made significant progress. I figure I can't blame her for needing a little "pharmacological help" when her dog mom needs the same. But she is a strange, strange dog, if a sweet one.

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*You know the ones - they run through the house or the yard at full tilt, ears back and tongue lolling. Because whatever it is is just so exciting. Or the air molecules are attacking. Or something.

1 comments:

aggirlj said...

I've been waiting for the update and am glad to see there is some improvement.

You are wonderful to go to these lengths, as would I. I recently read that the Benji(sp?) is a tough nut but I am sure it will be well worth your efforts.

I know with my Daphne (who I miss terribly) she would get crazy too. Such was her charm.

Calming thoughts.