Dog lovers...have a question...

[OhioChick]

I had 3 dogs about 6 months ago. My 'baby' died of cancer then. Since then, one of the others has been miserable. She viewed the one that died as her Mother. She's an older dog, an epileptic to boot. (On high doses of Pheno.) Lately, she's dumping weight like no one's business and just sits and shakes out of fear. I have an appt. at the vet this up-coming week but wondered if there's anything that I can do for her other than giving her 'extra' attention. Also....if she's depressed, can they give her anti-depressants along with her Pheno.? Thanks in advance.

Why do we get so attached??? :cry:

[RadicalMom]

1. We get attached because they give us unconditional love

We've continually had three dogs, and for a short time four, since 1990, adding new furry children along the way. It has been my experience that the surving dogs don't stop grieving until a new member joins the pack. This has worked every time. If you do get a new dog, be sure to introduce them in a neutral spot, such as at a park or even down the street a little ways. Let them get friendly, then bring them all home together, cutting down on the need to be territorial. Good luck to all of you.

[OhioChick]

2. Thank you....

Unfortunately, she's not even getting long with the 'other' dog, now. I can't imagine bringing a third into the picture. She seems to be 'lost' so to speak.....

[tuvor]

6. Hey, RadicalMom!

Welcome to DU!

And thanks for the info, very much.

[roguevalley]

3. she is grieving. dogs do this all the time. I fear for the time one of

my dachsies, two of them are brothers, die. they will sometimes waste away. get him something to take the edge off until he can cope. make sure you love the crap out of him. they're suffering from grief. poor little babies. Hugs to you all.

[chi_girl_88]

4. Don't know if this would help, but...

Our first dog Ziggy had a very nervous temperament - the 4th of July was hell, and when she hit 10, she started fainting every time she got in the car, because usually the only place we ever drove her to was the vet.

When she was 13 (pretty old for a big dog, she was a Sheperd/collie mix), we got a puppy, by accident - Lucky ran in front of my brother's car on the way to our sister's wedding rehearsal. Everyone thought that with Ziggy's skittish temperament, that there was no way she would ever tolerate a puppy, especially one as active and dominant as Lucky turned out to be. But Ziggy really perked up once Lucky came into our lives, and she lived for 3 more years. When we had to put her down (arthritis, she couldn't walk any more), the vet said that living to 16 for a dog that size was the equivalent of a person living to be 130 years old. Maybe if your dog had a puppy to bond with, or "mother," she might not feel so anxious.

I lost Lucky this past April, so I feel for your loss, and I can also feel your anxiety over your dog's health. Lucky had arthritis but was otherwise healthy as a horse. Eventually, her back legs gave out the way Ziggy's had. Watching her deteriorate and knowing what was coming was hell.

Why do we bond? How can you not? After Lucky, I was positive that I never wanted to go through that again, but I'm starting to miss having a dog in my life. I hope everything turns out well for your dog.

[tuvor]

5. Can your vet tell you whether a raw diet might help?

I'm assuming you feed your dog dry food.

My wife and I and our circle of friends feed our dogs raw. Raw chicken, raw tripe, raw bone and so on, and it's done a world of good for each of them. (I'll save that for another day.) Although I don't want to oversell it as anything it's not, it might be worth researching.

And check with a vet who has an open mind. Dogs are genetically the same as wolves, and never had the convenience of bagged, dry kibble in the ancient forest :). Even so, some vets seem to have difficulty with the idea of feeding raw food to dogs.

G'nite, and I hope all goes well.