Q: My dog is displaying symptoms of Separation and Isolation Anxiety as well as having abnormal sleep patterns. She gets plenty of exercise but it seems to wind her up even more. She is a 6 month old German Shorthair/Wirehair Griffon mix and is scheduled to be spayed next month.
A: First off, have you tried DAP? If you don’t know it stands for ‘Dog Appeasing Pheromone’ and can be purchased in a spray, or a diffuser. It emulates the pheromones emitted by a nursing mother dog and can really help take the edge off. I would try this first because the dog doesn’t have to ingest it so it may be the path of least resistance. The diffuser has an on/off switch so it can be turned on just before you leave your dog alone. Also, this may sound a little over the top but have you considered recording your dog when you’re gone? Sometimes the video can give us valuable information such as the time when the dog reacts (right after you leave or after it’s done with its toys, stuffed Kongs, etc), the time is takes to stop reacting, the time spent while nonreactive, the mental pattern, the triggers for reactivity (maybe when someone walks by or when the phone rings etc.) and an abundance of other information. On a physical note we may just have a chemical imbalance that can be easily treated after the thyroid panel results have been found. You will need to talk to your vet to know for sure. Hormone therapy is often just as effective as antidepressants/antipsychotics in cases where there are imbalances and imbalances are not that uncommon – if there’s an imbalance it may not matter how much work and training you put in it could be purely physical.
Sometimes separation and isolation are both problems for the dog. If it is purely isolation fostering is a good way to help – let me know if you are serious about fostering because as I usually have a few dogs in need of foster due to our rescue efforts. If you really don’t need more on your plate right now you might also consider doggie daycare. I know there are up and downsides to the whole daycare thing but everything has ups and downs.
As far as dosages are concerned it seems like the typical usage for calming dogs is:
Valerian Extract 125 mg per 10 pounds
Chamomile 26,000 ug per 10 pounds
Passion Flower 175 mg per 25 pounds
Hops 50 mg per 25 pounds
Tryptophan 30 mg per 25 pounds
Lavender & Clover essential oils applied to room (sprayed or diffused) and to under chin (applied in oil form one drop at a time)
Of course I’m not a vet or certified in herbology but these measurements and ingredients are pretty universal. I assume there are no known allergies and another tip is since tryptophan is already in turkey and nutrients are best absorbed with food; put the dose of whatever you chose to give in or on turkey and supervise the dog after you give the first dose. I always watch each individual to see how long it takes for the dose to take effect, how long the dose lasts, and the overall effectiveness/activity of the dose.
