Because I didn't need a paycheck this month

Criosphynx

seriously

Critter is going to the vet today to have her "growths" looked at...likely going to be cancer...we'll see..

unfortunately if she needs surgery we are likely not going to risk it as shes two days older than dirt...if she died during surgery/recovery I'd never forgive myself.

One growth apeared about 6 or so months ago in one of her breasts and the vet said to not worry about it unless it quintuples in size, turns green or shoots sparks....but seriously they said if it is serious shes as good as dead already....so fast forward to two weeks ago...I shaved her down and found another lump in another doggy boobie....this one very small...

well in two weeks its dramatically grown in size. Its also red which the other one isn't

anyways...wish her luck I'll update in a few hours.

Mikey

{{Critter}}

{{I'm sending Vibes that the lumps are fat blobs, or fluid blobs, or abscesses, or other benign thingies}}

Two days older then dirt! LOL

Keep us posted!!

fawkese1

ohhh critter! sending every vibe i can think of to both of you!!!!!!!!!!

Criosphynx

thanks guys....vet says its most likely cancer...they poked them and the lab results come back sunday. If they are benign he thinks we should leave them there....if not we do xrays to see if they have spread..and then go from there.

I FINALLY got her PROZAC!!! I can't wait to see how she does on it...she has been a manic mess since I brought her home and over the counter stuff and counter conditioning have failed miserably...too much anxiety to learn....shes in such panic all the time...hopefully this takes the edge off so we can finally do som' training and she can enjoy life.

fawkese1

hmm prozac, that should be interesting...i don't know about prozac and dogs but in people you have to be careful to build up the dosage to what works so that you can get used to the effects....if she seems a bit crazy (or crazier than normal) after a few days, you may need to cut the dosage in half or something then slowly build it up. also, in people it is best in the morning or you don't sleep very well.
how long have you had critter? she's a mill dog isn't she? poor little girl....still sending those good vibes!

Criosphynx

I figured it would take a while to get the dose *right* he says they usually give xanax but I told him I did NOT want to knock her out, so he thought prozac would be a better choice (I guess xanax can make your drowsy) the pills are TINY.

Either way she needed SOMETHING. This is the same dog that wont chew her kibble because if she does the crunch sends her running out of the room in a panic. She has to wear a harness not a collar because the id tag clinked on the bowl once and she refused to eat out of that bowl after that.

She will run and hide from the clicker...When I clicker train the others she has to be behind two closed doors and even then she pants and hides and takes hours to calm down.

She paces...constantly...and when shes not pacing shes laying down licking her feet. Shes awake and calm maybe an hour a day. Other than that shes asleep

its even gotten so bad that she associates food with fear...if you try to hand feed her she panics and bolts...I think she smelled the food and heard the clicker and now thinks food means the clicker is coming.

Can't clean her eyes, can't open her mouth, after about a YEAR of counterconditioning I can trim her nails without getting bitten, but shes still wigs out.

Her teeth are awful and the other vet was like "just brush them" This was after she spent ten minutes trying to open her mouth and was unsuccessful. She had to be put under just to have her mouth examined.


So yeah I hope this stuff works.

Yay pet store dogs.

Mikey

Awww

The petstore sold an older dog? That's so weird to me-only pups from puppy mills here on sale!

Mikey's anxious but not that bad-I hope the prozac works out for you!!

Maybe see if the vet would try Effexor-it's a new generation of antidepresant that accomplishes many of the same things as prozac and other maoi's or ssri's but has far fewer side effects. Don't know if it's OK for off the label pet use though-but the vet would know!

Criosphynx

I adopted her two years ago from the humane society...the fact she has a deformed leg and was bred several times lead us to believe she was either a mill dog or purchased from a pet store..

there are other behavior things that point to being isolated during the critical learning periods (like a young puppy in a cage) toys and other dogs do not exist to her. She will look through them like they aren't there. Most dogs that grow up...that were taken too young from mom and then isolated... behave this way.

god Iam searching the web researching this and all I can find are people saying that people who give this drug to their pets are cruel and ignoring their dogs...wow.

I just want her obsession to go away, training, diet and exercise have failed.

som' of my other dogs have anxiety but nothing that training can't fix. Lets just put it this way...its been over two years and she knows "sit"....I have tried teaching her other things and she acts incapable of retaining things, which points to her being overthreshold...constantly...thats no way to live

Mikey

Awww that's awful!! That makes so much sense, their are people who adopt from orphanages overseas-and there is just this critical period where a baby needs mom-and they are finding all kinds of issues when they grow older, likely attributing to that missing bonding period.

That's soooo sad-give her a non-scary kiss from me

"god Iam searching the web researching this and all I can find are people saying that people who give this drug to their pets are cruel and ignoring their dogs...wow." THAT is why the internet is bad-weirdo people can have a voice too *rolls eyes*

fawkese1

good lord! i mean omg poor poor critter.....makes me wanna grab someone and shake 'em till their teeth rattle!!!!!!

yay you....really really yay you! good luck with the prozac...glad you know about the dosage, if i come across anything i'll send it your way...