Rescue remedy for anxious dog?

littlebug

has anyone used it with success? I've been reading fairly good reports of it.

I have the regular version so I've just put the tiniest drop on her forehead.... if it makes a difference on our "lovely calm walk":rolleyes: this evening I'll go get the pet version.

I think I'd try anything at this stage.... 6 weeks in and progress is verrrry slow . It's been a case of 2 steps forward, 1.75 steps back.

tk123

I tried it the first couple of weeks our guy was on crate rest but tbh I don't know if it worked or not. Some days he was quiet and some days he wasn't. For us what made him settle and relax was us being relaxed and not stressing that he was sore or needed to got to the loo etc - he picked up on us being relaxed and chilled out.

boxerly

littlebug wrote: »

has anyone used it with success? I've been reading fairly good reports of it.

I have the regular version so I've just put the tiniest drop on her forehead.... if it makes a difference on our "lovely calm walk":rolleyes: this evening I'll go get the pet version.

I think I'd try anything at this stage.... 6 weeks in and progress is verrrry slow . It's been a case of 2 steps forward, 1.75 steps back.

Calm aid is very good aswell

bullylover

hey, i havnt used this, but i know a few people who have, the Daps Collar, or u can get it in a plug in spray and a hand held spray.
It has pheramones that are released from a bitch after she's had a litter to calm the puppies and give them a sence of security.
Its ment to be very good:)
Look it up, i think you can get it in vets.
A few people i know used them on dogs in kennel situations to calm them and have to say they did get good responses:)
Hope that help:)

littlebug

tk123 wrote: »

For us what made him settle and relax was us being relaxed and not stressing that he was sore or needed to got to the loo etc - he picked up on us being relaxed and chilled out.

She's definitely sensitive to the general mood of the house e.g but honestly... absolutely everything and anything winds her up !

boxerly wrote: »

Calm aid is very good aswell

What's that I can't find a specific product online?

bullylover wrote: »

hey, I havnt used this, but i know a few people who have, the Daps Collar, or u can get it in a plug in spray and a hand held spray.

I've been looking at that and it looks pricy but I'd definitely consider it if it meant we had a chance of a semblance of a normal family/ dog life

ISDW

I thought that you put the rescue remedy into the dog's water, rather than putting it onto the dog itself, or put a drop on their tongue? I'm probably wrong, but thats just always the way I thought it was used.

boxerly

I always put a drop into the water aswell:)never heard of putting it onto the dog either:) Would it not sting?

littlebug

According to RR the website it can be rubbed onto the nose, ear or paw. Maybe the non alcoholic version doesn't sting? I had also read somewhere else of people rubbing it into the forehead.
I'll try a drop or two in her water tomorrow though I suspect I'm grasping at straws.

Whispered

OP how is the dog displaying anxiety?

I've found calm aid brilliant for my fella who would shake at the sight of the lead. That and a lot of work on being positive around the things that cause him anxiety has worked well

boxerly

You should be able to get Calm Aid from your vet xx,I have minded a very nervous rescue dog who could not be left anywhere because she was so scarred.Her owners gave her some calm aid while she was here and she was very calm,happy and at ease

littlebug

Whispered wrote: »

OP how is the dog displaying anxiety?

you name it....

Anything from pacing in-house from window to window almost looking for things to go nuts at (cats, people, other dogs, bicycles) to a very wound up walk and lunging barking at cars, fear of other dogs sometimes leading to aggression, jumping on and nipping people. She can't be off lead outside as 5 foot walls appear not to be a barrier and outside time is wound up time.... if free she'll just run (in an out of control way- not a happy way) from corner to corner. Anyway... that's just a snippet.She has many many issues. I dream of having a dog that will mooch around the garden off lead while I work there, that won't go nuts when kids turn up on bikes, that we can play ball with etc but at the minute she gets very wound up very quickly and is very hard to do anything with. There have been some improvements. I'd say it's maybe 65 / 35 in terms of wound up/ calm time now whereas it was maybe 80/20.
She has her charms... when she's calm she's lovely but can change in an instant.

tk123

It's actually Kalm aid with a K Just in case you were googling it with a C and getting no results! You'd probably pick it up at vets along with DAP - they always stock up at Halloween also dog training ireland dell DAP and Kalm Aid. I got some pills from our vet to try for our guy when he started on crate rest - I can't rememeber what they were called thou but they were blue capsule and based on something in milk. Didn't do anything tbh for him tbh but as I said at the time he'd just had surgery so we were stressed out worrying about him so he prob picked up on us stressing!

littlebug

tk123 wrote: »

It's actually Kalm aid with a K Just in case you were googling it with a C and getting no results! QUOTE]

Well spotted. That's exactly what I was doing!
I just looked it up ... seems like a pretty heavy duty med. I think I'll go the more natural route first with DAP etc. I also have a session with a behaviourist set up so hopefully we'll see improvements.
Strangely enough she's grand on her own. She's left in the utility room so she can't see outside so there's nothing to wind her up. Today was the longest she's been alone (4.5 hours) and she's fine.... no destruction or chewing things. She appears to have had minimal interaction with the various Kong things I left her, and has worked more on them since I've been home. I think she just goes to sleep in there.

sionnaic

I can recommend the DAP collar, we use it for our nervy little collie cross (a rescue) on the advice of our vet. It does make a difference, seems to take the edge off. Not cheap though as one collar which lasts for 4 weeks costs around 21-23 euro.

What made the biggest difference for us though was getting the help of a very good trainer (who uses positive methods only) who came out to our house for an afternoon.€100 well spent. She gave us advice and the tools and techniques we needed to deal with his problems which made us much more confident and calm instead of the unease/uncertainty which we had been unwittingly been projecting and which he was picking up on, and just making everything worse. We relaxed and now he has too. He used to panic big time when he met or saw other people or especially other dogs but now we're going to her obedience classes and he loves them!

sionnaic

littlebug wrote: »

you name it....

Anything from pacing in-house from window to window almost looking for things to go nuts at (cats, people, other dogs, bicycles) to a very wound up walk and lunging barking at cars, fear of other dogs sometimes leading to aggression, jumping on and nipping people. She can't be off lead outside as 5 foot walls appear not to be a barrier and outside time is wound up time.... if free she'll just run (in an out of control way- not a happy way) from corner to corner. Anyway... that's just a snippet.She has many many issues. I dream of having a dog that will mooch around the garden off lead while I work there, that won't go nuts when kids turn up on bikes, that we can play ball with etc but at the minute she gets very wound up very quickly and is very hard to do anything with. There have been some improvements. I'd say it's maybe 65 / 35 in terms of wound up/ calm time now whereas it was maybe 80/20.
She has her charms... when she's calm she's lovely but can change in an instant.

Sorry I just read this post of yours now...you should def consult with a good, positive methodtrainer or behaviourist. Your guy and mine share a lot of the same issues! And trust me, it took effort on our part, but the results are amazing. Our little guy is so much happier and easier to handle. I'm happy to recommend our trainer if you're based in the East or Southeast

teacherspet

I mind dogs in my home and sometimes I get a very nervous dog in. I have dogs of my own (5 little ones). These dogs are usually only dogs, if you know what I mean. They are very anxious around other dogs. I have used a product in the past which I feel works very well. All herbal. So no problems there. You spray it on there food ( no taste ) After 2 days I can see the difference in the dog.
http://www.petcareintl.com/Products/PetCalm/tabid/74/Default.aspx

Plus it's Irish made.

littlebug

sionnaic wrote: »

Sorry I just read this post of yours now...you should def consult with a good, positive methodtrainer or behaviourist. Your guy and mine share a lot of the same issues! And trust me, it took effort on our part, but the results are amazing. Our little guy is so much happier and easier to handle. I'm happy to recommend our trainer if you're based in the East or Southeast

Wrong end of the country but thanks. I'm pretty sure we'll be ok with this trainer but I'd love to hear some of the methods you used... specific to behaviours if you know what I mean. It's all trial and error at the minute... mostly error:rolleyes: .


I'm actually really looking forward to when I can bring the dog to obedience classes... she's just too unpredictable yet.

The good news is that the dog has just spent 1.5 hours munching on a kong that was with her all day but she didn't bother with.... unprecedented. Maybe it's just the kong (new and I made it difficult!) or maybe it's the rescue remedy that was in the water that she only drank when I came home. Either way that's an hour and a half where she was completely focussed on something and not window watching, pacing etc. Progress!

dvet

littlebug wrote: »

tk123 wrote: »

I think I'll go the more natural route first with DAP etc. I also have a session with a behaviourist set up so hopefully we'll see improvements.

+1 That sounds like the best way to go! I think a dog behaviourist may be a better option than a dog trainer for your girl right now as it sounds like there's a lot going on in her head that you need to figure out. Dog behaviourists can be great for complex problems this, I know a few people who would have went to one (for various anxiety and aggression problems) and they were all really happy that they did.

That being said, there are great trainers out there too, as long as you get the right one - as sionnac said, it's important to get one who uses positive training methods - especially when your dog is already a nervous type!

Whispered

littlebug wrote: »

I just looked it up ... seems like a pretty heavy duty med. I think I'll go the more natural route first with DAP etc. I also have a session with a behaviourist set up so hopefully we'll see improvements.

Poor pet sounds like she has loads of issues. The kalm aid I have is all natural according to the vet. It's definately not heavy duty anyway. I had my fella taking xanax and that was HEAVY, horrible. But the kalm aid just made travelling and walks easier. Although my fella doesn't have issues like yours.

I've used daps for pups and it seems to help then settle in. I've never tried it with an adult though.

Good idea with the behaviourist. That should help hugely. Is the dog a rescue op?

littlebug

Whispered wrote: »

Poor pet sounds like she has loads of issues. The kalm aid I have is all natural according to the vet. It's definately not heavy duty anyway. I had my fella taking xanax and that was HEAVY, horrible. But the kalm aid just made travelling and walks easier. Although my fella doesn't have issues like yours.

I've used daps for pups and it seems to help then settle in. I've never tried it with an adult though.

Good idea with the behaviourist. That should help hugely. Is the dog a rescue op?

Re-reading the stuff now I see that it is natural :rolleyes: Yes she's a rescue dog. I don't know her background obviously as she was found wandering but I'm told that the signs were of neglect rather than cruelty. I'd say her interaction with the world outside of whatever dark place she was kept in was minimal:( . We'll get there... she's already a very different dog than she was 4 weeks ago so we must be doing something right but we still have a long way to go.

dvet

littlebug wrote: »

Re-reading the stuff now I see that it is natural :rolleyes: Yes she's a rescue dog. I don't know her background obviously as she was found wandering but I'm told that the signs were of neglect rather than cruelty. I'd say her interaction with the world outside of whatever dark place she was kept in was minimal:( . We'll get there... she's already a very different dog than she was 4 weeks ago so we must be doing something right but we still have a long way to go.

Poor thing - no wonder she's got issues It's lovely to hear that she's been rehomed though, and with somebody so determined to help her become better! Well done - and good luck with her

RubyGirl

Came across this site while looking for something else. Might be of interest.

http://www.theequinewarehouse.com/your_dog/supplements/nutri_kalm_250ml/

littlebug

Thanks Rubygirl. Good to see all the options.
I actually have seen a difference in the past couple of days. Other than a few cat rage incidents she's been remarkably relaxed in the house. Walks have been no different but on one little venture out as far as the road she actually just sat down unprompted and watched a few cars go past without reaction :eek: