A Chop-date

Since my last post we had the opportunity to take Chopper in to see a veterinary behaviorist.  There aren't many of those around, and most vets aren't taught behavior in school. Also, behavior is much more time consuming to diagnose and treat that typical physical veterinary services.  It takes a person with a true calling to embrace this specialty, and boy are we grateful one exists close enough for us to visit.

This vet is not in our neighborhood, in fact she is an hour drive away. Now when you live in the metropolitan DC area you get spoiled.  There are restaurants on every corner, banks, malls, grocery stores, etc, basically any service you desire, minutes away.  So while those of you in rural areas might think nothing of it, to us it is like driving to the end of the earth. Not to mention Chopper isn't used to being in a car that long.  Well we set out as we always do, one of us driving, the other in the backseat to watch Chopper in case of potential freak out.  I brought treats to reward when he laid down and off we went.

We arrive at the vet's and are shown to a room to settle in.  Chopper is nervous, he paces around and then comes back to Greg and I, repeatedly.  At one point we take him out of the room for the veterinarian to enter and get settled in.  When we come back, she is seated in a chair. There are treats all around the room, and when he dares to wander by her, she averts her eyes and drops treats for him. The next hour or so is spent observing how long it takes for him to adjust to her, and talk with us on his history.  Chopper eventually does settle in, he sits, or lays down, and even goes around for the treats.  She tries a little training with him using Easy-Cheese.  I should be horrified, given I started out with an all organic real-food only plan for Chopper.  But I'm willing to try anything now.  As it turns out He. Loves. Canned. Cheese.  I mean loves it more then life itself, would probably tolerate a circus running by as long as he had canned cheese.

After another hour or so she gives us a diagnosis: generalized anxiety (yep!), and neophobia (neo--wha? fear of new things as it turns out).  We adjust his medication so that he starts to taper onto a new SSRI, and add in a sedative.  I have to say, I was skeptical, he already lies around much of the time, why would we want to drug him.  She explained that what it really does is calm the nervous system, which may make him more likely to engage in his environment.  He is a 9 on a scale of 1-10 in terms of anxiety, according to our new vet.  Holy smokes! I had no idea he was that bad, I'm willing to relieve his pain, let's do it.

Before we left the office, Chopper started noticing a stuff toy in a display case. It looked a little like him, and was right at eye level.  The vet got curious and took it out, and oh did Chops get excited:

I wonder what he thought when he smelled this pup's nether-regions LOL. He was so entranced we bought one online for home. It's been known to get his attention enough to snap him out of an anxious state.  It's also caused a few heart attacks on the part of Greg or I when we come around a corner and see a strange animal in our house.

So in the weeks that have passed since Chopper's visit, quite a few things have changed.  The sedative has made a HUGE difference.  It really does allow him to enjoy his environment, he plays more, eats more (which means can train some), and asks for pettings a LOT.  We still can't get him into the backyard most days so we are walking him, which he loves.  Especially when we take him for a sprint or two.  Also he's still fearful, spending a lot of the walk scanning the area for possible dangers.  But, things have improved, and I'm eternally grateful for the help of Dr. Katherine Meyer of the Veterinary Behavior Clinic. I have hope that things are coming around for him!