The appt. was wonderful. So, so, so, so glad that I took her. Dr. Duxbury said that Tibby is a classic case of canine anxiety.
It was a lot to take in and a long appt. - 3 hours, but I am very, very hopeful that this will help Tibby to feel better.
So remember my GPS that has been trying to kill me? Today I turned it on and nothing - black screen, no GPS. Ooookay. Luckily I was able to find the U of M with an old fashioned map!
Tibby gave them a very good demonstration of her behavior. We moved to a larger room in the large animal hospital and there were some dogs barking in the building that made Tibby very nervous - pacing, panting, hiding underneath chairs, shaking, whining and climbing into my lap.
Tibby wouldn't take treats (too stressed), so we used Dhali as the practice dog for the exercises- u-turn, mat work, hand target, sniff walks (eventually). Tibby is also starting Fluoxetine (Prozac). Also, Trazodone for vet visits and when I take Dhali somewhere and have to leave Tibby alone.
I'm not sure if it's because she is exhausted from the appt. or if it's the first dose working already, but she has been very calm and relaxed this evening. She does not want to play with Dhali at all and she told him to stop jumping on her they just had a fun game of chase in the backyard, but other than that she's really relaxed. She isn't pacing, she's sleeping and she let me pet her and snuggle her without grumbling at me.
Dhali was of course super cute at the appt. They said that he was very smart - which he is! He thought the appt. was both awesome - treats! and boring - yawn, going to sleep here in the middle of the room.
I got a whole bunch of hand outs to read and a book, Feisty Fido, and a basket muzzle.
I wish I had taken her months and months ago. Feeling very hopeful!
