Age related phobia? - Page 1

This doesn't involve either of my two shepherds but rather the 11 year old lab in the household.

Quick history.  She is an English lab, imported from England and used for breeding up until age 6 when she was retired.  She is a field trained gun dog, was a kennel dog through her breeding career and then adopted by my parents when she was retired from breeding.

I've had her since 2009 when my mother died, she is healthy, in good nick mentally and physically and as a rule completely bombproof.  At least, until recently.

Starting last Fall she began to get more and more nervous about thunderstorms.  At first I didn't really notice because she's always affectionate but during one particularly bad one I noticed she would not get off my heels.   Anywhere I went she followed and curled up against my ankles shivering and nothing I did (petting, talking too, offer of a treat) would stop her shivering.

Well last night the antee upped.  We had a freak storm come through last night, fairly impressive with lightening and rumbles of thunder.  I was asleep when I woke to the sound of this horrific scrabbling noise.  Well I went to check and the old girl had wedged herself under the baby gates (the dogs sleep in the kitchen at night) as she tried to leave the kitchen and get back to the bedroom.

I tried to get her to settle back down, she had the other two dogs to keep her company but she was having none of it.  Finally, in an effort to keep her from straining something and or ripping the doorframe apart I let her come into the bedroom.  She immediately curled up on the floor by my side of the bed and stayed there the rest of the night.

So this phobia is becoming more intense for her and driving her towards extreme behavior (she's never fought with the baby gates before or risked trapping herself).  I can not be home every minute of the day as I work and we will be having more and more thunderstorms (in fact we're supposed to have some doozies this afternoon). 

What should I do?  Bring in one of the aircraft crates and give her a 'darker' den to get into when we're not home and see if that helps calm her?

Other thoughts? 

how about Benadryl?

My in-laws have a dog (shepherd mix)  thats scared of storms and fireworks..they give her benadryl and she gets through it w/o issues in fact she has improved over past 5 years where before she would tear things up, one 4th of July they closed her in master bathroom w/o windows she tore water lines behind the toilet..flooded the whole house...anyways..they only use benadryl now if its a really bad storm and she is better at tolerating fire works from a distance/neighbors...as long as no one is shooting it in their back yard...

I thought about that LF but the problem is I won't be home to give it too her and I'm not keen on just medicating and then leaving her alone. :/

 I would check w/the vet. Something sudden like that in a dog that age can be related to all sorts of things, from simple age-related mental degeneration/dementia to a brain tumor. 

I would suspect that her hearing is changing and the sounds that she might hear now do not sound familiar to her anymore and are startling her and catching her off guard.  Maybe she is totally deaf now due to age;  and she only feels the ground shake when the thunderstorms hit.  I would see if you could find a pet sitter for her until this is resolved or take to to doggy day care until you can figure out possibly what is really bothering or startling her.  Poor girl;  sometimes they become very jumpy and startle easy when they age;  sometimes it is a combination of not being able to hear along with pain and they do not know what is going on.  If you are able I would get a second opinion from a professional  trainer and try to solve the problem that way;  or maybe try Rescue Remedy when you are home see if it helps;  or another related product to take a little stress off her.  I notice that my 12.2 year old girl startles easily now if  you come up behind her and she is sleeping;  think her hearing is starting to change;  so sad.  If I can think of anything else;  maybe try benedryl during stress times;  they can take several at a time;  that might take the edge off.  Sorry for her that she is going thru this, not easy on them.  Best of luck  Nan

I'll be taking her in for her annual wellness exam in the next couple of weeks.  I haven't seen any other signs to indicate a tumor, her coordination, appetite and physical health is impeccable but I have wondered if she's having 'senior' moments more and more.

I'll make sure to put this behavior in with my list of questions for them when we go.

 Is it just thunder or any really loud noise?

Asking because being a trained gun dog in her earlier years may have damaged her ears and as she gets older the sudden loud noise could be causing her some pain?

Just seems really strange that she has not shown this behavior before during storms.

Nans,

Thank you for the suggestions.

Her hearing may be softening but she can still hear, she goes out into the field with the two shepherd and 'works' with them when I'm doing exercise work with the ball.  She can still quarter a field under command and her mental accuteness is sharp in that she will track/find a ball that the two younger dogs can't 'work out' due to a lack of experience.

I'm actually more worried about 'senior' moments from her such as this increasing anxiety over thunderstorms and that she'll often take up barking at nothing in the middle of the night.  

As suggested by Jenni I'll be taking her into the vet soon and will discuss this increased distress with them as well to see if we've got a symptom of an underlying problem at work.  I really do not want to be giving her any medication until I talk with my vet and at least get an all clear sign in terms of her senior panals.

Clc

Just thunderstorms.  She's still solid as a rock under gun fire and during fireworks she doesn't turn a hair.

As I said, she started last year with the clinginess, probably was showing signs before I *noticed* and then last night things really amped up with her being heedless of her own safety in her desperation to get to me.

RLHAR...My female GSD became a tad nervous about thunder and lighting when she was about 11 or 12 years old. Also, our Great Dane did too about two years ago and she is 12 years old...

     The vet told me this was normal for older dogs to become a little insecure about such things. What helped was playing the radio or television to distract from the sounds of the storm....I would kennel the dog in a crate to give the added security mentally and physically....JMO...


             Deanna...: )