How do we help our dog get through panic attacks?
Our new puppy came from a shelter and has obviously been hurt. She is maybe two, a corgi mix, and spayed. She woke up last night breathing hard, almost snorting. We went in and gave her some love and she calmed down. She slept in the bed the rest of the night and she finally went to sleep. How can we help her feel safe and stop having panic attacks?
She has been abused because she has scars on her body. The vet seemed to think so. She has been sleeping in the bathroom in a crate. We are not overly "poor baby" with her and stay calm, but thought last night she was pretty freaked out.
sorry to hear your new dog has had a bad start before you got her.
however be careful how you calm her, if you go in and do the 'oh you poor thing and really make a fuss she will actually think whatever frightened her is something really bad to be feared and get worse. if you go in calm make sure that she isn't hurt, or badly injured herself anywhere, distract her with something and not make a lot of whatever it was.
I notice the same occurs to frightened dogs as it does with children, those children that get lots of cuddles and 'mummies poor little….' 'oh dear, mummies here to comfort you… etc. cause they are crying over a very minor injury, will cry and make a bigger thing of even minor injuries than before, however those children that are upset over a little pin prick of a cut, whose mother comes in and has a look and says 'oh never mind, mummy kiss it better, there all better' and then go off making little issue over a minor thing, then the child learns that actually its not worth getting all upset over a little cut like that, might as well get on and enjoy myself playing again. and dogs need the same, regardless of what past they had.
its not a problem to give the dog a quick hug and then distract it to a toy, or something it isn't frightened of and if its only a quick yowl at passing motorbike say and then its over, its often not worth doing anything, obviously if its going loopy, crying and screaming even in terror, then you do need to comfort it, but do it without fussing or using that 'poor baby' voice, as the dog will assume you are frightened of it too and think also that it needs to try to look after you as well and it ends up an unhappy dog, that agitated all the time.
If she really is getting herself into a right state and you can't clm her down or distract her, see if you vet has something that will help calm her down and make her less terrified of whatever it is that frightens her, while she gets used to you and her new home. also if she isn't to end up sleeping in your bed for the rest of her life, don't start now, it can be hard to reverse it. some people say that buying a cheap jumper from a jumble sale/table top sale or charity shop, wear it and then place it in her bed when your away from her, it can help her to be calmer, cause she can smell you.
I know one person that did it and left the jumper on the other side of the door, so when the dog woke up and couldn't find her owner and would howl the place down and try to wreak the place to find her owner, the jumper under the door, smelt of her owner and she just assumed her owner was on the other side and returned to bed.
if you are still really worried about the breathing and state she gets into have a chat with you vet, if possible take a short film clip of her acting in that way, on a digital camera that takes video too, so he/she can see it, as seeingexactly how she reacts to the problem and other every day things, can help a vet form a tailored treatment plan that should work for her, obviously we here can't see exactly what she does and can only offer general advice.
but hope it helps a bit
Related posts:
- Are middle of the night panic attacks the result of suppressed anxiety?
- Its 12:00 at night here & my anxiety panic attacks are getting worst? They tend to start playing up at nights?
Filed under: what are panic attacks
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
