Thanks Patty, I’ll look for something like that. Any brands you know of that would be a good starting point for my search?
Melissa, that is exactly why I brought her home in the first place. The previous owner literally came into the vets office I’m interning at and said she’s biting, and to put her down. She was obviously extremely stressed about something and in poor health, which right away caught my (relatively slight, but ever increasing) knowledge of animal behavior. She had been in about two weeks before for a bladder infection, and was given liquid amoxicillin. The owner was, and I quote, putting her in a head lock and shoving it down her throat. And guess when all this biting started? Right after the antibiotics started. Imagine that. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out a simple change in administering the medication would have solved all your problems, lady! I just wunna smack that chick… lol
So now, I’m working with her on not flinching away from contact (she used to expect every touch to hurt, but now she’s pretty good about not being so stressed about it, and loves butt scratches and ear rubs), and I’m working with her on at least accepting being picked up, because lets face it– a small dog has to be picked up at some point or another. There are places they just can’t (or won’t and need to be) get to themselves. I think once she’s on something that is helping relieve some of that pain, we will get further with getting her more comfortable with certain things. I think she may need to be on something like Previcox for the rest her life for actual pain relief, though. But before I do that, I want to see how she does on joint supplements, as it is safer in the long run for her, and easier on my budget.
One big thing I’ve noticed, after we take a decent walk, and she’s all exhausted and in a good, happy mood, and she’s too tired to care, I can pick her right up and she’s happy to let me. You can see a relief and acceptance in her eyes at being picked up when she’s in that state. So a good deal of it is certainly mental from whatever rough treatment she was subjected to before, but I have no doubt that over all, she is in some degree of pain, and it does need to be dealt with. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it is for her to be hurting all the time.
