Kirra_Bomber_Zeus

Hi, My rottie used to have a go through the screen door if they were silly enough to stand there and eyeball him, he simply couldn't see through it. I always took people out to introduce them so that he knew who was around then we would go back inside and he would be fine as he could smell and hear them. I would say that your dog has postraumatic stress as a result of its experience, in the human world we use densitisation so the suggestions here are quite appropriate but will take time. Thanks Jaybee Ive noticed in the last week as she has gotten better - she is still nervous of people coming to the back door which is much darker (especially if the lights arent on outside) so that seems to be reinforcing the idea that the dark door could be a problem. Glad to know someone else has had this problem too though (and its not just Kirra ) Jen

No problem Busters Mum Hope it works well for Buster. My Mum's dog was so terrified of storms he would literally wet himself as soon as the first bit of thunder came. He would hide under the bed shaking like a leaf for hours even after it had passed. The vet wanted to put him on valium but my Mum wouldnt do it. We made this remedy up for him and gave it to him for 2 weeks in a row, then again the next time there was a storm (dosed him 4 drops every 10 minutes for an hour as soon as it started) then by the next storm he wouldnt come inside because he was PLAYING IN THE RAIN!!! It was amazing - he is fine now and likes to stay outside with his nose in the air smelling the rain Jen

Great Lorraine Let me know if you have any probs - Im in Thornlie so I must be somewhere near you if you are going to Cannington :rolleyes: Jen

Thats great Rusky - I just used this mixture for my dog who had become very fearful of people coming to the door (after 4 break-ins ) and it has worked wonderfully :rolleyes: Jen

How many drops of the mix do you give or do you give the whole 10 drops? Sorry to sound dumb but 10 drops seems like a lot. Thanks Jen Once its in the mix its best to give 4 drops 2-4 times per day (usually for 2 weeks but you should see improvement in the behaviour within about a week Jen

They need to put 4 drops of RR & 2 drops each of Aspen, Mimulus & Larch (usually in an alcohol/water base) Jen

Just wanted to say thank you so much on this one guys Kirra is doing heaps better. I have been giving her the Bach Flower Remedy I made up and have been getting people to wear sunnies etc around her. I have also been getting people to call out to her before they get to the door too She is doing really well now - she has only barked at one person this week (and not even the terrified barking and growling like before - just a bit of a rush and bark but then settled) I was extra proud of her on the weekend - she is also absolutely petrified of children which has become much worse during these episodes, and although no children were coming around, my brother's new girlfriend is a dwarf so I thought that could cause a problem for her just by the fact that she is the same size as a child - but she was absolutely perfect Jen

Hi Instead of just RR I would ask your local health food shop to make a specific remedy up for you Ask them for a Bach Flower Remedy of Rescue Remedy, Aspen, Mimulus & Larch. The Rescue Remedy is great for calming but it doesnt include Aspen & Mimulus which are the remedies for fear. Larch is the remedy for confidence which seems to really help dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms as well. PM me know if you cant get the heathfood shop to make it up for you and you want the remedy - I can make it up for you Jen

hmmm interesting Maybe I better get Corey involved with the desensitisation program as well (and make sure he acts extra happy when we get visitors ) Jen

I dont think so Rozzie, but I cant be sure they didnt give her a kick or anything She was just so petrified when we got home that day. She was hiding behind the lounge and was shaking for hours (Im sure it didnt help that my husband was going ballistic about being broken into again - she has never been able to cope with anyone yelling in an angry voice) I dont know (now that Im writing this) whether that may have even been part of it. She hates when Corey yells (even though its never at her) and has always gotten really upset about it. So, maybe this happened in her mind too - people came into the house and were scary, then Dad comes home and goes ballistic (even more scary), so, maybe - people coming into the house may = Dad being scary. What do you think, is that stupid?? Jen

You know, interestingly enough, I noticed yesterday that she doesnt seem to be concerned with people coming into the backyard when shes in there herself (like yesterday my Dad came in through the roller door and she didnt bat an eyelid. Its only a problem when shes inside and they are outside. I am wondering - our screen doors at the front and back are extremely dark wire - you can hardly see thorough them. Im wondering whether this is having a negative effect (as in she cant actually see the people, just hear noises and see a shadow so she has no idea who it is?) Jen Edited to add: I have noticed she is much worse at nighttime than in the day too which is why I thought of the dark screen doors

Forgot to reply to this bit I guess the only thing Im worried about here is that she still seems terrified and she will do this even to someone who has been in the house 15 minutes before I dont want people to be afraid of her and she never used to be like this. (Even when we have had people in our front yard at our old house our other dog Bomber would always be the one to let us know - and Kirra would sleep through the whole thing!) Jen

Hi everyone Thanks for your great ideas! Thanks for that Haven - I will definately try all that I made one up for her the other day for fear and to give her more confidence. Im going to give it to her 4 times a day for a few weeks and hopefully this will help her too. Antoher good idea! (You guys are full of them! ) I will get everyone to do that. I notice that when she goes off at say my brother (who she adores) when he actually walks in the door and she sees who it is, she continues to bark at him for a couple of seconds, but you can see it dawning on her that this is one of the nice people. So if he called out first, Im sure that would help. I'll let you know how she goes! Jen

Hi all I am becoming quite worried about my 3 year old Staffy Kirra. She has always been a very friendly dog and not really fearful of any particular things Our house was broken into for the fourth time 3 months ago (the only time the dogs were actually where the intruders were and they were terrified) and since then she has become increasingly fearful. It started with her being afraid (barking at and acting quite agressively) towards anyone with sunglasses or a hooded shirt on. The she started being afraid of almost anything that was 'different' whether that would be the way someone looks, what they are wearing, that they come into the house through a different door etc etc. It seems to be getting worse and worse though. For example, last night my husband was in the backyard and Kirra was inside, he walked around to the front door but didnt come through it yet. She must have heard him and she freaked out. She was barking and growling and wouldnt stop until he came through the door and she realised who it was. She just did the same thing to one of our friends she has known for years. Im am getting really worried that this will end up escalating to her biting someone through this fear Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to get her through this? I obviously only want to do things in a positive way but anything I think of I think it will reinforce her for the behaviour she is showing. Im lost! Thanks Jen

Ahem - pharmaceutical companies only make money out of pharmaceutical products. Pharmaceutical products are only developed if the particular company can patent them, so that they have exclusive rights to produce and market them. Therefore, if the remedy CANNOT be patented and marketed exclusively, there will be no research, development or clinical trials. They are only "racing to find cures" that they can OWN and sell. Do you understand the problem here? If a cure is "natural", ie vitamins, herbs, homoeopathic, minerals etc, it CANNOT be patented = no magic millions for the shareholders. Now, pharmaceutical companies like making lots and lots of money - they are not in the business for the good of mankind. This is why they spend so much money lobbying govts, funding research grants at universities, free gifts to doctors etc. As they have huge clout with the media due to the massive amount of revenue they inject for their advertising, the media are very careful not to upset them with coverage of alternative medicine. It is called "not biting the hand that feeds you" Are you getting the idea? If you check out the link I posted, you will see that Dr (yes, medical doctor) Fred Klenner, was curing polio and other diseases, and vastly improving MS patients thru vitamin therapy long before antibiotics were discovered. His use of vit c was revolutionary - even the articles he wrote for sporting magazines on vit c treatment for dogs bitten by snakes out in the field saved many lives - could pharmaceutical make lots of money out of vit c? NO - it couldn't be patented. Could they make lots of money out of antibiotics? Yes! What does your doctor prescribe for you if you have an infection? Bear in mind that antibiotics are only good against bacteria, not viruses - yet vit c will fight both bacteria and viruses (technical details of how it works is on the site). Vit C is cheap, easily stored, does not require a prescription or a chemist, and works on incredibly fatal diseases like meningococcal where antibiotics often fail (read Nobel Prize winner Dr Linus Pauling's books) Can you now comprehend why pharmaceutical companies aren't the slightest bit interested in finding alternative cures? And why they manipulate and distort clinical trials to get their drugs past the FDA? And why many doctors aren't interested in promoting them? The almighty dollar wins again.... I can certainly give advice on how to avoid them in the first place, but to fix them up you would have to speak to a qualified practitioner! Alternative health is about looking after your body to avoid life threatening problems as far as possible. Your immune system is your life! Thanks Morgan - exactly what I wanted to say but didnt get time to write anything yet :D I cant understand that some people can not comprehend that pharmacutical companies are interested in one thing - MONEY. If their 'medicine' makes you better thats wonderful - but have a look at how hard they have fought against natural things like homeopathy. Its quite amazing how hard they try to publicly discredit it. Hmmm, I would think if they really were just interested in the best 'medicine' for us (whether that is natural or conventional) then they would want to try anything that might work. Most doctors know nothing about homeopathy but they are very quick to tell you that its "quackery" and "doesnt work". The comment about pharmacutical companies having "no advantage in stopping information" just blows me away. As Morgan said - if the product doesnt make them money why would they promote it!!!! Jen

I really enjoy reading your information Morgan - I see your beliefs match mine regarding conventional medicine and homeopathy. You seem to have an immense amount of knowledge about homeopathy - I would rather consult you than my vet in most situations!! Rusky, who cares about clinical trials - if I had AIDS I sure as hell wouldnt - I would care about what worked and what made me better. I think if you only ever try what the doctor tells you to try you will always be way behind the eight ball. Like Morgan said, clinical trials can be manipulated. People seem to forget just how much of a major part money plays in this type of situation. The pharmacutical companies are giants - if they stand to lose money from information coming out Im sure they do what ever is necessary to stop that information. Jen

Not so! AIDS has been totally cured to the stage of patient being HIV negative, but you won't see it in the media cos drug companies can't make money out of it. As is the case with cancer. Many people have been sent home to die with terminal cancer and have been saved thru alternative therapies over the last century, but as this is routine, I guess it doesn't qualify as amazing or unbelievable! Beg to differ here - have had cases where standard vet treatment has almost caused the death of an animal, which has then been saved and healed thru immediately stopping ALL vet treatment and substituting alternative treatment. Have also undergone standard medical treatment myself, both in and out of hospital, which has totally failed to help, and only been cured thru alternative treatment. NB - I still use a qualified practitioner for advice, not into prescribing for myself in life and death situations! I agree with you Morgan. Conventional medicine is definately not always the best way to go. Conventional medicine has given one of my dogs all the problems she has and only natural therapies have helped her in any way. I think some people dont have success with RR because it has become so popular that it is used as a 'cure all'. If the flower essences in the RR are not the exact ones needed at that time - they wont work. For instance if you are trying to calm a dog who is very fearful you would be much better off using Mimulus or Aspen (depending on whether the fear is unknown or known to the animal). Flower essences do work - but you need to choose the right one, or combination of essences. Jen

Im so sorry to hear this Dogmad Im so glad for Barney that his final weeks were spent in such a loving way instead of spending them in the pound. I bet he is thanking you from the bottom of his heart. Jen

Sorry Marianne but I dont agree with the vet giving the 2 injections at all - that is way too much of an assult on a puppies immune system. Also, after the research I've done the reaction rate doesnt seem to be 'extremely low' at all - due to the fact that, like the first vet that girl05 went to see, there are way too many vets that dont want to know / dont believe it when a dog has a reaction - so, lo and behold, a whole heap of reactions go unreported. Some reactions present themselves within a short period of time (like swelling of the face - which is what happened to my dog) but lots of symptoms of reactions actually present over the next few months (such as the near destruction of my dogs immune system and the severe allergies suffered by my dog over the next few months - by the way, made much much worse by my vet telling me the swelling my dog suffered "happens all the time" and loading her up with cortisone) I guess it is a matter of opinion as to whether you are compromising your dogs health for "48 hours" or whether following a reaction their health is actually compromised for much longer - and maybe life. (Sorry, but I know from experience and lots and lots of research!!) Girl05 - yes, your accusation is a serious one - but if it was me - I would be following it up. After what I have been through with my dog - I wish I had of followed up everything I thought was strange that the vet said or did. I find it a little bit too much of a coincidence that the heart failure just happend to come on on the day you vaccinated your dog - and the vet visit or vaccines had nothing to do with it. Doesnt wash with me. Jen

Thats hilarious! Jen

He was a beautiful boy Jodie. So sorry for your loss Jen

Im so sorry Kaiahma Hugs to you, run free Toa Jen

Im so sorry David (and Jodie) this must be a terrible time for both of you. Bess looks beautiful in the photo David. I cant really offer much advice, but if I was in the same situation, I would get a few opinions - and I would not discount the homeopathic and natural route either. There have been many successes with cancer in homeopathy. Jen

Yep, its much better to get a specially made Bach Flower Remedy. I have done a Bach Flower course and learnt lots more now :D Rescue Remedy is fantastic, but people tend to use it for anything and everything. It is made from 5 of the Bach Flower Remedies which target specific emotional issues. If the emotional issue your dog is having is not one of these target emotions it will do nothing for them. For instance, for a dog with a vague and unknown fear (kind of like our panic attacks) you should use Aspen and for a known fear (like thunderstorms) you should use Mimulus. But neither of these remedies are in Rescue Remedy. I have found quite a few people have said Rescue Remedy doesnt work - it does work, its just that you may be trying to use it for the wrong situation. Jen

Hi Hazz there's quite a bit of info around now about the true 'immune duration' of vaccines. Basically, its like this - when dogs are vaccinated (at around 16 weeks old) they become immune to the disease. Thats it. You can not become 'more' immune and you can not 'boost' immunity. Hence the fact that we do not have a measles vaccination every year. there was never any scientific evidence that vaccines needed to be given every year - apparantly at the time they thought it was 'convenient' for the owner and the vet. a vaccination every 3 years is being suggested now - but in all honesty, there has been studies showing vaccines last 7-10 years and probably for the life of your dog. Im not sure how old your dog is, but if its already had a couple of vaccinations, you shouldnt need to vaccinate them anymore. You can get titre tests done - but in all honesty, I dont think these are all that helpful anyway. The thing with titre tests is that they test if there are any 'antibodies' in the system. If the titre test comes back showing no or little antibodies, that doesnt actually mean your dog needs to be re-vaccinated anyway. Antibodies lie dormant in the body until they are required to fight a disease, so just because they dont show up, doesnt mean they are not there ready to fight if they need to. Unfortunately it seems most of the training clubs are waaaaay behind with their info. Im having a lovely fight with one of them at the moment. Talking about that - can anyone shed light on this statement they gave me when I asked if I could bring my dog who can not and will not be vaccinated, but that I would happily sign a waiver if they were worried that I would come back on them if she got sick. The statement I got was: Sorry but it is a requirement of our club that your dog/s be vaccinated as you also put the other dogs at ricks. Bit like the our flu vaccine, only covers you for certain stains of flu, not all types. I cant say Ive heard a bigger heap of crap in my life personally, but hey, maybe someone else can interpret it for me! I mean are they saying that all the other dogs there are not 'immune' (and therefore not vaccinated) against certain 'strains' of disease so me bringing my unvaccinated dog there could put them at risk??? Ummm, does this make sense at all to anyone??????? If they arent protected anyway, isnt it more likely that they would pick up this 'disease' from somewhere else and all give it to each other??? Doesnt that mean that both my dog and all the other dogs are not immune to the same diseases anyway?? And if they are vaccinated against the other diseases then arent they protected anyway? Jen