Homeopathic Remedy For Hyper Vigilant Dog

[Muttaburra]

I have had Gracie a few years now. She was 3 when I go her and had been a regular escape artist. She would go into the bush and hunt, or at least that is what I suspect since her hunting senses are always switched to high. She looks with deadly intent to cats and wants to have a go at anything that moves.

Her hearing and scent smells seem extra sensitive and she always has them trained for anything that moves. So much so that she doesn't rest at night but constantly is trying to get out and at the night animals around my dwelling.

Maxi on the other hand will only startle at very unusual noises and mostly ignores Gracies carrying on, although sometimes will join in.

I guess it might just be her nature or she has had too much freedom in the bush (before I owned her) where she has enjoyed following the trails and scents and possibly the catching and killing of vulnerable animals.

Apart from the annoyance of having her hyped up all night, (the current solution is to keep her in the bathroom where there is less access to the window and away from the front door, she does seem to settle), I am thinking that it might not be that good for her to be so wound up all the time.

Medication would seem like overkill but I was wondering if there is a homeopathic remedy commonly applied for this behaviour?

[~JoLu~]

Hi

I have a similar situation with Lulu, a 9mth GSD that we adopted through rescue....

I found that where my Ridgie will come in and settle straight down, she always seems to be on high alert, does sniff patrols of the house and wants to engage both Jonty and the cat.

I don't mind them coming in and playing for a while (as they are both still young), but there comes a point where they need to settle down.

I figure Lulu thinks she has a job to do a patrol of the house, so I will take her on one first. Then she has to settle in her crate, which is off to one side in a quiet are, but still within view of us and Jonty. I have this week been giving her a few drops of Rescue Remedy on a treat and that seems to settle her to a point. She still goes to apesh*t when the cat walks past, however I think this is more to do with the cat roming free and her being stuck in the crate.

Sometimes she is fine and will settle down outside of her crate on the floor, or her beanbag, but usually somewhere she has a view of either the cat or the rest of the house....

Sorry, probably not much help. We have only had her a few months and have a long ways to go with training etc. but like you, I thought it couldn't be healthy for her being wound up all the time.

She is getting better though

[Anissa]

Hi,

a homoeopathic therapy is a very complex and individual thing and requires a direct contact to a therapist.

You CAN treat that sort of behaviour with homoeopathy but as a therapist you need the whole picture to find the right remedy for your individual dog. Especially when your dog is very senstitive anyway giving the wrong remedy could cause a severe first reaction (which is a common thing when using C and D potencies) and should probably be treated with a Q/LM potency which AGAIN requires close contact to the therapist!

You shouldn't try a remedy by yourself or by recommendation of someone who is not an animal homoeopath since your dog can experience severe side effects from a wrong remedy!

PLEASE, if you want to use homoeopathy: go to a classical homoeopathic therapist!!!! Don't try it on your own, you can definately worsen things and make it very difficult for a therapist to deal with a therapy afterwards.

Cheers, Anissa

[dogbesotted]

well said Anissa.

many people do not realise that most successful complementary medicine is patient specific rather that disease/problem specific.

a classical homeopath can provide the best answer after assessing the dog

H

[Muttaburra]

Thanks, that is an option to see an Homeopath, there is one that sees animals in our area. I certainly wasn't going to administer anything willy-nilly, and I am not a stranger to Homeopathy, my mother has used it for about 40 years and I have read extensively on it over the decades, and do understand the underlying principals.

Gracies problem is in part behavioural, and she has been settling well at night in the bathroom. Part of the cause I believe is that before I got her she had been let to regularly escape to the bushland and run riot for many hours on end. For a hunting dog like a JrT this can make ordinary life seem pretty dull.

There is also some underlying nervousness even though she is very devoted and loving. I also wonder if the paralysis tick attack she experienced (before I got her) and had to have the full serum treatment might have had some lasting effects.

[dogbesotted]

sorry did not mean to infer that you are clueless .

I think with all dogs that come to us a bit later in life it takes some "imagination " plus good luck to put the picture together.

If life seems boring to her maybe some toys such as the giggle ball which makes growly noises

[Muttaburra]

Thanks Dogsbesotted, you did right to make the recommendations as you did, that is the right way to do it especially for someone new to Homeopathy.

Whilst Maxi happily transfers his hunting instincts to ball and toy play, Gracie really just isn't interested in anything. Sometimes after dinner she will have a bit of toss around with the Cuz ball for about 2 minutes (this took about 1 year for her to start doing). Sometimes her and Maxi will play, usually once a day.

Tiring them out doesn't work either, they just sleep after dinner and then she revives late at night when I am trying to sleep. I imagine if they were in a backyard at night they would both bark if possums were around, they would not be content to stay inside a fence if something interesting was on the outside.

Putting her to sleep in the bathroom is working to settle her, I think the prey drive just very ingrained with her.