Sudden Strange Paranoid Type Behaviour from Puppy

[Indi The Lab]

Please help with any experience that anyone may have had with this...

 

Up at 7am, played and fed Indi then went to work. Daughter was up at 8am, and took Indi for a walk at 9am for about 15 minutes. Indi was great, no issues whatsoever. My daughter left for work at 1pm and I got home at 4.30pm. As soon as I walked out the back I could sense something was wrong. Indi seemed nervous. It was like she was scared. Over time she became worse - like a paranoia - jumping, staring at the cupboard door the turning quickly like someone had scared her. Staring at the wall and jumping nervously, then she started like she was snapping at flies. I took her to the 24 hour Emergency Vet. When we got there she was so hyped up she was not displaying the signs we had seen at home. 

 

I tried to explain to the Vet and she felt that Indi may have ingested a hallucinogen - a type of plant. The problem with this is that we have fenced our yard off so Indi is only in one part of the yard and there are only a couple of plants...succulents, white butterfly and some palm trees in pots. We do not have any of the plants she suggested...sugo palm, deadly nightshade, olliander. She had no access to snail or rat bait in our yard and has not been fed onions, garlic or anything.

 

Her heart rate and temperature were fine and she ate the treats without a problem. She also ate dinner when we were home so it isnt affecting her appetite.

 

Vet suggested we give her activated charcoal and to take her to our vet tomorrow. She emailed information through immediately.

 

During the car ride home she seemed okay. Once we got home she started the behaviours again. I gave her some beef mince and mixed the activated charcoal through which she gobbled up. The behaviours continued until she dosed off on the floor but again she jumped up like something was frightening her.

 

She also won't settle with me and she is usually extremely affectionate. Its like she cannot settle and she is seeing things that aren't there.

 

I have had Indi since she was 8 weeks and she has never shown any of these symptoms before. She is a very confident, happy puppy normally. This is frightening me. She is eating fine, drinking fine and going to the toilet normally.

 

Does anyone have any idea about this? We will take her to our Vet tomorrow but was just hoping for some insight into what it could possible be.

 

Thank you

 

[SchnauzerMax]

Do you have any scented diffusers? Some essential oils are really bad for dogs and the symptoms you described are similar. It’s interesting that the symptoms recur when you got home.

[jemappelle]

What breed is she?  And also, has she been near the succulents or does the palm have seeds?  Is she OK if you take her out of the house?  

[persephone]

What do you have in the room/s where she is showing this behaviour? Anything new electronic? ?air fresheners? Phone chargers? Anything different? 

what is she like on walks etc? Is it in EVERY room at home . or just a couple of rooms? Is the house old or new ? 
Agree with staying OFF drugs until you have the behaviours exhibited in all environments  at all times - making the dog the one common ingredient . At present, from your posts, it seems that something at  home is the cause.....frightening her - putting her on high alert .
 

Quote

 she jumped up like something was frightening her.

..and it obviously IS frightening her . It is now a matter of finding out what the something IS !! Detective hats ON! 
 

Edited May 4, 2021 by persephone

[Dogsfevr]

First obvious thing video her during this behaviour .

 

bug zappers are notorious sending dogs silly ,fire alarms especially if batteries going ,anything that pings but agree sounds like something is setting her off.

 

 

[Tassie]

Poor little pupper.

My only additional thought would be whether there had  been an intruder .. someone trying to get into the house.    Maybe worth checking with your neighbours if they saw or heard anything in the relevant time period.

[Indi The Lab]

Thank you everyone. She was outside most of the day yesterday as my daughter was home and outside with her. Fine until 1.00pm when she had to go to work. So the behaviours started outside. SHe was worse inside in the light...wanting to hide under the table. At the Vet she was not as bad but she was absolutely hyper!

She ate the activated charcoal with mince with no issue. She has been sleeping most of today but is now back to her usual happy self.

We do not have any oil burners or candles outside. The only two things we did differently on Sunday was 

1. Gave her a rawhide chew after her bath

2. Bathed her in a new shampoo

 

I am worried if someone threw something over the fence and she ate it but we live in a quiet and friendly neighbourhood. Next door neighbours extremely huge palm trees do drop little seeds and if she found one she definitley would eat it...she is a Labrador!

 

We did video her and showed the vet and she felt like something was ingested causing the behaviour. She can access the succulents but hasn't really touched them. Moved them today anyway.

[Rebanne]

I'd be questioning both those 2 things. Where was the chew made and what was in the shampoo?

[jemappelle]

A lot of the seeds off palm trees are toxic so find out what variety it is and do some research.  I recall one of the members here having a lot of problems with her dog after consuming some palm tree seeds.

 

[Indi The Lab]

We have cane palms and the neighbour has the big queen palms. From googling, neither are toxic to dogs.

I did just find some information that suggests this hallucinating behaviour could be a pre cursor to epilepsy

[Indi The Lab]

On 04/05/2021 at 7:56 PM, Rebanne said:

I'd be questioning both those 2 things. Where was the chew made and what was in the shampoo?

The rawhide was one that you buy loose, just from the local Petcare 2000. The shampoo is made by Yours Droolly and contains: 

Ingredients:

Ingredients used in this product are biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

This shampoo is made from two extracts of natural oils extracted from coconuts, in a mild surfactant (sudsing) base, Aloe Vera Extract, coloured with FDA approved food colouring, pH adjusted by addition of citric acid, BP Grade.

It is formulated and tested without cruelty to animals.

Does not contain Palm oil

[Indi The Lab]

On 03/05/2021 at 10:21 PM, SchnauzerMax said:

Do you have any scented diffusers? Some essential oils are really bad for dogs and the symptoms you described are similar. It’s interesting that the symptoms recur when you got home.

We don't have these. The issue started when she was outside and continued inside - worse in the light

[Indi The Lab]

On 04/05/2021 at 11:18 AM, persephone said:

What do you have in the room/s where she is showing this behaviour? Anything new electronic? ?air fresheners? Phone chargers? Anything different? 

what is she like on walks etc? Is it in EVERY room at home . or just a couple of rooms? Is the house old or new ? 
Agree with staying OFF drugs until you have the behaviours exhibited in all environments  at all times - making the dog the one common ingredient . At present, from your posts, it seems that something at  home is the cause.....frightening her - putting her on high alert .
 

..and it obviously IS frightening her . It is now a matter of finding out what the something IS !! Detective hats ON! 
 

It was more like she was seeing things that weren't there, taking her by surprise. Started outside and continued inside.

[_PL_]

I vote rawhide  

 

It should be banned. 

[sandgrubber]

10 hours ago, jemappelle said:

A lot of the seeds off palm trees are toxic so find out what variety it is and do some research.  I recall one of the members here having a lot of problems with her dog after consuming some palm tree seeds.

 

I think it's cycads... which people mistakenly call palms.  Very different 'flower' (cycads aren't flowering plants and have a seed come.  The seeds are toxic in most species.