12/23/2024
Today we are starting my sweet girl on Trazodone, for the last few months she has been showing increasing signs of anxiety. She is restless throughout the day and rarely sleeps if I am home, she barks intensely at times, and sometimes for no apparent reason. Dogs her age should be sleeping 18-20 daily, and she’s always rested while we were active. This is a big change in her behavior in the last several months. I have done everything I know how to do to help ease this for her with supplements & enrichment. We have had some improvements but due to her age and likely cognitive decline the anxious behaviors seem to be just a bit more intense then enrichment and supplements alone can get ahead of. I know this is what she needs, and I probably took too long to seek this kind of help for her. I probably had to much pride, and saw at as failure of my behavioral modification skills. I know that’s irrational and I would swiftly talk a client out of such a thought process, but deep down it’s how I feel. It’s also hard for me to face her aging & mortality head on, especially when she’s so active & energetic!
I also know that most elderly dogs, 30% by age 11 & 100% by 16 according to soles studies, deal with diminishing cognitive skills, sundowning and anxiety with that. And if we want to support them aging gracefully we shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to other pet professionals for help including for medications to ease their journey through their golden years.
With love Teresa & Emilea
