LIttle backgrounnd on Amy: 5 year old German Shepherd. Super loving, obedient, never met a stranger and would welcome Charles Manson over if he promised to play ball with her. She lives for playing ball and is never without one in her mouth. She is a wimp, very sensitive and does get scared of things easily. She is terrified of noises like gun shots, fireworks, and our nail gun when we remodel around here which is often. Storms don't really bother her, just sharp loud piercing noises or like if you popped a balloon, she goes into mass hysteria like you cannot believe. This past week we began to remodel Dan's room and when Mr. Retirement brought the nail gun which makes a huge bang noise and compressor into the house she remembered it from last time and it took her all day long to pass by his room. He still hasn't even turned it on at all but knowing its back in the house had her upset all day. She got over it's presence though.
4th of July was a piece of cake as no one was really setting off too many fireworks around here. She'd get terrified and tried to take out a window but soon as they stopped going off she'd be back to fine as always.
The trouble really begain I think on Saturday am when she was playing ball with a couple of neighborhood kids who were here with their dad visitng. They were playing ball hard and I had to stop them because she was getting over heated and I couldn't get her to drink. We were with her the whole time. Out of the blue, she jumped up on my Rover with me and began to shake and paw on me and try to get in my lap like something scared her. I was like "What is wrong with you?" She was scratching the heck out of me like she was trying to tell me something. I thought maybe she was hearing left over fireworks in the distance that I couldn't hear or maybe she got hurt playing ball so I brought her inside to cool down and rest. Maybe a pinched nerve or something. She began to pace and once again tried to jump in my lap, scratching the heck out of me and my leather chair until she ripped it. When I wouldn't let her on top of me, she was body slamming me until I bend over to hug her and needed to be held close. She acted like someone beat her half to death. Then she began to yelp, like you would holler if you got hit on your hot wire. Something hurt her but I checked her over and couldn't see anything wrong.
Later Mr. Retirement and I went on the front porch to sit in the rockers and started to get attacked my hornets so we began to spray. Amy was laying on the grass in front of us trying to catch them in her mouth. She is known for trying to catch flies like that. I was worried she'd get stung so I put her in the house and herd her yelp again a few minutes later. Then she began to bark at the wall and nothing was there. Goes down the hall, does the yelp again and comes flying back like she'd seen a ghost and acting hysterical barking at the floor. She also quit eating and drinking.
By Saturday night this all escalated and she was shaking and paceing back and forth and trying to get in the shower to hide, under the bed, in the closet, you name it and then there was that occasional yelp. Thinking she is in pain, but couldn't not figure out where. We were checking her mouth and ears and feet etc. But the yelping was very random. Vet's closed until Monday.
We were up most of the night with her pacing and by Sunday she was in full blown hysteria panic pacing frantically taking out my end table, lamps flying, in and out of the shower and closet, she over turned the kitchen chairs trying to hide under the table and on and off the bed. Could not calm her down at all unless we had our arms around her hugging her. Wanting outside then inside, can't make up her mind and that occasional yelp which I kept thinking is pain. She insisted on being in our laps, so we let her go back and forth between us. We were all exhausted with this as it has gone on non-stop. She has to be close to us, on us, underfoot, clinging to us for dear life.
Got her into the vet first thing Monday am (today). Had to call Dan as I couldn't manage her. It took 4 people to get her on the examination table and she was compelely crazed and we all had to wrestle her. Vet checked her all over for everything and manipulated her for something maybe out of place and nothing. She was running a temp which he got down from a shot in his office. Then she had to be sedated for more checking, ears, toes, back, front, he left nothing un-done. He ran a CBCw/Diff and Blood biochem profile and it came back normal except her kidney was very slightly off he said because she'd not been drinking he expected that. Did a fecal, heartworm test, no parasites on board. He's basically at a loss but the fact she was so exposed to so much bug spray concerned him.
He did start her on something for anxiety that has taken effect already. He said we need to watch her and maybe consider X rays or a brain tumor which OMG are you kidding me? She is not pacing and shaking is at a minimum with this medicine but she is still nervous and worried about something. She has done that yelping like she is in agony only twice since. Improved yes, but still not normal. She still will not leave our side for a second and has to now join us even in the bathroom. She is beginning to drink and eat so that's another good sign. But what on earth could have happened to her? We do not allow her outside unattended but seems to me she got into something somehow and is either hurt or got terrifed by something or someone.
SIDENOTE: And I know this is reaching. She lost her best friend and life long companion Devin last month. They were very closely connected. She seemed to be ok with it but now in hindsight, maybe something to do with him has set her off as she has been extra clingy since he's gone. We have jumped through hoops to take her practically everywhere with us when possible and hardly ever leave her alone.
Any ideas at all? Please throw anything out there. I wish she could talk to me!
4th of July was a piece of cake as no one was really setting off too many fireworks around here. She'd get terrified and tried to take out a window but soon as they stopped going off she'd be back to fine as always.
The trouble really begain I think on Saturday am when she was playing ball with a couple of neighborhood kids who were here with their dad visitng. They were playing ball hard and I had to stop them because she was getting over heated and I couldn't get her to drink. We were with her the whole time. Out of the blue, she jumped up on my Rover with me and began to shake and paw on me and try to get in my lap like something scared her. I was like "What is wrong with you?" She was scratching the heck out of me like she was trying to tell me something. I thought maybe she was hearing left over fireworks in the distance that I couldn't hear or maybe she got hurt playing ball so I brought her inside to cool down and rest. Maybe a pinched nerve or something. She began to pace and once again tried to jump in my lap, scratching the heck out of me and my leather chair until she ripped it. When I wouldn't let her on top of me, she was body slamming me until I bend over to hug her and needed to be held close. She acted like someone beat her half to death. Then she began to yelp, like you would holler if you got hit on your hot wire. Something hurt her but I checked her over and couldn't see anything wrong.
Later Mr. Retirement and I went on the front porch to sit in the rockers and started to get attacked my hornets so we began to spray. Amy was laying on the grass in front of us trying to catch them in her mouth. She is known for trying to catch flies like that. I was worried she'd get stung so I put her in the house and herd her yelp again a few minutes later. Then she began to bark at the wall and nothing was there. Goes down the hall, does the yelp again and comes flying back like she'd seen a ghost and acting hysterical barking at the floor. She also quit eating and drinking.
By Saturday night this all escalated and she was shaking and paceing back and forth and trying to get in the shower to hide, under the bed, in the closet, you name it and then there was that occasional yelp. Thinking she is in pain, but couldn't not figure out where. We were checking her mouth and ears and feet etc. But the yelping was very random. Vet's closed until Monday.
We were up most of the night with her pacing and by Sunday she was in full blown hysteria panic pacing frantically taking out my end table, lamps flying, in and out of the shower and closet, she over turned the kitchen chairs trying to hide under the table and on and off the bed. Could not calm her down at all unless we had our arms around her hugging her. Wanting outside then inside, can't make up her mind and that occasional yelp which I kept thinking is pain. She insisted on being in our laps, so we let her go back and forth between us. We were all exhausted with this as it has gone on non-stop. She has to be close to us, on us, underfoot, clinging to us for dear life.
Got her into the vet first thing Monday am (today). Had to call Dan as I couldn't manage her. It took 4 people to get her on the examination table and she was compelely crazed and we all had to wrestle her. Vet checked her all over for everything and manipulated her for something maybe out of place and nothing. She was running a temp which he got down from a shot in his office. Then she had to be sedated for more checking, ears, toes, back, front, he left nothing un-done. He ran a CBCw/Diff and Blood biochem profile and it came back normal except her kidney was very slightly off he said because she'd not been drinking he expected that. Did a fecal, heartworm test, no parasites on board. He's basically at a loss but the fact she was so exposed to so much bug spray concerned him.
He did start her on something for anxiety that has taken effect already. He said we need to watch her and maybe consider X rays or a brain tumor which OMG are you kidding me? She is not pacing and shaking is at a minimum with this medicine but she is still nervous and worried about something. She has done that yelping like she is in agony only twice since. Improved yes, but still not normal. She still will not leave our side for a second and has to now join us even in the bathroom. She is beginning to drink and eat so that's another good sign. But what on earth could have happened to her? We do not allow her outside unattended but seems to me she got into something somehow and is either hurt or got terrifed by something or someone.
SIDENOTE: And I know this is reaching. She lost her best friend and life long companion Devin last month. They were very closely connected. She seemed to be ok with it but now in hindsight, maybe something to do with him has set her off as she has been extra clingy since he's gone. We have jumped through hoops to take her practically everywhere with us when possible and hardly ever leave her alone.
Any ideas at all? Please throw anything out there. I wish she could talk to me!
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