Several years ago I put Pooh’s name on a list for anxiety dog research with OSU. I don’t recall the details, but they were gathering a list to do a study on anxiety of some sort. After several recent emails, Pooh has been scheduled to go to the lab to be part of a separation anxiety test. She will visit twice and receive either a saline solution or a hormone treatment so the results can be monitored.
My husband expressed a bit of shock that this was something I signed Pooh up for and that I didn't have many details. While I’m a bit torn, I really think it’s the right thing to do. She’s come a long way, but as she ages I can see that the anxiety seems to be sneaking back, as my veterinarian warned it would. Strange little things set her off now, like the closing of a drawer or something bumping into a wall. I can see that as her hearing and eyesight fade it’s going to be even more of a circus at my house. So, if we can find a hormone that eases her suffering during her senior years or helps dogs that come after her, then we should certainly try.
That being said, I’m not completely convinced we’ll even make it into the lab, but I'm going to give it my best. Since Wilson doesn’t travel Pooh has stayed home a lot more lately. It’s going to be quite a stretch to load her into the car, trek to a new location, make it across campus and convince her to go into a new building with strangers. Unless the lab is filled with meat she may hit her threshold long before she officially becomes part of the study.
In fact, she’s been such a homebody lately that she’s hasn’t worn her harness in months. I pulled it out to practice on walks this weekend because I am NOT taking her out for this adventure without it…she can back out of a collar in a heartbeat when she’s stressed. Putting the harness on seems to remove her ability to walk in the short run. Our walk was very slow, even though the harness was not tight so we need to pick up the pace if we’re going to get to the lab.
Wish us luck!
My husband expressed a bit of shock that this was something I signed Pooh up for and that I didn't have many details. While I’m a bit torn, I really think it’s the right thing to do. She’s come a long way, but as she ages I can see that the anxiety seems to be sneaking back, as my veterinarian warned it would. Strange little things set her off now, like the closing of a drawer or something bumping into a wall. I can see that as her hearing and eyesight fade it’s going to be even more of a circus at my house. So, if we can find a hormone that eases her suffering during her senior years or helps dogs that come after her, then we should certainly try.
That being said, I’m not completely convinced we’ll even make it into the lab, but I'm going to give it my best. Since Wilson doesn’t travel Pooh has stayed home a lot more lately. It’s going to be quite a stretch to load her into the car, trek to a new location, make it across campus and convince her to go into a new building with strangers. Unless the lab is filled with meat she may hit her threshold long before she officially becomes part of the study.
In fact, she’s been such a homebody lately that she’s hasn’t worn her harness in months. I pulled it out to practice on walks this weekend because I am NOT taking her out for this adventure without it…she can back out of a collar in a heartbeat when she’s stressed. Putting the harness on seems to remove her ability to walk in the short run. Our walk was very slow, even though the harness was not tight so we need to pick up the pace if we’re going to get to the lab.
Wish us luck!