Drastic Behavior Change in 4 year post FCE Yorkie

by **cindyashe** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:34 am

4 Years ago I found this wonderful website when my 2 year old Yorkie Pluto had a FCE. He has been doing great since other than a bladder stone surgery. He has always been the sweetest dog ever no aggression, no barking, well trained good behavior. He got a little sister Sophie 2 years ago (long hair Chihuahua) they have been thick as thieves since the day she came home. About two months ago at bedtime Pluto attacked her as if she had hurt him in some way but she was nowhere near him. I separated them and checked both out everyone was fine tried to go to bed again and same thing happened. Needless to say since then they do not sleep together. Now he is doing other strange things not laying in the same places, acting differently, he will wake up with a start and seek her out and act aggressively towards her she will immediately roll onto her back and become submissive and they might play for a little while or he might chase her around kind of barking at her and sort of bullying her then at other times he wants nothing to do with her. He also seems agitated a lot of the time. I have had him at all three vets and they have no answers whatsoever it is almost like they dismiss him. One of them even said he has just been through so much already I just dont know what else to do for him. He seems to have good days and bad days with whatever this is the good days he is almost his old self. The bad days like today he seems miserable not so much like he is in pain or anything just like he cannot get easy as if he is just so angry about something like when you cant get something bad off of your mind. His aggression is solely directed at Sophie no humans or even other animals. On the good days they still cuddle together and play with their toys together and he seems to love her more than anything. The vets have checked him out and his blood, stool, teeth, everything and say everything is normal. I tried a low dose seditive one of them suggested and it actually seemed to make him worse....They are crated when we are not home so they do not have unsupervised contact..Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

by **critters** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:56 pm

I wonder if neurontin/gabapentin might help?

by **Christine** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:27 pm

Hi Cindy,

I am so sorry this is happening - it has to be so heartbreaking to see this and worry about the next outburst. I have written to a former moderator who has dealt with this type of thing and asked for her advice. Here are her comments:

It is either medical or behavioural. I would first rule out the medical. I don't accept her vets' answers. Tell her to keep seeking some tangible advice, some ADVICE! I had to fight like #### for Possum and her final new hospital was theone that put her to sleep. Please send her to Possum's final thread. I believe something is going on in his brain, I have never seen him, but it sure sounds like something is not firing correctly. Although the fact that it is not a constant may in fact be dominance aggression.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10816&hilit=never+have+read+this+before+possum

And ALSO work on behavioural modification: Corrections. Putting him in a time out. Put him on short lead, attach it to the other side of teh couch, mom and chi sit on the other end, cuddling and making nice so he can see she has a special place in mom's life. ALSO she gets a treat first, she gets everything first. She is mom's top dog. And never ever leave them alone. This is why God invented doors and babygates. If the docs keep failing her, she can take matters into her own hands with the homegrown remedies we used with Possum. In the meantime, I believe there is something going on in his head and I also believe he needs meds. Maybe the chlomipramin Possum was on for a time, which while it didn't help her aggression, it worked wonders for a short time on her CCD. It is also Rxd in cases of aggression. I cannot spout longly and hard enough about the benefits of L-T, the essential amino acid and Diane's wonderful link in the thread above:

Many of the dogs studied by Dr. Reisner had abnormally low amounts of serotonin metabolites in their urine and cerebral spinal fluid. Thissuggested that the dominance aggression was associated with abnormally low levels of serotonin in the brain. This corresponded with findings in violent mental patients and prison inmates.

And Christine, I will also add that my doctor's final advice was a pet psychic. I had to do ALL my own research with the assistance of the h-cap research team. She should NOT take her doctors' meager advice as gospel. Always question and go out on your own if the medical field refuses to help!

Karen Anderson Andy's ^j^ Mom
http://www.andrewkeithanderson.tvheaven.com/
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... id=9777122
Lethal White Aussie Rescue - Carolinas & Beyond ...
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Leth ... sieRescue/
www.s8.createphpbb.com/lethalwhiteauss/

by **Christine** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:31 pm

Just noticed that you have not checked "Notify me when I receive a reply". It is now checked. This post will alert you that you have replies and you will receive notifications from now on.

by **cindyashe** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:19 pm

Thanks for the replies and advice.

by **cindyashe** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:41 pm

Thank you so much Christine and thank Karen for me, Possum's story is truly inspiring. I have a special place in my heart for these animals others give up on. In the past couple of months of these episodes I have watched and cataloged the things that happen trying to spot the trigger and trying to understand what is going on since my vets who were wonderful in the past seem to have given up on my baby. Up until 7-3 the last two weeks of June he was almost completely normal no attacks on Sophie no waking up barking or jumpy nothing then the afternoon of the 3rd out of the blue he went after Sophie again and we are back to square one. As I am typing this he and Sophie were asleep in the floor together and he woke up distressed but didn't go after her just looked at me and whined and went back to sleep this is what makes me think there is some type of pain going on at times. It is just so confusing and I could type for hours about all the different things. They are never unsupervised or left alone together and Sophie is a very special Chi and has been very good with Pluto from the beginning as far as rough play etc. so when he does go after her for the most part she just avoids him as his mobility is somewhat limited and she knows he cant actually catch her and she will not attack him but sometimes if he gets too close they do go at each other but there has never been any blood drawn or injuries from it other than to myself pulling them apart. Thanks again for the advice I will check into the resources you have given me and let you know what happens.

by **Christine** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:09 pm

I wrote and thanked Karen and shared your last post. These are her comments:

This is why he needs a good physical workup. It could be a headache, a toothache, a splinter somewhere, iow, it could be something ridiculously simple. Then again, it could be neuro. As you read Possum's final thread, you will see that Gabriel was fly-biting (my absolute WORST nightmare) and I was terrified hewould turn aggressive as a result. What Pluto is doing to the chi's well-being and demeanor are every bit as important as what is going on with him ... until she figures this out, I would only allow him near her on lead, where he can be immediately corrected.

Good for her for not giving up despite the so-called expert advice, which was basically nil. These are the times that research is so important.