Last week I wrote about a dog who had a tooth root abscess. Her dental disease was not the first thing to bring her to our practice. This middle aged Boxer had been adopted from a rescue group about 2 years ago. No one knows what had gone on in her life before being adopted by her wonderful new family, but everyone could see that she had some anxiety issues. œSunny  was destructive and quite vocal whenever left alone. This is a common problem among dogs. I have seen dogs eat doorjambs, break their teeth on cage wire and completely destroy couches, stuffed chairs and other furniture. Quick fix advice is easy to come by: œput your dog in a crate,  œleave your dog in the garage,  œturn the TV up real loud.  Only the mildest cases will be cured with these techniques. Many destructive and vocal pets have true phobias or behavioral diseases. They require a well-planned behavior modification program. Many of these patients benefit from the use of medications. Sunny came to Animal Care Clinic and saw Dr. Jennifer Evans, who has a special interest in pet behavior. She spent a great deal of time with the owners determining just what the problem was and how it might be remedied. An anti-anxiety medication was prescribed and the owners adjusted their routines at home. With the guidance of Dr. Evans, the program was adjusted, as was the medications dosage. Sunny is now anxiety free, takes no medications and can be left alone with no worries.

If you have a pet with a behavioral problem, call us to set an appointment with Dr. Evans.

by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP