So tonight my 14 yr old American Brittany went into a panic attack. Teeth chattering, heart pounding a million miles an hour, inconsolable, hard panting. All that bad stuff. I've got anti anxiety pills for her, but I hate giving her them, as she won't take treats when in this state, and she did have seizures from taking them as prescribed every 12 hours. I now only use them in case of bad anxiety attacks. Her crate didn't calm her, nothing did until she layed down in front of the fireplace, with the hum of the blower fan, and the heat and light of the fire. All of my current and past dogs have always been calmed by the fire. I see all you FHC folks with dogs posting pics of dogs by the fires too. Fire soothes the savage beast.
I am so sorry for her ( and you). Tough stuff. My last American Brittany developed vestibular disease about at that age, frightening. Is she better now? What causes her attacks?
Yeah. She's been better for a good couple hours. It comes and goes with her. Usually lasts an hour or so. The pills cut it to 20-30 minutes. It's like she's looking at a ghost when it happens. Nothing there. But she stares. Runs away at times, hides behind the chair, or in her kennel. The vet has exhausted all possibilities of reasons, aside from getting her an MRI, we won't know for sure. I won't put her through that. Most times she's happy, I just need to monitor her. That's all I can do. On a happy note my lab, Badger is 86 pounds now. I thought he was getting more beefy. No fat on him, just all muscle and tall.
We had to have our dog out to sleep back during summer this is the first winter without him He loved laying in front of the stove almost on it. He was a pretty big dog a lab. I never could figure out why he would do that. His fur would be almost to hot to touch. But it never bothered him We have a cat well my daughter has a cat but it's a pretty cool cat as far as cats go. This one thinks she is a dog. We let her in when its this cold out. She prefers to be outside. Anyways she will lay pretty close to the stove as well dosen't bother Her either. In fact she is sitting next to me now as I just got down loading the stove. The open door and flame dosent bother her.
Glad she calmed down! Both of my Jack Russell Terriers will lay in front of the stove stretched out for hours on end! In fact that's where he is at right now.
Yes it does. And it soothes my dogs as well. I hope your dog has less of those Horkn. Better yet, can stop getting them at all.
Horkan: Glad to hear your pup got calmed down, hope she is doing well. I see all these pics of dogs laying in the warmth of the fire, but both my Golden Retriever and Chocolate Lab could care less about the stove. In fact last night when I had the stove cranking my lab was laying under our big window in the living room, facing the north west, the coldest spot in the house. But kritters are just like people, all have there own preferences.
I think I must have the only dog in creation that stays as far away from the stove as he can get. Sleeps against the sliding glass door, after carefully pulling the curtains open. Even he is finding the weather too cold outside. Since he won't stay out in this weather more than a few minutes unless we are walking, he is asking out every fifteen minutes or so. HE stands on the deck, surveys his kingdom, barks to let all the wildlife know who is boss, then turns around to come in. It's getting old.... Every time he sees a deer he goes bananas until I let him out...but for the first time ever he isn't herding them once he gets out. Just stands and barks furiously. He's a Wheaten Terrier, by the way.
Yup, our white American Eskie is the same. Stays away from the stove and the sun. She'll find shade every time, over sunny spots, during the summer. My buddy's Aussie is black and does just the opposite. Loves the woodstove and lays in the sun, panting. Dogs... they do what they do... and we just have to obey...
Both my Pyrenees hate the stove. They give a big sigh when we bring more firewood in. They like the house at a comfy 45F. In the winter they like to lay near the garage door where the air leaks around the seals.
Glad you got your pup calmed down. Never fun to have a distressed pet - it is a very helpless feeling.
Sorry to hear about your dogs stress Horkn. The three mutts in my avatar pic generally sprawl out on that rug right in front of the stove although the one that's not like the others loves to scoot in behind the couch in the narrowest spot possible to get away from the other two. He's the old man of the group so he doesn't put up with much crap from the pup's.
It's funny, whenever I get home from work and start working on the fire.. Getting it going and all, Rocky has been running over to sit there and wag his tail, and now he likes to lay down in front of it. He's a good dog, 11 yr old golden
Badger, our lab enjoying some ash, Elm and cherry. He had a good time at the dog park today. I know it's a little dark, but the flash might have woken him up.
