This will be a vent post, sort of. I wrote about Kona's reactivity before, she barks at strangers, when surprised even more, sometimes she reacts bad to other dogs. Not once I was asked if she suffered any trauma, or is a rescue dog, heard comments how she wasn't socialized enough. Argued about using positive methods and was told she needs a firmer hand and has to be shown who the leader is. In everybody's eyes, and my own mind it was my fault. At home she was completely different. I got my first dog when I was 5 years old, and ad much as he was my favorite creature I wasn't the main person involved in the training. Kona was a long desired dog, and she finally became a part of a family when I finished college, 4 years after we lost Bony. She was normal puppy who was taken out to meet the world before she even had all of her vaccines. At the about 6 months reactivity problem started and that behavioral change was described as a second fear stage. Training and desensitization took a lot of time, and in the meantime I read numerous articles, studies and books about canine behavioral problems. We did some improvement but she still is afraid of strangers, is reactive in new and unpredictable situations. I came a cross an article Croatia writer and a dog enthusiast describing a connection of medical issues and behavioral problems in dogs trough the story of a dog with fear and aggression problem suffering from diabetes and hypothyroidism. It sounded a lot like our story, so I did my research and asked our vet about it explaining the problems, but I was told that she is a young dog, and her character is not fully formatted yet. So we went to clinic form the story and did an complete blood scan and tested thyroid hormones. Everything was great, beside the thyroid hormones - the test showed hypothyroidism and she is now on the lowest dose of the medications. When we finish the dosage we'll consult the vet and take the test again and see what changed and if the higher dose is needed. from the https://www.dharmadogtraining.com/canine-hypothyroidism * markes Kona's symptoms. I believe that the part of the problem in the identification of the disease was the fact that the most of her symptoms are behavioral. PHYSICAL SIGNS OF CANINE THYROID DISEASE Alterations in cellular metabolism: Lethargy *Weight gain Mental dullness Cold intolerance *Exercise intolerance *Mood swings Neurologic signs (polyneuropathy, stunted growth, seizures) *Chronic infections *Hyperexcitability Neuromuscular problems: Weakness Knuckling or dragging feet *Stiffness *Muscle wasting Laryngeal paralysis Megaesophagus Facial paralysis Head tilt Tragic expression Drooping eyelids Incontinence Ruptured cruciate ligament Dermatologic diseases: Dry, scaly skin and dandruff Chronic offensive skin odor Coarse, dull coat Bilaterally symmetrical hair loss Rat tail Puppy Coat Seborrhea with greasy skin Seborrhea with dry skin *Hyperpigmentation Pyoderma or skin infections myxedema And the list goes on... Reproductive disorders, Cardiac abnormalities, Gastrointestinal disorders, Hematologic blood disorders, Ocular eye diseases, other associated disorders. BEHAVIORAL SIGNS OF CANINE THYROID DISEASE: Our canine companions are becoming afflicted with hypothyroidism and thyroid dysfunction at an unprecedented early age. In recent years, an increasing number of sudden thyroid-related behavior changes have been documented in dogs around the time of puberty or as young adults. Younger dogs may show minor signs of thyroid disorder before the condition deteriorates to the sudden onset of BEHAVIORAL AGGRESSION! These "early warning signs" in puppies and young adults include: Inattentiveness, Fearfulness*, Seasonal Allergies*, Skin and coat disorders;Dermatitis, Alopecia and Intense Itching* Puppies Whining *Nervousness *Schizoid behavior *Fear around strangers *Hyperventilating Disorientation *Failure to be attentive Adult Dogs *Aggression (unprovoked towards other animals and/or people) Seizures (sudden onset in adulthood) Disorientation *Moodiness *Erratic temperament *Hyperactivity Hypoattentiveness Depression *Fearfulness and phobias *Anxiety *Submissiveness Passivity Compulsiveness *Irritabilty
One of the first things I check on a behaviour consult with a client is whether the vet hss been consilted and done a full check as illness in a dog can lead to behaviour change. I'm only sorry that your vet was not more supportive in trying to find a reason for the ongoing problems. I hope life continues to improve for you and Kona now that a medical cause has been found and the positive reward methods you have been using become more effective.
Its a good thing that you stuck to your guns and got a second opinion. Konas a lucky girl to have you. I hope now her health problem is controlled and she starts to improve.
I'm glad you have found a reason for all of Kona's issues. Well done for your persistence. I hope that you can now move forward x
She is not all that bad (now) - she listens well, can be walked without a leash, if there are not many people or dogs. She plays with dogs, unless they play to harsh. She is scared if they dogs are to pushy and bouncy. She will be ok when we meet someone if they don't insist on interaction with her, and is kind of paranoid when someone walks right behind us and seams to react more is there is only few people that happen to appear out of the blue, like in the woods. Generally, she loves all people once she gets to know them. She is a happy dog most of the time, but stressed and afraid at 20% of the time, so we hope to make that number as low as possible.
ᴏᴍɢ!!!! ɪ'ᴍ ʙʀᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ғᴏʀᴜᴍ sɪᴛᴇ ᴀs ᴏғ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ , ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴊᴏɪɴᴇᴅ. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴘᴏsᴛᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ sᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ɢɪʀʟ. ɪғ ᴜ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ɪ'ᴍ sᴜʀᴇ ᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴍʏ ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴘᴏsᴛ. ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ɪ ᴘᴏsᴛᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴜʀ ᴘᴏsᴛ & ᴛʜɪs sᴏᴜɴᴅs ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏᴜʀ sᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ɢɪʀʟ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ʙɪɢ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʜᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇs ʜᴇʀ ᴀɢɢʀᴇssɪᴏɴ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ sɪsᴛᴇʀ sᴛᴀʀʀ & ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ғɪɢʜᴛs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀᴡғᴜʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴜs. ᴄᴀɴ ᴜ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴜs? ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ sᴛᴇᴘ ʙʏ sᴛᴇᴘ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴜ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴜʀ ᴀᴛ ɴᴏᴡ. ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴀɴʏ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟ ᴏᴜᴛ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ'ᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴛᴛᴀ ɢᴇᴛ ᴍʏ ʙᴀʙɪᴇs ғɪxᴇᴅ ʙᴀᴄᴋ sᴏ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ ɢʀᴏᴡ ᴏʟᴅ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀs sɪsᴛᴇʀs & ʟɪᴠᴇ ʟᴏɴɢ ʟɪᴠᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ᴡɪғᴇ & ɪ. ɪᴛ's ʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ & ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʙᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ sᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏʀ ʙᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ғɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ & ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴜsᴛ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ
Along with the medication we kept with with the possitive training and desenzibilisation. We still have some problems, and constant work on modification of the behavior is needed but she is much happier dog. Considering blood tests I suggest you test as much homones as possible (t3, t4, ft3, ft4, tgAA and tsh). Don’t know where you are form, but Homeopet (USA) would be the best solution, as they take into account specific caracteristics of each dog, as the normal hormone levels varies according to the breed and age.
