Handling Storm Phobias in Dogs

The first question from "Ask The Vet"! Tracy sent the following situation...

I have a Shihtzu who is approx 7 years old. Like many dogs, he is afraid of storms. There seems to be nothing for his fear and crying but to wait for the storm to be over. This is very difficult to do in the middle of the night when we are trying to sleep! He shakes, cries, hides behind furniture, appliances and electronics- many times in dangerous spots full of electrical cords or crannies he gets stuck in & cannot get out so therefore cries louder!

I feel like there is more I should be doing to alleviate his terrible fear and make it easier on the whole family as well. Do you have any suggestions?

An excellent question, Tracy, and one that a lot of people face. The underlying cause of these phobias is not always well understood. Sometimes it happens because the dog is scared or has something bad happen during a storm, and they associate the storm with the frightening or painful event. Other times, we simply don't know why the have a problem. But don't worry, there is help!

First of all, establish a safe place for your dog. It can be a kennel, a closet, under the bed, or just about anywhere. The place should be at least partially enclosed, so your dog feels protected. Try to get your dog used to it ahead of time by making it attractive with toys, treats, and his food bowl. Never use this place as punishment, but make it as pleasant as possible. During a storm, try to encourage him to go there.

Next, try to desensitize him to the storms. This may be difficult or impossible if he is triggered by air pressure or ozone changes. However, if it's just the noise, it often works. Buy an inexpensive CD with storm sounds. Put it in your stereo at a volume that you would expect a real storm to have. If he reacts like it was a real storm, you're actually in luck. Now, spend time each day. For the first week, play the CD at a volume that is barely audible. If he is calm and relaxed, praise and reward him. Do that for 10-15 minutes each day for a week. The next week, turn the volume up slightly. Again, reward the calm, relaxed behavior. Each week increase the volume slightly. If he reaches a point where he becomes frightened, go back to the volume that didn't trigger the fear. Over time (and this does take a long time), he should learn that there is nothing to be afraid of, and he gets rewards for being calm.

Here are some things to avoid:
* DO NOT try and calm him and tell him "it's okay". This actually reinforces the behavior. We're trying to say "It's okay because there's nothing to worry about." What a dog understands is "it's okay to act this way."
* DO NOT punish him or yell at him. This can make his fear during these times even worse, as not only is he afraid of the storm, but he's afraid of your reaction during a storm.
* DO NOT use tranquilizers or sedatives. I know many people who do this, but most behavioral specialists do not recommend it. Acepromazine, benadryl, or similar medications don't treat the underlying problem, they merely make the pet too sleepy to do anything about it. Now, there are some times when there is an indication for these medications, but they should not be the first-line choice.

I would also recommend buying a product called Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP). You can find this in many pet supply stores (such as PETsMART and PetCo), as well as online. This a synthetic pheromone that has been shown to reduce anxiety in dogs. It's usually sold as a diffuser (like a plug-in air freshener), which makes it very easy to use. There are also no side effects. The University of Georgia Veterinary College is currently performing a study to see how effective DAP is as the sole treatment in storm phobias. So your question is very timely!

If these alone are not helping him, then find a vet who is good with behavioral treatment. That's not always easy, as there is no specific certification for a general practitioner. There are board-certified veterinary behavioral specialists, but these are rare enough that some states don't have a single one. A vet skilled in behavior treatment will emphasize that medications alone are NOT sufficient for behavioral treatment. You ALWAYS need to do a behavioral modification program (as I've outlined above) at the same time. But when a program such as this isn't sufficient, there are several medications that can be used both long-term and short-term to help reduce anxiety while you work on the behaviors.

I hope this helps with your situation. Keep those questions coming!

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Pet Peeve #1

I'm going to go ahead and get this off my chest as an early post. Please forgive me if I step on anyone's toes, but this is a big pet peeve of mine, and one I deal with almost daily. I never get to say this directly to my clients, so pardon me if I vent a bit.

If you have a pet, set aside the money to take care of it! Pet ownership is NOT a right. If you have a pet, you have a great responsibility to care for it. Yes, this costs money. Sorry, but that's the reality. If you take shortcuts (not getting vaccines, not using heartworm prevention, etc.), you are putting your pet's health at risk, and will possibly face some very expensive treatments. As a responsible pet owner, you need to set aside several hundred dollars per year for veterinary care, good quality food, and preventative medicines (flea and heartworm prevention). I also recommend to set up a separate fund of about $500 just for any emergencies.

Let me give you a couple of examples. Virtually every day I have a client come in just for a rabies vaccine. They do that because it's required by law, and grooming facilities require at least this one vaccine. Depending on your location, it's only about $10-20. However, the client will decline any other vaccines (for diseases that are MUCH more common than rabies), and will decline heartworm prevention. The excuse is usually that they don't have the money for it. Yet within a couple of days, they'll go to a groomer and spend $30-60 to have their dog bathed and trimmed.

Don't get me wrong. I do believe in proper hygine and care of pets, and think groomers overall do a great job. But if it's a choice between spending $40 to prevent a fatal disease and spending $40 to get rid of mats, which is the best choice for the pet?

Priorities, people!

Example #2. I'll often see a pet for an injury that may require radiographs (x-rays). That can cost $150-200. Some people have to decline it because they don't have the money. The pet is really the one who ends up suffering. That's why I recommend having a savings account just for situations like this.

So to summarize...If you're going to have a pet, please make the decision to actually take care of it. Work the costs of veterinary care into your budget. Be prepared for emergencies. Listen to your vet's recommendations and actually do them. And if you can't afford all of this, don't have a pet!

Okay, now that I have that off my chest, I'll make sure my next entry is a bit more helpful and upbeat.

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Yup, I'm Doing It

So here we go. I've gone and done it. I consider myself a bit of a geek (okay, a LOT of a geek), yet I'm just now getting into blogging. I love computers, and am on the internet numerous hours per day. I think technology is extremely interesting, and pride myself on a slightly more than average knowledge of the subject. Yet I don't have a MySpace page, don't have an iPod, and haven't ventured into the "blogosphere".

Until now.

I'm going to try and keep this as an active, almost daily blog. You'll get to see what it's like to be a vet, from the triumphs and puppy kisses to the mishaps, frustrations, and outright failures. I'll also be talking about other random subjects that come to my mind and that influence my life. Hopefully you'll find something amusing, entertaining or even informative in these posts.

Let it begin!

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PickensPlan

After hearing an interview on National Public Radio (NPR), I immediately became a supporter of T. Boone Pickens. Though this tycoon man made most of his money in oil, he is now a staunch supporter, or rather leader, in the promotion and use of alternative and renewable energy sources. The gist of his plan is simple: stop using oil, start using wind power, solar power, and natural gas. It is imperative that the planet be weaned from the teats of the oil pits. Read about his plan here. While his focus appears to be on the US, it is evident that his wishes transcend North American and global borders. Please read more about the PickensPlan and sign up today. Follow link above.


Beautiful and functional. How cool is this?

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"You must really love animals"...

is something I hear almost every day from clients. "What a happy/pleasant job you have." is also one I hear quite frequently.
Being a vet is more than just being able to get my face licked off by adorable puppies every day. While I love when this happens, it certainly does not occur frequently enough to call the profession "cute" or even "pleasant."
Being a vet is an enormously difficult, and oft-times a grueling job. Attempting to reach a diagnosis on patients who can't speak, long hours, dealing with unreasonable clients, can all make this job very challenging, sometimes frustrating, and emotionally draining. Being a vet is not easy, far from it.
These are things I did not learn in school. There were no classes that taught me how to deal with grieving clients, no classes called "profound grief 101", and no lessons to deal with demanding and unreasonable clients. These are all things I had to learn on the job. And boy, did I learn them. I must say without tooting my own horn, that these are the "classes" in which I got an "A+". I did get a few "Fs" along the way though.

Despite all of this, there are sufficient puppies, kittens, great clients, happy and proud moments, that make being a vet extremely rewarding. I try to focus on this aspect of the profession.


Cute. Definitely.

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A tribute to a dog and her owner

A warm and caring person whom I know quite well and whose dog I saw for several years, had her dog euthanized after a lengthy, chronic illness. She cared greatly for her beloved pet, and was diligent and compliant in having all the necessary tests performed, and provided all the necessary treatments that were recommended to her.
When it came down to the dog not eating, she immediately had the dog seen by a specialist and hospitalized in hopes that the dog's condition would improve. Alas, no, it did not. Having loved and cared for her for many, many years, it was time to let her go. The owner was able to take a step back and look at things objectively, despite her deep love and affection for the dog. In this case, she was selfless, knowing what was right, and what was best for her dog. The selfish thing would have been to keep the dog alive for the sake of having her dog "alive." That is not living now, is it? True love for your pet includes knowing when it is time to say goodbye.
Otherwise, no matter how noble your actions are, you are thinking only of yourself, when it is not about you. We are their caregivers and when it comes down to suffering, their needs trump ours. Always.


Goodbye to a great dog. The tribute is to her and her owner "G.N."

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Ketika Kasus Flu Burung Tutupi Rabies

Liputan Khusus Infovet edisi 171 Oktober 2008

Ketika Kasus Flu Burung Tutupi Rabies


(( Jangan remehkan kasus Rabies meski tertutup kasus Fu Burung. ))

Dalam melakukan surveilans AI pada burung liar, Merk vaksin yang protektif terhadap penyakit rabies ternyata dibutuhkan karena dalam surveilans itu petugas sering harus membebaskan kelelawar yang terperangkap di jaring; sementara kelelawar adalah salah satu penyebar Rabies.

Pengalaman Drh Zulfi Arsan salah seorang anggota milis dokter_hewan itu dijawab salah seorang anggota yang lain dengan informasi untuk vaksin rabies manusia bisa ditanyakan di Depkes kantor P2M (Pemberantasan Penyakit Menular) jalan Percetakan Negara bagian Penyakit Bersumber Binatang seberang Rutan Salemba atau di RS Sulianti Saroso di dekat Tanjung Priok Jakarta.

Dr Drh Tri Satya Putri Naipospos ahli Indonesia yang bekerja di Badan Kesehatan Dunia di Thailand menyatakan wajar bila isu rabies tertutup isu avian influenza. Namun, meski Rabies cuma satu diantara beribu masalah di tanah air dan tidak banyak yang bisa diharapkan menjelang Pemilu 2009 kasus ini juga perlu dicermati untuk kesiapsiagaan antara lain dengan melindungi Vaksinator rabies di lapangan.

Menurut seorang anggota milis itu, Galiman, mungkin hampir 90 persen petugas lapangan terkait dengan penanggulangan rabies di Indonesia belum diproteksi atau belum divaksin Rabies (VAR) akibat kesalahan prosedur operasional yang sangat mendasar.

Di negara lain belakangan ini rabies meningkat di China di mana, "Kasus rabies meningkat pada manusia dikarenakan terlambat dilakukan VAR (vaksin anti rabies) dan SAR (serum anti rabies)," kata Galiman seraya menambahkan di Amerika keberadaan VAR baik HD (human diploid )atau verocell infonya stok sedang mengalami defisit secara nasional.

Di tanah air, kasus terbaru rabies antara lain di Jawa Barat dan Nusa Tenggara Timur. "Terakhir memang muncul kasus rabies yang tadinya sudah dinyatakan bebas di NTT, terus di Lebak Banten dengan kasus gigitan pada manusia, serta di Kabupaten Sukabumi wilayah Selatan terakhir ini," kata ahli kesehatan masyarakat veteriner Dr Drh Denny Lukman MSc dari Fakultas Kedokteran Hewan IPB Bogor.

"Sebagai penyakit zoonosis, Rabies penting untuk mendapatkan perhatian serius dari kita, pemerintah dan masyarakat," kata Tri Satya Putri dilanjutkan tutur Dr Denny Lukman, "Ini memang mesti dapat perhatian serius dari pemerintah dan dokter hewan (pemerintah dan non pemerintah). Masih banyak tantangan zoonosis ke depan bagi negeri kita ini. Seperti pernyataan kolega dokter hewan di dunia, terkait One World One Health, sudah saatnya dokter hewan bekerjasama aktif dengan dokter dan profesi medik lainnya dalam mengantisipasi zoonosis."


Jawa Barat

”Sekarang Jawa Barat sudah tidak bebas rabies lagi,” pernyataan Kepala Dinas Peternakan Jawa Barat Rachmat Setiadi kepada waratawan belum lama ini menunjukkan Pemerintah Provinsi Jawa Barat mencabut status bebas rabies untuk wilayah Jawa Barat yang disandang sejak tahun 2004.

Rachmat Setiadi mengatakan pencabutan status bebas rabies itu karena munculnya kasus rabies di Sukabumi pertengahan 2008 di mana belasan warga dilaporkan positif terserang Rabies akibat serangan gigitan anjing liar. Sejumlah serangan di Garut dan Tasikmalaya tidak mengakibatkan penyakit anjing gila pada orang.

"Virus rabies diidap anjing liar di wilayah Sukabumi diduga berasal dari anjing hutan yang merambah ke permukiman penduduk akibat kekurangan makanan di musim kemarau," kata Rachmat seraya menambahkan kemungkinan terjadi perkelahian antara anjing liar dengan anjing hutan yang mencari makan di perkampungan penduduk.

Untuk mengatasi masalah itu, Rachmat Setiadi mengatakan petugas Dinas Peternakan sudah diterjunkan ke wilayah-wilayah yang terdapat Rabies untuk memburu anjing liar guna dimusnahkan dengan racun, termasuk anjing hutan yang turun ke perkampungan penduduk.

Kata Rachmat, bekerja sama dengan camat setempat petugas juga akan memvaksinasi anjing peliharaan yang ada di wilayah yang terlaporkan muncul Rabies.


Nusa Tenggara Timur

Sejumlah 178 warga di Pulau Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) digigit anjing rabies dua bulan terakhir dan berdasarkan hasil pemeriksaan laboratorium di Maros, Sulawesi Selatan, delapan anjing positif terjangkit rabies. Demikian Drh Maria Geong petugas penyuluh rabies wilayah Flores di Kupang kepada wartawan belum lama ini.

Drh Maria Geong mengharapkan masyarakat di Pulau Flores terus waspada terhadap anjing rabies terkait populasinya yang terus meningkat hingga 20.000 ekor. Yang perlu juga jadi perhatian adalah kedekatan masyarakat Pulau Flores serta pulau-pulau lain di Flores bagian timur dengan anjingnya sebagai "teman" untuk menjaga rumah dan ladang dari serangan hama babi hutan serta monyet yang membuat mereka tak sampai hati membunuh anjing-anjingnya meski di antaranya telah terjangkit penyakit rabies,

Drh Maria Geong mengungkap, tanda-tanda anjing yang terjangkit rabies itu terdengar dari suaranya saat menggonggong yang tiba-tiba berubah melonglong dan mengeluarkan air liur berlebihan. Anjing juga tampak kebingungan dan terus menggigit benda apa saja yang ditemui. "Jika sudah ada tanda-tanda seperti itu, kami langsung mengejar dan membantainya dengan parang atau tombak guna menghindari gigitan terhadap warga," kata Valens Masan salah seorang warga pemilik anjing.

Kasus rabies ini sudah berulang kali diberantas oleh Dinas Peternakan, namun tetap saja tidak berhasil karena keterbatasan vaksin anti rabies. "Kasus Rabies di NTT memang membutuhkan penanganan yang serius," kata Drh Indrasnowo seraya menambahkan, "Tantangan tersebut harus kita pecahkan bersama. Banyak kendala yang dihadapi oleh petugas di NTT dalam penanggulangan Rabies; keterbatasan vaksin rabies, masalah geografis, kultur, dana dan mungkin masih ada lagi lainnya. Hal ini membutuhkan konsentrasi kita semua untuk memecahkannya."

Menurut Drh Indrasnowo, seandainya jumlah vaksinnya mencukupi tetapi masalah rantai dinginnya terkendala akibat masalah geografis, hal ini juga akan menyebabkan kekurangberhasilan vaksinasi. Katanya, mungkin ada baiknya untuk dikaji mengenai penggunaan vaksinasi rabies injeksi dan peroral untuk anjing-anjing di NTT.

Seorang Dokter Hewan anggota milis berinisial Galiman pun mengungkap, "Dengar-dengar yang paling krusial penyelesaian rabies di Flores tidak lagi masalah vaksin (signifikansinya kecil). Kendala operasional (budgeter) apapun kegiatannya juga sangat berperan."

Namun, lanjutnya, "Katanya kendala yang paling besar adalah sosio-humanisme. Kebinekaan suku membuat ada 'ego' tersendiri dalam penyelesaian berbagai masalah di
masyarakat. Demikian pula masalah rabies. Anjing sudah benar-2 menjadi companion, teman hidupnya, tapi di beri kebebasan hidup, bergaul, tidak bermaksud meliarkan atau menelantarkan."


Pengalaman di Medan

Di milis dokter_hewan, Drh Lukas Agus Sudibyo Direktur Pemasaran PT Romindo Primavetcom pun mengatakan pengalamannya sekitar pertengahan tahun 1979, sebagai Drh baru di Medan ia kedatangan pasien kucing tetangga dengan gejala lemah dan hipersalivasi. "Saya tidak menduga kearah Rabies (sudah stadium lanjut) sehingga pada waktu memeriksa tangan saya yang luka kontak dengan liur kucing tersebut," kata Drh Lukas.

Keesokan harinya kucing tersebut mati dan bangkainya ia minta untuk diperiksakan ke BPPH Medan dan ternyata kucing tadi positif RABIES. Drh Lukas mengaku betul-betul merasa takut, stres dan ngeri membayangkan resiko yang harus ia hadapi.

Cerita Drh Lukas, "Drh. Mastur, staff BPPH kala itu menyarankan saya untuk menemui Kepala BPPH Medan untuk minta vaksin Rabies manusia buatan Jepang yang dikhususkan untuk pegawai BPPH. Akan tetapi Kepala BPPH Medan tidak bersedia memberikan vaksin tersebut. Lalu saya mencoba mencari vaksin ke apotek-apotek di Medan tapi hasilnya nihil."

Sore harinya Drh Lukas telpon ke kantor pusatnya (PT Romindo Primavetcom, red) di Jakarta dan kebetulan atasan Drh Lukas masih dikantor lalu ia ceritakan masalahnya ke atasan itu. Atasan Drh Lukas menjanjikan bahwa besok siang vaksin Rabies HDCV buatan Institue MERIEUX Perancis pasti sudah sampai di Medan.

Ternyata vaksin Rabies HDCV tersebut dibawa oleh salah seorang staf kantor pusat ke Medan dan langsung disuntikkan oleh dokter. Drh Lukas betul-betul kagum dan berterima kasih atas perhatian perusahaan tempat saya bekerja terhadap pegawainya. "Puji syukur kepada TUHAN YME saya terhindar dari ancaman Rabies," katanya.

Drh Lukas tidak bisa bayangkan seandainya ia tidak membawa bangkai kucing tadi ke BPPH Medan untuk diperiksa, tentunya ia tidak akan melakukan tindakan pengobatan atau pencegahan apa-apa. "Juga apa jadinya kalau kita tidak punya koneksi untuk mendapatkan vaksin Rabies untuk manusia," ujar Drh Lukas.

Dari pengalaman pribadi tersebut, Drh Lukas sangat mendukung untuk dilakukan vaksinasi Rabies pada vaksinator ataupun Drh praktek, karena kita tidak tahu resiko yang akan dan harus dihadapi pada saat kita berhadapan dengan pasien (anjing dan kucing).

"Semoga kita tetap dapat melestarikan motto "MANUSYA MRIGA SATWA SEWAKA" menjaga kesejahteraan manusia melalui kesehatan hewan," tutur Drh Lukas di milis dokter_hewan, yang kebetulan Hari Rabies Dunia jatuh pada tanggal 28 September.

Drh Yunianto Kartowinoto pun mempertanyakan sebuah pekerjaan rumah buat kita semua, "Apakah daerah-daerah zona bebas Rabies yang berlaku di beberapa daerah di Indonesia sudah di audit lagi?"(YR/ milis dokter_hewan)

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