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Quest

 

A few months ago I consulted with Lydia Hiby, an animal communicator, with the hopes of getting some long-awaited answers about Quest’s hyper-reactive behavior. Unfortunately, I am no closer to understanding Quest than I was before. I had truly hoped that Ms. Hiby would provide me with significant information, the missing puzzle piece, that would shed light on Quest’s behavior, but that did not happen.

Ms. Hiby’s recommendation of herbal remedies for Quest’s issues was something that I had not anticipated, but worthy of consideration. I had some knowledge of valerian from my ongoing research about canine anxiety, but was unfamiliar with milk thistle. I wasted no time investigating that particular herb.

According to the Whole Dog Journal, milk thistle is “best reserved as a treatment for existing liver disease, rather than being used by itself in a healthy dog.” The article goes on to state that long-term ingestion of very high doses will eventually suppress liver function. Well, that is problematic. First, I do not believe that Quest has liver disease. Although Ms. Hiby felt that Quest’s liver is “out of balance”, that does not mean that Quest has anything physically wrong with her liver. With no symptoms, I cannot bring myself to schedule a veterinarian appointment for Quest and ask the doctor to check Quest’s liver based on an animal communicator’s intuition. Maybe I am more of a skeptic than I thought. Secondly, if I decided to have an open mind and give the milk thistle a try, without a veterinarian on board I would have no way of knowing the proper dosage to give a 6 lb. dog. Milk thistle was officially off the table.

As for the valerian, I wanted to check with Quest’s veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Overall,  and get her opinion. Since Quest was currently taking Gabapentin I knew that care must be used when combining herbal treatments with prescription medications. Dr. Overall informed me that she used to recommend valerian for anxious dogs years ago before today’s commonly used drugs were affordable, but she never saw the effect that is observed with pharmaceuticals. She added that a drawback to using herbal remedies, like valerian, is that we don’t know how much of the main ingredient is in any of these compounds. So, valerian was off the table, too.

Although I did not feel that it was safe to follow Lydia’s advice about the homeopathic remedies, my conversation with her did prompt me to seek a change in Quest’s current medication.  After consulting with Dr. Overall, Quest was weaned off of the Gabapentin and began Clomicalm(clomipramine). Clomicalm, like many pet medications, was adapted from a human drug. It is categorized as an SSRI(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), and similar to the human anti-depressant, Prozac.

Quest was on the Clomicalm for a couple of months and exhibited the same level of anxiety that has always been present. Dr. Overall recommended increasing the dosage, but there was a conflict. Quest was due for a dental cleaning which required anesthesia. Quest’s regular veterinarian was not comfortable performing the procedure while Quest was taking Clomicalm, even though Dr. Overall gave her approval. With safety being my top concern, I weaned Quest off of the Clomicalm so that she could have the dental cleaning.

Quest has been drug free for over three months now. I decided to take a “wait and see” approach before beginning the Clomicalm again with the recommended dosage increase if needed, or asking about trying a different drug. Lately, I have heard Quest gritting her teeth, a sound I have not heard in a while, and have also noticed a bit more nibbling on her front legs. Sigh.

It would be so much easier to make a decision if Quest could speak. I would ask her, “How is your anxiety?” “Was it better when you were taking medication?” “Which medication helped you the most?” “Please tell me what I should do.” Since Quest is unable to answer those questions it is up to me, and me alone, to decide how to proceed.