Prior to starting the new meds, George had been dealing with a lot of triggers. His anxiety levels were high most of the time.
So whilst the meds adjust, we’ve been trying to take it easy.
He seems a bit more nervous out in the world (a similar thing happened when I last increased his SSRI medication). I was surprised by how nervous he was at a very familiar local Sniffspot. He just wanted to sit on my knee or, preferably, go home.
Other than familiar Sniffspots, we've been sticking to a gentle cemetery walk with his friend.
We've had more rest days.
He's not sleeping as well and wakes up a few times in the night needing reassurance. His appetite is a little off.
He's doing so well at home with triggers, though. One day he didn't react at all. Most days, it seems to be 'normal' dog levels.
However, leaving the house is still a highly stressful event.
As he finds the shared path and car park outside the house so stressful, I have been looking into how to reduce this stress again—with some quite comical results.
He does a lot better if the visual triggers are blocked, so I have tried carrying him in and out of the house with a little towel popped over his head.
It's not the best method. It's not tight, of course, so he can wiggle his head out. One time he looked like I'd wrapped him in a shawl. The people we saw in the car park must have thought I was absolutely crazy, wrapping my dog's head in a shawl and carrying him!
It's also quite cumbersome for me to close the door, etc. So although it does seem to really reduce his stress levels—he's not hyperventilating and darting about like he normally does—it's not ideal.
So we're trying the carrier again. Just familiarising him with it at home (he's doing very well) and getting him used to me moving it around a little.
I think it might be manageable when he's tired-ish, but I can see it being rather challenging when he's on high alert. It's also quite cumbersome, and I need to temporarily cover the "windows".
The search continues for the best solution. I really think if I can reduce that stress, he will feel much better overall.