Dogs Abroad: Catnip for Anxiety

Sometimes, despite all the love you have to give, you are no match for trauma.  That's the issue we faced with our little Diego Burrito.  Years of abuse and turned a delightful, energy filled bottle of joy into an unstable, terrified bottle of miscellaneous rage. 

Even his desire for love turned violent when too many emotions rushed him at once.  

After years of work, we were 90% there but that last 10% was proving impossible because he couldn't sleep to stabilize.  As someone with a background in dealing with people in crisis, I had a theory that if we could get Diego some sleep and reduce his anxiety we could cross the final gap in his training.  

But how?

In Korea they don't prescribe pills/anti-depressants to dogs.  We even went to an English speaking vet, but he was like, "We don't do that here".  I googled to see if I could get it shipped from the states, but they needed a vets prescription.  Heck, I even checked to see if I could visit a vet on the military base, but they only see military family pets. Even though I knew what I needed, there was just no way to access it in our current situation.  

Then, while on a day out with a friend she randomly asked, "I wonder what catnip would do to dogs?" So I googled it because that's what I do.  To my great shock, it said that catnip works as an anxiety reducer and antidepressant on dogs.  I was like, "WHAT?!!! We are going to the next pet store we see!!" Which we did.

The rest of the day I researched and researched but I couldn't find any dosage information.  What I did find was that it would be incredibly difficult and/or impossible for Diego to overdose on it so it was worth starting small and seeing what happened.  If you are going to try it, talk to vet. Be sure to start small, and don't over medicate. 

The first type that I found was traditional dried catnip.  At that point Diego had been especially stressed out, hiding in his room and growling at anyone who dared look in his general direction.  He wasn't violent toward anyone as long as we left him alone, but he was in physical distress from stress and we couldn't get close to comfort him or for a walk.  It was a desperate situation.

We started by adding two teaspoons of dried catnip to his food (I am not a vet. I am NOT saying this right for your dog.  I am just telling you what we did) with some water and let him eat, he gobbled it up without question. We also made a catnip "tea" that we put into his water bowl.  There was no exact amount for this.  We just boiled about 2 tablespoons catnip in a liter of water and then would do 1/2 tea and 1/2 water in his bowl. There is not exact recipe, be careful! Do less rather than more.

Within a few minutes of his first catnip dinner he was passed out asleep on his couch and slept for ages.  

This is how it was for the next few weeks.  We added catnip to his food in the morning and at night, as well as his water.  For the first two weeks he did A LOT of sleeping. However, he also started to do a lot more playing, going for walks, and hanging out with family.  He didn't act drugged when he was awake, he was just happier.  It was shocking to see how quickly he started to improve.  

After a few weeks he started sleeping less, a few weeks later we switched him from dried catnip to a catnip spray.  Each meal we sprayed 3-5 pumps.  What we found was that the catnip spray didn't make him as drowsy after he ate.  Instead, each day he just became more happy and content with life.  He doesn't seem like he is "drugged" he is just no longer tense from tail to nose.  He doesn't vibrate with anxiety and fear at the smallest sound.

Please understand, in addition to the catnip we have done EXTENSIVE training. Drugs aren't a solution, they are a tool. It's not a fix all, but it gives you the emotional stability needed to build new healthy habits.  If you have a dog that can't get their shit together because of anxiety/past abuse, this might be a tool you can use to get where you need to be when you live in a country without access to prescriptions.

Almost three months later he is one of the best behaved dogs we have ever had. Each day his possessiveness fades farther from the picture.  We aren't stressed about what's going to set him off, because he just doesn't get set off anymore.  Sure, he still makes terrible sounds when he hates things, but he isn't becoming aggressive.  He communicates and lets it go.  He listens, he plays, he sleeps, he cuddles.  He is the best.

We are so thankful we tried this.  It's given Diego his brain and happiness back.

Dog On Good

Today is National Dog Day In the US, 

so let's talk rescue doggies.

We adopted our two doggies using an expat website such as Rescue Korea.  When you are an expat adopting a new little friend, you really need to consider thinking with your mind as much as your heart.  You need to do this to help preventing future hearts from being broken because of housing issues, transportation, vacations, etc.  That said, if you are financially and emotionally prepared for adopting a bit of joy, it's a wonderful experience.

The first little bit of wonder we brought home was Diego "The shark" Burrito.  Diego had been abused and neglected for years and his behavior issues turned out to be intense.  Which is something you really have to be prepared for when adopting an older dog from a shelter.  Once they settle into your home they are likely to eat all your furniture, bark at all the people, and pee on all the stuff until they figure out that you aren't going to be another person who lets them down.  

When this happens, it's going to take rock hard determination, a community of supportive people, and tons of research to make sure your new family member lives up to their potential.  For us, that meant learning to use alternative medicines such as Catnip as a mood stabilizer, saying goodbye to furniture while he was being trained, not traveling for a while so that we could build a strong relationship with him, and finally, it meant getting a second dog for him to love.  Which is how we ended up with our little, black sunshine - Nyx "The lizard" Money.

When I wake up the morning and when I get home at night, these two little bundles of joy make me believe in miracles.  Helping them overcome starvation, fear, anxiety, abandonment, and anger has made me a better person and I'm thankful for that.  It's hard for me to imagine, as they race around me for hours - playing their little games, that anyone could have thrown them away: Diego was to be killed in a shelter and Nyx was starved to bones and skin.  

What I have learned is that when you rescue a doggy and you stick with them through thick and thin, it changes both of your lives.  If you are worried about the doggy bonding, don't.  There is no love stronger than that of a puppy who lost hope and then found it again.  They will NEVER want to let you go (which can bring about it's own set of issues).  

That said, I'm also a realist and I don't recommend doing anything half-cocked.  There are important things to consider.  Here are a few of the issues that we have faced:

Expat Animal Lover Groups: Be very scared of the expat animal lover groups when you need advice.  Even the most benign request for help/information can release the The Kraken. Be prepared for some weird interactions and unfounded aggression.  Although, personally, I had excellent experiences with the two fosters I worked with, others I have known have not been so lucky.  In the end, I withdrew from all animal rescue groups because I didn't like seeing how they treated people who were doing their best.  Instead, we found our own community of expat dog lovers and enjoy our lives unfettered by the cray cray online.  Remember, Facebook groups are a choice.  You don't HAVE to join them just because they exist.

Language barrier:  If you are adopting an adult dog from a foreign country it most likely doesn't understand your language. When we first brought our dogs home we thought they hadn't been trained.  Turns out the joke was on us.  Our dogs were very well trained, just not in our language.  Once we started using Korean (their language) they listened almost perfectly.  In fact, one even knew tricks!  So, be prepared to learn a new language or retrain them in your mother tongue.   

Behavior Issues:  Dogs in shelters and off the street are not often dogs that have been treated well. This issue not unique to any one country.  Sadly, the mistreatment of animals is universal experience.  Adult doggies often have issues so intense they need professional help so know what your options are and have a support system in place. Also, consider this when looking at your budget and your adoption adoption options. Don't try to be a hero.  Adopt a dog you can handle, not the dog you feel the sorriest for.  I am very thankful we saved our little 'eggo beggo (our dogs have many names), but he is not for everyone.  For this reason, if you have children, consider adopting one of the abandoned puppies instead of an adult animal.  There are many puppies who need homes as well.

Transportation:  You and your new puppy are going to need to go places: the vet, a park or beach that allows dogs, the kennel when you travel, etc.  Most of the public transportation options are not pet friendly unless your doggy is very small and cute. Are you prepared to get your own wheels or do you live near the services you need? This is a very real issue for dog owners in Korea.  Be sure you have a plan for how to transport your baby doggy when they aren't feeling so well.  It's a terrible feeling to be trapped, unable to find a way to the vet.

Time:  You are going to have to put weekends away and travel on hold for up to a year when your new family member arrives.  Especially if you live alone.  There is going to be training and relationship that needs built.  This is perfect if you are a homebody, but if you love to stay out late and travel on the weekends, it might not be time for you to bring a furry friend into your life.

Show Me The Money

She had no where to go.

They found her on the street,

the fed her but she couldn't stay.

http://www.animalrescuekorea.org/

Her little bones are sticking out,

she is missing part of her ear,

and her body is covered in scars.

She just lays there and looks at us

with big, deeply black eyes.

We hadn't planned on keeping her,

but Diego fell in love at first site

and so did we.

So here she is, Nyx "The Lizard" Money

A scrawny little angel.

If you live in Korea and want to adopt a pet

check out the following website for pets

who need foster parents and homes:

http://www.animalrescuekorea.org/

My name is Diego Burrito, you touched my food bowl. Now you must die.

Our little monster

Somewhere in the middle of all the craziness,

this little fellow found his way into our drama.

Rescued from death row by kind souls,

this little guy arrived on-set with a broken heart

and a rage to rival Inigo Montoya's.

Dinner time usually looked like this:

 

It was also clear how he survived in the clink,

He had the "crazy eyes" down,

and he hated if if we looked at his Janet:

When he was sleeping, and we woke him,

 it played out just like this:

 He feared everything from lint on the floor,

to a cloth wiping a window.

When the fear grabbed him

he shook so fast it has hard to focus on him,

his eyes would glass over,

and rage he would lash out.

He was crazed.

Training went a bit like this:

We were exhausted.

Yet, we couldn't give up

because we are a bit like this:

In addition, his violence caused him visible pain,

and that was enough for us to try harder.

So we changed ourselves.

We worked harder.

We chose not to be scared of him.

We watched 16 hours of The Dog Whisperer

and we didn't make excuses.

Why?

Because a little life depended on us

never taking the easy way out,

and we like happy endings.

Flash forward three months.

Now he is a happy puppy.

He no longer lashes out,

he just wants a cuddle,

and to be wrapped up 

like a burrito.

He still suffers intense night terrors,

but even his reactions to those have begun to fade.

Each time, getting a little shorter.

A little less violent. 

Was it worth it?

To have our lives turned upside down.

To sometimes fear what waited at home.

Yah, it totally was.

Because not only is he a better dog,

but we are much better people,

and our drama needed a love story.

If you'd like to add a new cast member to your drama

check out Animal Rescue Korea:

www.animalrescuekorea.org