This is Margie, sadly we returned Margie to the shelter today. We adopted Margie on a trial basis last Sunday. At the time it was explained to us that Margie was on Catapres, an anti anxiety/ADHA/blood pressure medication, supposedly for anxiety. However, I discovered after ingesting the medication, Margie became zombielike, anxious, tail between her legs, flinched when we tried to pat her and would not let us near her. As the medication wore off later in the day, Margie became a happy, well adjusted dog, showing no signs of anxiety, tail was up, and she was happy to come when called and play. Whilst anti anxiety medication may have a role when visiting the Vet or other places that may induce anxiety, dosing a dog twice a day to keep her in a zombie like state is neither acceptable, nor in the best interest of the dog, it is cruel. I rang Hope. Springs Rescue asking if I could take her to the Vet to get her a plan for discontinuing this medication, Hope Springs refused. Outraged, I advised them to pick up the dog as I could not be party to this level of cruelty. I suspect the dog was on the medication to quiet her to make her easy to sell, she has a behavioural problem with possevivness. Interestingly, Hope Springs Rescue charge twice what other shelters charge. While other dog shelters are always short on funds, this doesn't appear to be a problem with them. A real shame because she had adopted us, and when the medication wears off she is a beautiful little dog.
I should have swallowed my ideology, waited out the four week trial period, then weaned her off the medication. Unfortunately, because of my outrage at this normal dog being medicated into Zombieland I lashed out, I could not see a way forward., Margie will now probably remain on this medication for a good while. She is only 10 months old, so will probably miss out on a normal puppyhood.
This morning she woke me up at the side of the bed, wagging her tail, licking myface, just so happy, then she went around to the other side of the bed and greeted the wife. I stuffed up badly!
I should have swallowed my ideology, waited out the four week trial period, then weaned her off the medication. Unfortunately, because of my outrage at this normal dog being medicated into Zombieland I lashed out, I could not see a way forward., Margie will now probably remain on this medication for a good while. She is only 10 months old, so will probably miss out on a normal puppyhood.
This morning she woke me up at the side of the bed, wagging her tail, licking myface, just so happy, then she went around to the other side of the bed and greeted the wife. I stuffed up badly!
