Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Riding the Storms

Well, dear Lucy has been storm phobic since I adopted her several years ago and it has little by little become increasingly more intense. That would be Lucy's phobia and well, the storms as well. We've had some terrible storms come through the Atlanta area this Spring, complete with hail and tornados.

So, to try to help Lucy get through the storms, we went to the vet seeking help. Dr. Carpenter prescribed Amitriptyline, actually two tablets every 12 hours or as need. I could potentially give her up to four. Well, we tried that to no avail. They did make her drowsy but she was completely aware of her surroundings and the storms she heard overhead.

So, another trip to the vet seeking help. This time we saw Dr. Johnson as Dr. Carpenter was off that day. He prescribed Acepromazine which is most commonly just called Ace. Sighthounds, in specific Greyhounds, are pretty sensitive to Ace so it is usually prescribed with caution.

Our first opportunity to use it was Sunday night. I have to say it knocked Lucy on her keister! She slept like a rock Sunday night and was groggy until Monday evening. I might cut a pill in half next time and see how that works for her. It is a tranquilizer so I'm not surprised she slept so well and for so long. It is commonly used in conjunction with anesthesia to relax the canine patient before a procedure.

So, the good news is I think we have finally found something that works for her. I must wait for another horrific storm to realize the benefits of this drug on Lucy as the storms on Sunday were pretty mild. More later as we continue to find the perfect solution for her! Pin It

2 comments:

Poolie said...

Poor Lucy. At least maybe she can get a little relief from the nasty wasty storms. Handy will sometimes hides in the bathroom if the storm is really bad.

Two Greyhound Town said...

I hope the pills continue to work for her. I have one grey who seems to be getting worse in storms and the other one follows his lead. We have severe storms headed our way tonight, so it will be a rough night for us.