Odd Behaviour, Advice needed. Questions

Thank you Malka, yes you're right about keeping our thread as one, it could help someone else. Toby has been considerably more relaxed since stopping the diazepam yesterday morning, hope it continues, but I've noticed that he sometimes does have the odd good day & I get all happy that my old Toby is back & then the next day he deteriorates & gets back to a fretful, restless, worried little dog, but I will look after him as well as I possibly can & do whatever is best for him.

Diazepam, or any of the benzodiazepine family, is/are mainly to produce a calming effect, although it is also prescribed as a mild muscle relaxant - I am prescribed 30 x 5mg a month to help unlock my joints before I go to bed after being in a chair all day. The ones I gave Pereg were from my 30 tablets, because in my opinion she needed them more than I did. The law here is very strict which meant that even had my vet given me a prescription [which would have to be filled at a regular pharmacy as they are human drugs] I could not get it filled as the computers would show that I had already had my month's supply.

Anyhow, regarding diazepam for dogs - what I know about it is from people on the Epilepsy List who use a benzodiazepine to help their epi dogs. For some it helps. For some it knocks the dog out for hours. And for quite a few it does the opposite and sends them totally hyper.

But I do not know any reason why an undiagnosed dog would be given a benzo - especially at the high dose Toby was given. I keep reading back your posts and it just does not seem logical.

I sincerely hope that it is not a brain tumour but it goes back to whether you want to put Toby though those tests with an is it/is not, and what do I do if it is... if Toby was a young pup it might be different.

I honestly do not know what I can say to help Toby and you, because I do not have the knowledge or the answers. Just take it day by day and love him, whether he is having a good day or a not-so-good day.

Please give him a cuddle from me. And maybe you could do with a (((hug))) as well.

May I suggest adding Neem tea to Toby's diet, dogs love the tastes of the following herbs: Neem, Cinnamon, and Rosemary, for their medicinal benefits there are few comparisons.

I know that Toby does not have epilepsy, but one that should never be given to an epi dog is rosemary. It is one of the most dangerous herbs for that condition. Even rubbing across a live rosemary herb in the garden can trigger a seizure in those to whom it is a major allergen.

Neem tea and cinnamon might be tasty but for medicinal benefits, you have quoted rosemary which is a 100% NO NO for an epi. I do not know about Neem tea but cinnamon is a major allergen for many humans. And you suggest adding it to an un-diagnosed dog?

Are you a canine expert in canine food? If so, will you please give us your canine expertise records, instead of posting as you have done, especially about rosemary.

Right, so after having a break from medication to see how things go Toby is now on Vivitonin 50mg twice a day & it's not going well! It's only his second day but he is as high as a kite, rushing around the house, wide awake & can't relax & he's urinated three times in the house tonight & he's trying to drink water constantly! This surely can't be right, the same thing happened with the diazepam! Upset for Toby but I'm shattered by it all, beginning to think this is never going to be sorted!!

@tina - poor Toby and poor you. It sounds to me that your vet is clutching at straws, and prescribed Vivitonin because it is frequently given to elderly dogs to help them get their "oomph" back, but there is nothing stated about excessive drinking and urinating. Or a warning that it might state the dog might get hyper.

It is possible that the Vivitonin is acting on his brain like Diazepam does with some of the epis who went completely hyper instead of it calming them down.

I wish I could magic up a potion to cure Toby's problems, especially as he is being medicated when he has not been diagnosed with anything. Firstly the very high dosage of Diazepam, and now Vivitonin which does not fit any of Toby's symptoms.

(((hugs))) to you both. xx

Don't let your dog have free access to a lot of liquids when he is dehydrated, as drinking too much too fast could cause vomiting. Many conditions can lead to excessive thirst or dehydration in your dog, including liver disease, diabetes, Cushing's disease, cancer, diarrhea, fever, infection, and kidney disease. Dogs are messy, hit-and-miss drinkers, so it can sometimes be hard to know just how much water they get in a day. Most need about an ounce of fluids per pound of body weight per day, so a 10-pound dog needs a bit over a cup of clean water daily.