Am I a horrible dog parent?

[tandy]

I won a cruise and I am leaving for 5 days. I got some meds. from my vet to help my dog with separation anxiety. He prescribed 1/2 of 10 mg, once per day, of Fluoxentine. I mean my dog and I are ONE item and never without each other. I leave her at home with a relative because I can take her with me. I didn't want to take her to a kennel out of familiar surroundings. I feel so guilty doing this. Would you do it or pass up on the cruise? :(

[Julia423]

Leaving her with a trusted relative is a terrific thing. You can enjoy your trip knowing that she is just fine. I didn't know that dogs were given Prozac. Does it work that quickly? It must if your vet prescribed it... Have a good time.

[Pup/KitNurse]

of course you LOVE your pet to Pieces!!! HOWEVER!! you have to love yourself too... some things that might help her feel more comfortable at your rel.'s

* wear a tshirt / old sweat shirt for a day before you leave and leave it with your pet so your scent is still around her

* leave them with lots of toys that they are firmiliar with and know is ok to chew on

* make sure your sitter knows their feeding secduel and walking secduel... the more you can keep your pet to their usual routine the better they will feel

* crate traing can really help because if you crate train your pet, their crate becomes their "den" , a place they know is their's, where they feel safe no matter where they go
here is a link for good crate training tips (keep in mind this training does take a little bit of time.. it wont happen in a week)

http://www.siriusweb.com/AAD/crate.html

i hope some of these help...

good luck and have a great time on your trip

~ashley

*god blessed may you always be

[tandy]

Thank you both. My doggie has a collapsible dog house I got from Petsmart that she loves. I put a worn (funky) t-shirt in it so she can smell my odor. She does not play with toys, so she does not have any. All she wants is to be near ME. The person taking care of her is in my house 24/7. I left written instructions as to her schedules. So, she is not ever alone. Why do I feel so guilty? I am going to miss her something terrible. :(

[Pup/KitNurse]

she is your baby... i understand why you feel guilty but trust me... she will be ok... as long as her sitter keeps her busy with tons of fun and lotts of love she will be... she might be on edge for a little while right after you leave but she will settle down and get situated... and when you get back you will be well rested and she will be so happy to see you!!! just spoil her for a few days when you get back and she'll forget you were gone.

you work hard day in and day out... you deserve this... dont let yourself talk you out of it... pets are just like kids... they get mad cuz you left, they realize they can get away with murder while your gone and enjoy themselves, and when you get back all they care about is that youre home and they wanna know what you brought them back. lol..

i PROMISE you she will be ok... let yourself enjoy your trip really... the holidays are comming up here soon and you'll need this weather your trip falls before or after them....

[ArtCat]

Would you do it or pass up on the cruise?

Would I pass up on the cruise? No Way! :) Hey it’s great to read that folks actually do win things sometimes, well done.

Your dog will be fine, sounds like you are making great arrangements for her. Go on your cruise, live it up, enjoy it. Your dog will welcome you back when you return.

[krazy4birds]

I think you have been given some excellant advice and I agree that you should go. You are having anziety that is normal when someone leaves a loved one behind, it is much the same as my husband and I used to have when we would hire a sitter so we could have an evening out and alone time then end up worrying if the kids were ok when come to find out they were having the time of their lives, had not missed us at all. So.....go,go,go, sounds like you have everything 100% covered and enjoy yourself, this chance may never come up again.

[tandy]

Well, I am off this morning. Thanks everyone for understanding. I have to talk myself into not feeling guilty, I guess, because I still feel I bad about it. She knows that something is up - she is following me everywere. Looking at me with er loving, trusting eyes. I will put out some piddle pads, just in case.

Thanks people.

[salukigirl]

there are kennels that are now doing this webcam thing. i know a kennel in my hometown had cameras set up in the play yard. and you can get online and see your pets. and if you dont see your pet you can call and ask them to put your pet in front of the camera so you can see how theyre doing.

also, my mom and step-dad installed a few webcams around the house so they can see them online when theyre gone because they take a lot of vacations. if youre going to be worrying the whole time you might think of doing something like that so it doesnt eat at you the whole time youre gone.

youre not a bad mom. you have to take some time for yourself sometimes also. have fun on your cruise :)

[tandy]

I am back. But the time spend in Bermuda, I was wondering and worrying about my doggie. I called daily a couple of times to find out how and what she was doing. I was told that my doggie sat by the door where I should be coming in. She just waited for me to come through the doorway. Poor baby - I was not coming.

But today, when I was picked up at the Harbor, she was with the driver, as I had requested and she went crazy when she saw me. She was kissing my face like crazy. I hugged her during our drive home, happy to have her near me again. She has not let me out of her sight since I arrived this morning. I tell you, I will not leave her again. I will and must take her with me next time I go on vacation. Otherwise, I will just not go. I think my dog and I will not suffer from separation anxiety ever again.

Thanks for understanding.