On holiday with a very nervy sprocker.........

[BoodleBug51]

and it's not proving to be much fun It's our 1st holiday in 3 years, we've spent a fortune coming to Cornwall and have had 2 sleepless nights since getting here with a hyperventilating dog. It was so bad last night that I ended up speaking to a vet at 1am via our pet insurance. The vet wasn't overly concerned, said it may have been just over stimulation but if it carries on to try and find a local vet.

She's eating and drinking normally, fine in herself but her breathing last night was horrendous and it was pure stress. In the end I gave her some of our other dogs painkiller just in case she'd got something wrong with her, and at 3am she seemed to settle into a restless sleep.

She's on Yucalm supplements, but they're not having much effect. Any suggestions would be greatly received. They've got their beds from home, and a huge blanket over the sofa that I brought so things would smell familiar.

How old is the dog and is it their first time away from home?

I think it's relatively common for nervous dogs to struggle on holiday as everything is completely different for them. New smells, new place, often new rules completely - and all that without us being able to explain to them what's happening.

I don't have huge amounts of advice but if my dog was struggling that badly I would probably take her home.

It won't help for this holiday, but have a read up about Zylkene, it can be really helpful for nervous dogs.

She's 3.5. We've only ever managed one holiday before with her due to the pandemic so it is all massively unfamiliar for her.

Is she sleeping in your room? If not, and even if she doesn't at home, it might make her feel more confident in a strange place.

I wonder if there are smells of other dogs in the cottage.

Try some pet remedy and some Zyklene.

Our anxious dog is like this when we go away, after many sleepless nights we've found the only thing that helps is taking a massive clean blanket with us to protect the owner's bedding and letting her sleep in with us, which she doesn't at home. She's short-haired and doesn't moult much and I always take a lint roller as well to clean up any stray hairs. Otherwise she paces the floor all night..if she's in with us she snuggles right in and sleeps well (i on the other hand usually end up in a kids bunk bed as there's rarely room for all 3 of us in the bed!) Poor little girl, it's really upsetting to see their distress isn't it.

Thanks, will try and find somewhere to go shopping this morning.

I've googled a local vet, typically we're miles from anywhere but may ring and ask for some advice just in case.

Is this your first night away?

I would want a physical vet check tbh.

See that you have been away 2 days but yes I would still want a vet check if this is new behaviour for her.

poor dog
i hope she settles down
you have two dogs?
so perhaps the other one will calm her

Yes our other dog is really calm and gentle, he normally really calms her down.

Sometimes I think dogs are so nervous and overwhelmed that the only thing to do is take them out of the situation and allow them to calm down.

I totally understand how hard that is on holiday but I work with dogs and when they get really overstimulated and overwhelmed they just won't listen or be calmed until they've been removed from the situation.

We had a brief walk this morning, and she's just lying now in the sun with our other dog. We've spent the day so far in the holiday let, just letting them both mooch around. The older one has settled really well. She does seem a little more content but we managed to get a vet's appointment for later today so will have her checked over just to be safe.

poor thing (you and her )

I totally sympathise! Our dog is like this away from home. She has to sleep in with me. But.. there are other symptoms with ours, like going off food, and not wanting to go to the loo outside.

I don't have advice aside from echoing what others have said but I hope it gets better.