The dog, the drugs, and the fireworks

Lugnut, bless his doggie heart, is terrified of fireworks. I don't mean he cowers and trembles. I mean he tears things up. He tries to break glass doors. We tried all the things...pheromone collars, white noise, music, Thundershirt and many combinations. Nothing worked to calm him. It's frustrating and irritating. We just want him to understand logic and chill, but he's a dog. A dog is not intended to understand logic anymore than a toddler understands logic.

Those are just noises outside, Lugs. They are not going to hurt you. You have been hearing them all your life and you have not died yet.

Yeah, reasoning is futile.

So, we went for the anti-anxiety medications. It's a drug combination, actually. Two of these pills and one and a half of these will lull him into a a doped state that allows him no cares at all (in theory) and renders him unable to move mostly.

Here's the thing. We never know how quickly these will go into effect with him. The first time we used them, they took about 12 hours (or maybe longer). All I can tell you is that he was a wreck all through the noisiest part of the night and the next morning he was out of it. So, based on this reasoning I drugged him sooner the next time. Then it took to working just about the right time and it didn't take a whole of crazy calming from me. However, the next time took effect too late again. So, this time we determined to drug him early and drug him often. I gave him the first dose at 9am. It took affect almost immediately, but he didn't go floppy. He merely went loopy. I gave him the next dose at 5pm. He went pretty immobile, but he could still do enough panic. I was at a loss. Then the amazing thing happened. About the time the Whistling Pete's took off, I managed to get him into a coma. He dozed soundly through the next half hour. This was 7 hours after the administration of the 2nd dose. 

I figured I would stay up until he began to be mobile again so I could get both dogs into the mudroom for the night. At 1am, he still couldn't move. At 2am, he still wasn't moving and he seemed to be in a very deep sleep. I went to the sofa. I fell asleep. Before 15 minutes had passed, he was doing this woof that he does when he needs something. He wouldn't be shushed so I got up. He looked at me and went right back to sleep. After he'd slept about 15 more minutes, I tried the sofa again. Not 8 minutes later, he was woofing for me again. And again. And again.

He finally fell into a good slumber about 3am. I went to the sofa where I slept until he realized he was still alive at 5. I stayed up. 

The kids figured it out. Lugs had decided that he was at the gate of the Rainbow Bridge and he wanted me to hold his hand while he crossed. But a miracle happened. He got breakfast. Then I offered him outside. But outside was useless because his back legs were broken. Then I offered him squirrel. Hallelujah! Squirrel! Suddenly his back legs worked again and he was out (albeit rather wobble-footed) and ready to walk away from the Rainbow Bridge.

Today he was his normal, playing with his bear, barking at the neighbors self. I'm exhausted.