"I want a new drug, one that won't hurt my head, one the won't make my mouth too dry, or make my eyes too red"

That's what Huey Lewis says and Roscoe was singing that this morning. I wrote Doc Dodman (Roscoe behavior vet at Tufts - Dr. Nicholas Dodman) this -


Hi Doc!
Do you suppose Roscoe is not getting the effects of the Buspirone any more? He was started on it back in the fall of 04 and is currently on 5mg BID. I noticed a back sliding with his behavior around the first of this year. Just a slight difference, seeing the old Roscoe showing up on occasion. More reactive to other dogs and strangers. Then this summer we started with some marking in the house.
Also, I was using Xanax to help him with his trial stress for a couple years, but didn't need it the last year or so. He does agility and can be FANTASTIC and is very close to his championship, however this past year we are back to that downed performance/stress situation and the Xanax is no longer working for him. It just seems like we are slowly going back to the way he was before. Reactive with other dogs, stressed at trials and now this new marking.
He is currently wearing a belly band inside, which does stop the marking and he will wear for the rest of his life, if needed. He is ten this year. Another new behavior that we are seeing is humping. At times he launches on us or people he knows well, or not. Good GRIEF, the crazy buggar even humped a judge after getting a perfect score in obedience and when the judge handed me the ribbon and congratulated me, damn if that little shit didn't go try to hump HER!!! :O I was HORRIFIED, but luckily the judge took it in stride. I pulled him off immediately, but GOOD GRIEF!!!
The change in my household that perhaps could explain some of this is we adopted a young male dog (neutered at the shelter at age 3 months) in Dec. 07. That dog turned two this year in August. Roscoe gets along with him OK, but gets a little over-stimulated by that youngster and they do play a chase me game in the yard, where Roscoe will SCREAM and chase the youngster. Could explain the marking, but I am not sure about the behavior slide. It just seems to me that the Buspirone is no longer working. He is back to being on edge and reacting to things that I think before the Buspar helped keep a handle on.
Do you suppose he could use a new drug?
Thanks! Amy Carlson

I'll let you know what he says. I can't believe it has been so long since our first appointment with Dodman. Boy, time flies!