The Calmivet Experience for my Dog

[Lavanda]

My dog has to have a rabies injection every year and his was overdue by about six months. A few weeks ago I went to see the vet (again) and told him that we couldn't keep putting it off and we simply had to do it. He agreed but the big problem is that my placid, good-natured, friendly and soppy dog turns into a Hound of the Baskervilles any time he sees the vet. Normally there’s a long struggle with my dog as my OH holds him down and I tie a soft pair of tights around his muzzle, The vet moves in for the jab and then runs — but it’s exhausting and quite stressful for all of us. So, I asked the vet if I could give my dog some tranquillising tablets before he came to do the jab. (The vet comes to us as my dog is too big for the clinic and, anyway, we wouldn’t get him within a mile of the place.)

The vet gave me some Calmivet tablets and told me to give my dog 13 tablets just an hour before he was due. That seemed a lot of tablets but my dog is over 60kg. However, my OH and I worked out that eight tablets should be sufficient. It all went as planned. Doggie was sleepy and calm and the vet gave him his rabies jab and clipped his claws and that seemed fine. That was at 13.00 on day one. My dog slept. And slept. And slept. After eight hours we got a bit concerned. We turned him over and laid him on his other side but he barely opened his eyes. He wagged his tail half a centimetre off the ground and went back to sleep. We started to panic a bit but he was breathing all right and occasionally opened an eye when we called him but, basically, he carried on sleeping. He finally roused himself on the afternoon of day two having been asleep for 27 hours. He was wobbly on his legs to start with, then was desperate for a wee, a drink and food. He recovered rapidly after that but, imagine if we had given him all 13 tablets that the vet had recommended!!!

[Lyric]

Senior Management has been trying to catch a campo puppy machine for some time now and the initial idea was give her a couple of Calmivet in some food, wait, and catch the subdued animal. No reaction, she ran away as soon as approached and she had taken them. Repeated with six tablets, then eight and again no reaction. This after hours of waiting for a result. I should add this is a small dog, 15 to 20 Kg max. So not all dogs are the same.

[Lavanda]

Your right, Lyric. Later, we looked up the tablets on the 'net and large breeds such as Great Danes, and, I assume Mastiffs like my dog, are more susceptible and can sleep for longer than normal. We only read up about it afterwards because, obviously, we thought the vet knew what he was doing — although we did recalculate the dosage based on the tablet-to-weight ratio on the side of the box.

[oliveview01]

We too use calmivet for our dog when stressed out by storms, we have just been giving one pill though, our dog doesn't go to sleep, just calms down. When we were trying to catch some young dogs living under some prickly pears we gave one pill, she still ran, so the next time gave 2 pills in food left there, she was still moving fast, but our friend was able to catch her!
Just little add about the prickly pear puppy, she went to a new home in the UK, was still terribly nervous, but a couple of weeks ago little Jenny won best rescue and reserve champion in the local dog show!! Her owner said she is a totally different dog now!!

[Lavanda]

How nice. I love to hear happy dog stories. I have a friend in the UK who fosters dogs until they are found a permanent home. She is amazing and has been on the local telly and in the local press. All some dogs really need is a chance to be lovely and for that they need a secure, stable, calm and loving routine. My friend provides that. She's so good.

[patricia]

Thank god you checked it out! 13 he may have slept for ever.