I had two really horrible experiences with my own dogs.
The first one was with my wire haired dachshund Wittgy. He developed auto immune hemolytic anemia after receiving a 5-way vaccine plus bordetella intranasal drops all at once. He was diagnosed and treated and he was able to live a pretty good life for another 8 years. Did it have significant influence on his behavior? You bet it did.
The second experence: Cosi, my 6 year old Briard girl. She was overdosed with flagyl wile being treated for recurring giardia infestation. Flagyl (Metronidazole) has neurological side effects. Cosi ended up in the hospital. She could not stand up she was so dizzy. She was treated with valium and the damage was reversed. Did the event trigger significant changes in her overall behavior ? Absolutely!
Even though “the books” say that neurological damage can be reversed: from a behavior standpoint I believe these traumatic events cause changes that are irreversible through behavior modification. Both of these dogs’ personalities changed.
This morning I stumbled upon Dr Sophia Yin’s highly interesting blogpost regarding chemicals.I wanted to share this very important information with anyone reading my posts because the subject is very close to my heart and it pains me when I hear about flea and tick control and metronidazole practically given out like candy.
http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/keeping_flea_and_tick_products_straight