Monday, May 18, 2009

Valium

This weekend was the annual Bring-Your-Greyhound-Meeting at the farm. Stephen and I decided to take all 6 greyhounds and spend the night at my sister and Matt's (fiance) house.

Despite having an almost new van that any dog (except Katie) would love, we had to do some extra planning. I had not yet tried Katie on Valium and decided this would be a good trip to try it. Stephen and I had to take separate vehicles and once we arrived at the farm, Katie would be able to resume her travels and return home in Stephen's car (she still approves of Stephen's car).

Thirty minutes prior to our departure, I gave Katie 2 tablets of Valium (the dosage calls for 1 - 4 tablets). 15 minutes later, I put Katie in the van. As usual, she flat our refused and I had to shove her into her crate. I waited another 20 minutes, hoping she would settle down and fall asleep before starting the engine. I peeked in on her.............
...... hmmmm, looking kind of perky still. I gave her a 3rd tablet and 15 more minutes.

Once we got on the road, she looked like this. Panting, shaking, bracing herself, and hanging on for dear life. "Katie, I'm sorry, but you are a dork."
Katie never settled down. We arrived at the farm an hour later. I took the hounds out for a walk around the pastures. It quickly became evident that NOW the Valium was starting to kick in.

Valium seems great for exaggerating neurological problems. Katie was perky, eager for treats, and energetic, but she was a tangle mess of legs going every which way. I put her back in the van hoping she would fall asleep, but she did not.

Stephen arrived with his car and I moved Katie to it. She was happier, but still wide awake and alert. I just wanted her to fall asleep and let the Valium run its course. She obviously slept well later that night.
It was a good test run. Luckily, Katie was able to ride in Stephen's car the rest of the weekend. In the future, she is probably going to have to stay with my parents who live close by. It just is not economical to take Katie's car AND the van everywhere we go with dogs.
I'm just glad Katie traveled well until she was 10 years old. She is the first greyhound to earn a Master Agility Championship and she also earned a Utility Dog Title. She is a big deal, so I guess she has earned the right for one old age quirk. :-)