Ok first let me thank you for reading my plight. Secondly, I would like to point out that I am asking a question about one of my mother's dogs, so any questions that you lot may have for me may take a while to answer because I'll have to call her, get ahold of her, talk to her for the requisite hour or so (gotta love moms!) and then I'll get back to you with an answer. :mrgreen:


Ok, so here is the story. My mom has been a dog owner and a country gal her whole life. I was raised inline with the Zoroastrian philosophy that dogs are a higher form of life than man. Our dogs are our family. They may not be the most obedient dogs on earth, but they know that they are loved and have never once been problem children until now.

My mother has two Pugs - Maggie, age 5 and Taz, age 1.

Maggie was the sweetest dog. She was very affectionate. She slept in bed, nustled up to my mom, she loved being on laps and getting showered with love. She was my mom's shadow - even following her into the shower! Her favorite pasttime was swimming. My mom would put a little bikini on her (Maggie loved wearing clothes - she really did) and let her up on a raft in the pool with her. When Maggie saw that bikini, she had the same reaction that a lot of dogs do when they see a leash - she'd go buckwild with joy, dancing and prancing, and just happy as all get out because she knew it meant she was going swimming. Then the two of them would lay around in the pool for hours. Maggie would swim for a bit, and then when she got tired, she'd swim over to mom who would pick her up and put her on the raft. Then she'd lay around on the raft and sun until it was time to go swimming again. I tell you all of this so that you can get a clear idea of just how drastic a change Maggie has gone through...

Seven months ago, Maggie was attacked by a coyote while out on her evening potty break. The coyote got her pretty good, but mom's handy with a gun and Maggie lived. Barely. She had some fairly substantial surgery and had to breathe through a tube for a while, but she got better. This may have something to do with Maggie's shift in behavior, so I'm telling you about it, but bear in mind that it was seven months ago.

After Maggie healed up, all was the same. She loved swimming, she loved her bikini, she loved her mommy, she loved her baby bro Taz, she loved my dog Agatha, etc. She seemed completely and utterly fine.

Until Friday evening.

On Friday (exactly one week ago from this posting) my mom walked outside to catch Maggie chewing on a dead raccoon. Now Maggie's a little overweight and Coons are downright nasty, so clearly this wasn't her kill, but a corpse she had found. My mom scolded Maggie, and threw the dead varmint into the compost heap where it would likely be picked apart by other wildlife. At this, Maggie started angrily chasing her tail.



She hasn't stopped since.


It's been one week. She stops to eat. She stops to poop, but not to pee. She stops to sleep, but for the first time in her life it's not in bed with mom, but where ever it is that she literally passes out from exhaustion. And she stops to violently snap at anyone who comes too close to her, be it mom, Taz, or anyone else. If they get within about five feet of her, she goes into attack mode until they back off, and then it's back to the tail chasing.

Toys? She acts like the doesn't even see them. Goodies? They'll sit there uneaten for hours until she decides it's time - and Taz is too scared of her at this point to try and steal them like he used to do. Her bikini? Not interested. Mom even tried to coax her into the pool to no avail.

Now, being a Pug (and an overweight one at that) there is absolutely no danger of her actually catching her tail, so we don't have to worry about her biting it off or anything. The vet is trying some medication for itching in the hopes that that is all it is, but I don't see how an itch could cause such a violent change in so short a time period.

My mom is absolutely heartbroken that her little angel has become so... unhinged. She called me crying today asking me to scour the internet for anyone, anything, that could help or at least give us some idea of how to proceed. She loves Maggie like a daughter and can't stand the thought of putting her on Prozac, which is another suggestion the vet has made. But if it's that or putting her down before she completely snaps and kills Taz...

[Lara's mom]

I've honestly never heard of anything even remotely like this but, there are some very knowledgeable people in this forum. Hopefully, one of them will have some answers or at least some suggestions for you.

I have never heard of this and also find it hard to believe that an itch could cause such a complete change ib behavior in such a short time. Did she save the coon? My guess is that possibly some disease or bacteria from the coon transfered to her when she ate it, just a thought since you said it started after she ate part of the dead raccoon.

Sorry I can't be more helpful, my only suggestions would be to have the vet do full blood work and also maybe a nuro exam.

Please keep us posted.

[Corky/Max]

This is sure strange behavior!! Only thing that comes to my mind--a possible reaction to a rabies shot. How long ago did she have her last rabies shot?---Prob. in last 6-8 months? I would suggest reading up on adverse reactions to this vaccine---and there can be a lot of them--Check on the web and also think there is info in this forum---just put rabies in the search field at top of page (in blue strip across top of page) Only other thing I can think of is--Could it be that something snapped in the mind when your mom took the coon away and threw it in the compost pile? What I'm getting at here is some kind of association with the coyote attack like--Did your mom kill the coyote and throw it in the compost pile or something on this order whereas it could be a 'flashback' for Maggie? Sorry, all I have to offer---I'm no expert, just another dog owner/lover. Hope you figure out what the problem is and able to get the help the poor dog needs--hate to see it on medication for life or put down. Keep us posted--We worry if we don't hear back!

[Corky/Max]

Just found this article: Sudden Aggression in Dogs
The causes and treatments of a dog’s sudden aggressive behavior.




Note: When handling an aggressive dog, take special precautions to avoid being bitten. Even if the dog is normally quiet and loving, do not assume he will not bite you. Muzzle the dog if necessary. Use heavily padded gloves or cover the dog’s mouth with a thick towel or blanket. Herd the dog into a carrier, if possible, for transport to the nearest veterinary hospital. In extreme cases, isolate the dog in a room or pen and call animal control for assistance.

CAUSES OF AGGRESSION
Pain: Trauma (cuts, broken bones, bruises), orthopedic disorders (arthritis, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, back problems), ear infections, eye problems, and many others.

What to do: Take the dog to a veterinarian to diagnose the source of pain and administer treatment, if needed.

Illness: Diseases affecting mood or behavior (rabies, distemper, encephalitis, cognitive dysfunction, brain tumors, and many others).

What to do: Take the dog to a veterinarian to diagnose and treat.

Behavioral: Introduction of new family member (canine or human), maternal aggression, escalation of rough play.

What to do: Consult an experienced dog trainer or animal behaviorist.

[Corky/Max]

I'm sure this sounds far out to you and it did to me at first too, but this is a quote from my home vet book: The rabies virus, which is present in infected saliva, enters at the site of a bite. Saliva on an open wound or disrupted mucous membrane also constitutes exposure. The average incubation period in dogs is 2-8 wks., but it can be as short as 1 wk. or as long as a yr. The virus travels to the brain along nerve routes. The more distant the bite from the brain, the longer the period of incubation. The virus then travels back along nerves to the mouth. Entry into the salivary glands occurs less than 10 days before the appearance of symptoms.

The symptoms of rabies are due to inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). During the prodromal phase, which lasts 2-3 days,the signs are subtle and consist of personality changes. Affectionate and sociable pets may become irritable and aggressive.Shy and less outgoing pets may become overtly affectionate. An infected dog often chews at the site where the virus entered the body. Soon, the animal becomes withdrawn and stares off into space.

There are 2 characteristics forms of encephalitis: the FURIOUS form and the PARALYTIC or dumb form. A rabid dog may show signs of both forms as the disease progresses.

In the furious or "MAD DOG" type of rabies, the dog becomes frenzied and vicious, attacking anything that moves. The muscles of the face go into spasm, drawing the lips back to expose the teeth. When running free, the dog shows no fear and snaps and bites at any animal in his path.

In the paralytic form, the throat and jaw muscles become paralyzed, causing the mouth to drop open and the tongue to hang out. The dog is unable to swallow his own saliva and drools, coughs, gags and may foam at the mouth. As encephalitis progresses, the dog loses control of his body movements, staggers about and collapses. Death from respiratory failure occurs in 1-2 days. In some cases paralysis may be the only sign of rabies.

TREATMENT: There is no effective treatment. The disease is always fatal.

Any dog bitten by an animal not known to be free of rabies must be assumed to be rabid until proven otherwise. The recommendations are as follows: If the dog has previously been vaccinated against rabies, revaccinate immediately and observe the dog under leash confinement at home for 45 days. In the case of an unvaccinated dog, either euthanize the animal (this is preferable) or confine him under strict quarantine without human or animal contact for 6 months. Then vaccinate 1 month before he is released. If this seems harsh, keep in mind that it would not have been necessary if the pet had been vaccinated.unquote---The vet should of checked in to this--If not--a poor vet--and your mom and other dog and any other 'living creature'--human or otherwise could be in very serious danger!! Please check in to this now---even if Maggie has been vaccinated before!!

That was my first thought too actually and I've already mentioned that possibility to my mom.

She swears that the vet ruled that out though.

That being said, I never have trusted my mom's choice in vets.

Thank you so much for the information so far though. I will continue to research and you've helped given me some other avenues to search that I wouldn't have thought of on my own.