WatsonBoy

'Ello fellow basset slaves/huminz/lovers... A couple of questions:

1. We go on a lot of weekend getaways to friends' houses, and take Watson with us. We bring his crate (where he sleeps every night at home for 8-10 hours without any problems) for him to sleep in at the friends' houses. The first night we're there, without fail, is a sleepless night. He whines and cries all night long and can't settle. The other nights are no problem, but the first night is miserable for everyone. My question is this: is it awful of me to give him melatonin to help him sleep (slash knock him out so we can sleep? )? If it's not awful, how much should I give him? Is there any chance for dependency or other side effects I should know about?

2. We adopted Watson last year at the end of September. Thus, this is our first summer with the fella... he is losing a LOT of hair lately. Handfuls upon handfuls. I know bassets shed a lot, year round, but does it pick up during summer? He doesn't have any real bald spots, but there are spots where you can tell he's lost hair. Just making sure it's 'normal.' (if there is anything 'normal' about bassets!)

Annie714

1. As far as I know, melatonin is safe and non-habit forming as it is a naturally occurring hormone. But I don't know it all so some others may have more info on that. On a personal note...it certainly didn't knock Annie out! LOL. She had 3mgs.

2. Annie blew out her coat a few months ago...as in I could have filled a couch pillow or perhaps even constructed a new Basset hound with the fur she lost. And now as the weather has warmed up, she is once again shedding like crazy. It is what it is...more brushing and attention to her coat is how I handle it. Oh, and more vacuuming and sweeping.

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Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

Lightning&Stomps

Lightning is blowing his coat right now. I'm amazed at how much hair can come off a dog without leaving his fur looking any thinner! I'm in approximately the same temperature/humidity zone as you are, so I think Watson's extra hair loss is seasonal. Fun!

Wworm

Annie-- too funny, constructing another basset hound out of Annie's hair???

wow. still gotta see this "blowing out the coat" on bassets. does it not happen to them as puppies or something? i don't think Worm has shed any more than usual so far.

yeah, melatonin's not habit-forming. here are the side effects for people:
Melatonin side effects: What are the risks? - MayoClinic.com

it's not really that sedating, so would not likely "knock" Watson out, i don't think...

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WatsonBoy

Good to know on all counts. So if not melatonin... Any tips?

Cassidy

We too are going through a blow-out... I think I sweep up a cat-sized pile of hair every other day! I don't know where it all comes from!!

On the melatonin- that may not do the trick. We just used Dramamine over the 4th (a quick google search will tell you appropriate doses- I did 1-1/2 25 mg pills). While it didn't knock him out (I blame the fireworks more than the lack of meds), it certainly helped. It's perfectly safe for dogs. The only thing to be aware of with any of these human drugs is that dogs metabolize drugs more quickly than we do- so what might seem like it should knock him out for the whole night might only last 6 hours or so... Also, 1-1/2 Dramamine pills would put me out cold for days and all he did was become a bit droopy. BUT, it helped and might just be the thing you need for that first night.

Lastly- having been down the tranquilizer route for a surgery Fergus had 6 months ago- the effects of Dramamine were much more pleasant for us as parents than the vet-prescribed drugs. Which made me happy because he would get so out of it and sickly looking (I think they upset his tummy).

Good luck!

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Mom to Fergus aka Ferg-a-licious- a spunky, eats-everything boy.

Penny Arcade

Oh boy. And I thought Penny's shedding was bad. I don't think she's "blowing out" her coat yet. She's shedding a lot though. Hopefully this is as bad as it gets.

We got these wipes at Petsmart. They're kinda like baby wipes, but for dogs. We've been using them on Penny every night. They clean off loose fur and make her smell nice; then we brush out the rest. Maybe you could try those.

vb3

Something to consider trying - put a blanket over his crate (at home and abroad) if you don't already. That may mask some of the difference Watson is feeling in a new environment. It certainly settles our guys down when they go in their crates.

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