Laura said:
I know that the sedative the vet gives the dogs is like 100% casein, so maybe giving them a small bowl of milk would help? I just never have any in the house but maybe I should get some powdered just for such occasions. Hadn't thought about it before just now.
If it's made from casein, then it's probably
Zylkene? But, yeah, according to the description it can be useful only as a long term treatment. There is another natural alternative called
Calmex. Apparently, it is faster acting than Zylkene and can be used in acute situations. But, then, some say that it isn't that effective either. The products and the doses should be tested and adjusted.
As for a pharmaceutical solution, diazepam(valium) appears to be quick and effective in some cases, but not for prolonged use, as it creates dependency.
But maybe you can try another solution. Some time ago I read about a stress relief technique of applying constant pressure from both sides of an animal, like a squeeze or a big hug. The technique was invented by Temple Grandin, and in case of humans it is called a "
hug machine". And today when reading about natural calmers I stumbled upon the "
thunder shirt" that uses the same principle. This kind of thing is actually being routinely done in vet clinics using "restraining shirts" or blankets, but mostly on cats.
Maybe next time they are scared, you could try and roll them into a big blanket, though not sure if that could be accomplished with such a big puppy!
Here's an image of a collie in thunder shirt, and
here are testimonials.
And this is sheltie: