This actually happened a while back, but I thought I'd throw it out here for some advice. I left her for 90 minutes and when I got home, Pixie greeted me at the door. I thought I might not have latched the door good, but upon further inspection, I had latched the door just fine. There was a toy ratty sized hole chewed out of the side of the kennel. Pixie's gums were gnarled and bleeding and she had a cut on her neck from trying to escape through the hole (its all I can attribute it to?). She pooped plastic pieces for 2 weeks afterward. I tried to fix the kennel, but she kept eating it. Next step; a metal wire crate. I left the digital camera her on for 40 minutes while I was out one day, and frankly, she's less apt to get hurt in the metal crate trying to escape than if I left her out in the house while we are gone. If its not nailed down, Pix is going to eat it. All we need is a giant bowel obstruction because she ate the entire entertainment armoire....which I have no doubt she could accomplish in just under 3 hours or so!
I'm going to put her food near the kennel tonight and start the process that I read about on another thread. If this doesn't work (and I don't think it will) are there any other suggestions? The vet said to give her a little benadryl 30 minutes before we leave, but there's something I don't like about drugging the dog. I try to go as all natural as I can - plus, the one time I gave it to her, she got WRETCHED diarrhea - in the kennel.
I have honestly never seen a dog with such separation anxiety and "crate hate". She'd likely tear up the house while we were gone if we left her out, but its not the stuff or the vet bills I'm worried about. That can be all replaced, but Princess Pixie Piggles can't! Editing to add - I've got pictures, but for some reason, there's no option to post them... |