Evening Anxiety?

My dog is very happy, playful, and active during the day.  However, we recently redecorated and moved his bed (we crate him at night) to a different location in the living room.  Shortly after this, he began showing anxiety symptoms.  If he knows that I am getting ready to leave the house, he begins whimpering and shivering.  He has always responded to "go to bed" by happily getting into his crate and laying down without any problems.  But since his "anxiety" started, he pants and whimpers in his crate as soon as my husband and I turn off our light to go to sleep.  The only way to get him to stop and relax is to move his bed into our bedroom.  For a bit of a background, we got him and his sister May 2008 as a rescue after they were abandoned by their previous owner. The rescue approximated that they were about 1 to 1.5 years old based on a veterinarian's opinion. He is on both flea medicine and heartworm prevention medication. He has shown no symptoms of loss of appetite or lethargy, has had no significant weight gain or loss, and has been getting plenty of fluids.  He is completely up-to-date on all vaccinations.  We think that he was abused by his previous owner before he was abandoned because he has many "phobias" and is very jumpy around all men except for my husband. I was just wondering if I should attribute his current symptoms to anxiety or if there could be something physically wrong that would need veterinary care? If it is anxiety, is there anything I could do to help relieve these new symptoms that he has been having?  He has never before become nervous when prepare to leave the house or at bed time.  I just hate to see him worried and anxious to this severity so often.  Thank you for your time!

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

It sounds as if your new dog has a doggie version of post traumatic stress syndrome.  It is very important to try to give him a sense of comfort and belonging.

Does he have to be crated at night when you are home?  Is there a problem with allowing him to sleep in your room?  If not, I would allow him to sleep on a comfortable doggie bed in your room with out the crate to develop a sense of belonging.  

You can try using a DAP infuser, available online or in some pet stores.  DAP infusers are plug in air fresheners that give off a dog pheromone that gives dogs a feeling of well being.  If this is insufficient there are herbal formulas and medications that may help.  The herbal formula: Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan (Emperor"s Heart Tonic pill) available online at 1/4 human dose twice daily may help;  Clomicalm, Prozac,  or Paxil, available by prescription from your vet may also help, as well as professional training.

Sometimes intervertebral disk disease, back problems,  or anal gland problems can cause what appears to be anxiety, so it may be a good idea to have him evaluated by a vet just in case.