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[quote=Anonymous]Oh, Op my heart just breaks for you. What a sad situation you are in. I was faced with a very similar situation and ultimately decided to put my dog down just a year ago. My dog was my life and very much a part of the family. He started to show small signs of aggression based on fear and anxiety that he had toward new people. My husband and I worked with trainers speciallized in aggressive dog behavior, walked him five miles a day and did daily mental exercises to try to help him. We changed our lives to focus on rehabiliting our dog. We saw three different vets and animal behaviorist always hoping that we would get a diagnosis that our dog could be cured. We were on thr wait list for 4 months for thr leading behaviorist who had been studying animal behavior for 20+ years. When we finally saw her, we were told we had the most serious case she had ever seen. the answer was always the same - that the only way to keep him from seriously harming someone was to put him down. At this point, he was on a daily dose of Prozac and given Xanax any time he would have to be in close proximity to a new person (which was rare as it was easier to avoid everyone then to have an episode).

We were fortunate that nothing ever happened, but worked hard every damn day to make sure of it too by crossing the street when walking, not having people over to our house, and keeping him contained to just our family. He was such a good dog with us that it was confusing to think that the people he trusted the most and considered his pack ultimately had to end his life. I was three months pregnant when we made the decision and by far the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with.

You cannot, for thr sake of you and your children, keep your dog in the house any longer. If the vet truly believes that the medication is causing his aggression, please please please have him/her take your dog and ween off the medication. The pup will probably need to go through training as well to help acclimate him back into your lives. I am all for saving a dog that can be saved, but your current situation won't allow it. You also need to think of your dogs quality of life as others mentioned. If the medication is helping to keep him alive, but causing him to lose his mind, that's no way to live. And if he can be weened off the medication and get his personality back but then is so sick, that too is no way to live. I hope an answer can he found and soon.

I would also recommend some grief counseling. The alexandria animal welfare league has a wonderful pet loss program. http://alexandriaanimals.org/pet-bereavement.html  You can also personally schedule an appointment with Kathy to talk about your specific situation. She was a great help to both my husband and I during the tough time we faced.

I am so so sorry but please keep everyone safe

RIP Bowser

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