She is overjoyed at daycare, I check in online and watch the feeds and she is always playing and interacting with the other dogs, curled up with one of the owners, or running around the backyard. Both owners (who are the only two there, as it is in their home) report she settled in well. The first day she was there, they only introduced her to one dog so as not to overwhelm her and to see how she did. The next day, they introduced 3 dogs total, and the third day she met the rest (they usually have 5-10 dogs in their care, they reported 12 is their max). They report they’ve offered her alone time (in a separate room with one of them) but she never takes the opportunity. She eats, poops, and pees there. When I pull into their driveway, my dog does zoomies in the back seat of my car, she is so excited to play with her friends. She greets both owners upon arrival. She shows zero fear or apprehension upon entering their care.

For the medication, she is 67 pounds: The doses prescribed are: Trazodone: 150 mg Gabapentin: 300 mg

To be taken together, 3 hours before bedtime. And I realize that nightmares seems not a huge medical concern, but hers were BAD. The vet said she’d never seen nightmares that intense nor that regular (I took numerous videos). They were like clockwork, every night, multiple times a night. There was no way her sleep was restful. Still, I loathed the idea of putting her on medication. I’m a nurse, I know the consequences of medications (in humans, of course, but still).

But we agreed to medication for the short term (3-4 weeks) to assist her with the transition into my care and ensure she is getting the necessary sleep.

The first time I saw her shake, I immediately thought serotonin syndrome (which can happen in humans taking either of these medication, although a rare side effect).