Ace is probably one of the most used drugs in veterinary medicine... or it was... used less nowadays that people realize it is NOT an anti-anxiety drug, but as discussed above, just a tranquilizer.. however, even a tranquilizer has its uses. From a safety standpoint, it is a pretty safe drug and overdoses rarely end up in death. But it can really knock a dog out for a day or more if overdosed. Some dogs are uniquely sensitive to it, and what may gently tranquilize one dog, may cause another one to pass out for many hours. That said, It is probably still the number one drug used for fireworks and thunder situations, though it does tend to only tranquilize a dog, it does not make him or her less anxious. An anti anxiety medicine, such as Alprazolam (Xanax) is a lot more appropriate, and it works immediately (unlike ace which takes over half an hour to kick in)... but Xanax wears off quickly (so often has to be repeated several times per storm), too, and it does not wipe out anxiety... just decreases it... so the end result is often unsatisfactory- pet is till very anxious, but less so, and it still can tear a whole through your door trying to hide. Other anti anxiety drugs, such as Valium, tend to make dog's far too wobbly, which may actually increase their anxiety rather than decrease it. Clomipramine (Clomicalm) works on a percentage of dogs, but sometimes requires taking it for days to get a decent blood level. My old Golden was great with thunder as a pup, but became so crazed as on old dog that he literally tore down doors and went through windows when in thundered. We did give him ace just to avoid those tragic situations, ALONG with some Xanax... combination worked well, but you need to talk to your vet about this since mixing drugs an be riskier. STill, both ace and xanax are pretty safe (the latter being really safe- saw a dog last week that ate 10x his maximum dose and did really well). Behavior modification tends to work well, and best in the long term, but it is not something you can do at a moment's notice. Drugs still can help.

Thanks for asking Socks .... Had the surgery one week ago today. Got out of the hospital the next afternoon. I'm now home wearing a hard collar, bone stimulator machine and trying to stay off the computer. I'm only allowed on for 20 mins at a time. I was totally bed-ridden until yesterday... sleeping most of the day and night, so that helped keep me off the computer. So far the only real pain is my throat and left shoulder. Loss of voice is typical with this surgery. Mine finally came back yesterday afternoon. I was warned my shoulders might hurt after the surgery but was never told why. I might call the doctor and ask what causes the shoulder pain. Surgery ended up not quite what I expected. Instead of removing the bottom two fused vertebrae, the doctor cleaned the bone spurs off the fused verts and removed C5 instead. He cleaned up and realigned C3 and C4 and fused C4-C5-C6 with what's called a PEEK cage. From what I can tell, my range of motion is better than before and very little pain when I move. But I'm not going to be able to fully test it for a couple months. Because my throat is still sore from them moving the esophagus and other stuff aside to access the spine from the front, it's difficult to tell if my cough and breathing issues are gone. But I think they are. Just won't know until I'm fully healed. Jodi-

Well,I have numerous issues with health,and with all chemical drugs. My own doctor whom I have been seeing for 40 years has finally come around to a "different" way of thinking. "Science" tells us as doctors,he says-but YOU and the way you react to so much tells us totally different. I would more than likely take the likes of broccoli sprouts quicker than I ever would a medication just because it works for others. I have had to use Homeopathy now for well over 30 years......all based on naturals and their methods. Its not hokey-it actually works-or at the very least,it does for me....at least a damn site better than anything on the market-drug wise. Bring on the sprouts.

I can get a better picture if necessary but I was told this main duct is fiberglass and should be replaced. This is the main duct into my AC unit in attic. The HVAC company said this is the only duct like this the rest they said are ok. I have been having breathing issues for a while and am trying to get to the bottom of it. We had the ducts cleaned and they suggested that the fan on the AC be hooked up to a Honeywell thermostat to circulate air since I have cold pockets in my house with the baseboard heat. We did that and I feel worse. My house was built in 1986. Not sure if they have ever been replaced. Been here two years and feel like crap.