I have anxiety due to my dog

[KevinNav]

For the past 3 months i have developed some kind of anxiety due to my dogs recent ear infection. One night I was just watching a movie and it began to shake its head non stop. I then worried and couldn’t sleep. The next morning i took her to the vet to find out it was an ear infection, apparently due to “seasonal” allergies. It hasn’t had an ear infection since that day which was February 19, 2020. The problem is that I am extra careful now and Im constantly cleaning the floors to remove allergens and cleaning her feet after every walk. The bigger issue is that I start to freak out whenever I see it licking or biting its paws or perhaps a minor head shake here and there, maybe a little head rub on the couch or ear scratch. I know I sound crazy, but I really dont wanna go through the moment where it was constantly shaking its head. My anxiety is so bad i wake up at 8 everyday to walk it, not mattering what time I go to sleep. I have also considered surrendering my dog to the shelter, but it is so attached to me that I honestly know it wont do good and can possibly be put to sleep, so I backed out.

What can I do ? Im honestly scared and feel like i have to constantly ask other people in my house to see how its doing whenever Im not home or im in my room about to sleep.

[AWall52]

I hope things are better for you now. I'm new here so I just saw this, but I am going through something similar with my dog. She has a genetic condition (Shar Pei Fever) that causes her to occasionally get a fever and a swollen leg. A few days after her last episode she got diarrhea and the next day our power went out on the hottest day of the year so far. I had already been super worried about her and her condition and something about that combination just set me off. I have been incredibly anxious, to the point of not eating and losing weight. I just get this sense of dread thinking about her and all of the things that can go wrong. It's to the point where we are considering rehoming her because it's so unhealthy for me. I have started meditating daily and try to practice mindfulness, but especially the past week or so it has been hard for me to concentrate and not worry about having to give her up. I have set up a counseling session to try and start getting the help I need.

[KevinNav in reply to AWall52]

Hello, I am really glad you are seeking for help and I know exactly how you might feel. I suggest you think about it and say to yourself that everything is going to be ok and there is nothing to worry about. We just have to learn to live with this without affecting our lives in a negative way. A dog is an innocent creature and it does not know what is going on. Have you taken your dog to the vet?