My dog is acting strange lately...

Lisa Mag

I have a fox terrier about 8 years i reckon she is about 10 years old, she was thrown from a car the day of my 21st and dad brought her home, she was a very lively dog and 6 weeks later we woke up to 1 dog and 5 pups (2 guesses as to why some A** hole strayed her....

We kept one pup for her and got both her and the pup spayed, they sleep together outside in a kennel and have beds in the kitchen for the evening time when we are home from work, so they get alot of attention and are two very good dogs...

Anyway over the last month or two the mother is acting very strangly... constantly wanting out, then when we let her out she stands outside and looks up like "she had been put out and she didn't want to go out" if i say do you want to come in she will come straight back in and then stands in the hall looking sad like we won't let her out... it takes alot of coaxing to get her back into the kitchen to her bed... 2 mins later she will stand facing the kitchen door because she wants out and it's the same thing over... she follows me everywhere... i even done 3 laps of the kitchen table and she followed me the whole time...

she has also started falling asleep on her back with all 4 legs in the air like a pup...

Do dogs get dementia? is she depressed?

Hopefully someone has some advise for me... i'm very worried...

Tranceypoo

Dogs do get dementia - 'senior moments' and I personally think they suffer from depression as my dog displays signs of it at certain times, take her to the vet and explain what's going on, if she's 10 and a pedigree than I think that's quite a 'good age', so it could just be signs of old age she's displaying and hopefully you have a good vet who can tell you how best to care for her

Bullseye1

It sounds like dementia but I would bring her to the vets to see if there is an underlying health problem. Does she go to the toilet when let out?

seamus

If nothing has otherwise changed in the house - someone has moved in/out, rearranged furniture, etc, then I too would probably chalk it down to her age and go get her checked out.
Odd that she's never slept on her back before, though. I thought most dogs do that at home?

Lisa Mag

Thank you for the quick replies... you guys are great... i was hoping someone would reply and say "Dogs getting dementia - don't be stupid" sometimes she is ok - but i have noticed when we are walking them, they walk really well off lead, sometimes she just does her own thing so i do have to watch her... she trails behind, or just ignores me, or trots on ahead where her pup will only ever trop on 4 yards then come straight back to my heel... Lady used to walk at me heel...

@ Tranceypoo - after she had the pups we brought her to the vet (obviously) and he was almost certin she was a fox terrier... and he thought she was about 18-24 months old - so that would make her 10... a good age indeed...

@Bullseye1 - :eek: yes she goes to the toilet alot... and we've noticed her drinking lots also, mam reckoned maybe she has diabeties... unfortunately she is over weight not major but she is a begger and we all know we shouldn't feed our pets from the table... but it happens...

@ Seamus - we have recently built on... building started in June and we and lasted 3 months, she always lay on the same patch of grass "where our new living room is" and if she gets into the sitting room she lies almost exactly on the same patch on front of the tv... they have less garden for running about but they still have alot of space... there are now an extra 2 bedrooms upstairs and i had her upstairs last week and mam shouted up "Lady Dinner" adn she went running but ended up down the new landing in my brothers room and came back looking confused then seen the stairs... but they were never dogs that were allowed upstairs or in the living room... do you reckon the new building has confussed her? or is it adding to her problem?

No she never slept on her back the pup never did either... the only time they will lie over is to rub their bellies.... now she sometimes falls asleep like that spread eagle.... looks funny but almost like she is gone back to being a pup... which is why we thought of dementia...

Time for a visit to the vet me thinks...

seamus

Any major disruption in the home can have an effect on the animals living there. Dogs and cats can get very worried and depressed while it's going on and for a couple of weeks afterwards - the older the dog, the longer it takes for them to adjust. But if it's been completed for two months and she still seems "odd", then it may have just been part of the problem and given everything else you've mentioned, a trip to the vet is a good idea.

Diabetes is a distinct possibility, but caught early it's very manageable and not a big deal.

mymo

I would get her to the vet, it does sound like there may be an issue, the toileting a lot could be an infection or diabetes or anything really.
I know several diabetic dogs that live normal lives, and its not that expensive to treat.
She could just be upset by the building, but I would get her checked for your own peace of mind.

Lisa Mag

thanks everyone for your help and advise, i will make an appointment this week and let you know how i get on with her :rolleyes: