Sheridan Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 (edited) My 12 and a half year old dog has, just over the last week, displayed some unexplained sudden aggression. It could just be that he's a grumpy old man but I have made a vet appt to have him checked over as I'm not sure that it's simply behavioural. He might suddenly snap, for instance, when he's being patted. I put him up on his grooming table to check it out in case he had a burr or something in his ears and gave him a good pat and rub all over to no problem. The snapping isn't confined to any area of his body when he's patted. Two things stand out. I have someone staying with me for a couple of weeks and he might simply be put out, though he knows this person pretty well. The other thing is that he had a bath the week before and the groomer said he wasn't happy about having his feet done. I've had a look at his feet and they seem okay to me. The behaviour didn't start immediately after that, though; it started a few days afterwards. I'm taking him to the vet to have him checked out and I know that the vet should have a look at neurological and thyroid problems. He's eating and drinking normally and his behaviour is otherwise normal. I've confined him to his crate at night and he's also sleeping normally. The thyroid and neurological issues are what I can think of but is there anything that the vet should take a look at? He's previously had his eyes checked for cataracts (none). Edited July 15, 2008 by Sheridan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~*Shell*~ Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I would be telling the whole story to the vet and have them decide what they need to test him for... It doesn't sound to me like he's just being grumpy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Could it be the onset of senility perhaps?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 Could well be senility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 I would be telling the whole story to the vet and have them decide what they need to test him for...It doesn't sound to me like he's just being grumpy! He's often grumpy, though. He's just been more grumpy, although not with my other dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I would be telling the whole story to the vet and have them decide what they need to test him for...It doesn't sound to me like he's just being grumpy! He's often grumpy, though. He's just been more grumpy, although not with my other dog. Hi sheridan, When my Lakeland was 12 he started behaving very odd, inc. eating from one side of his mouth, walking diagonally instead of straight etc. and doing other strange things. I had him tested a couple of times but it wasn't until his head 'caved' in from muscle degeneration the we realised he had a brain tumour. Not to frighten you, just maybe keep a watch on ALL his actions in case there is something triggering it. We thought, oh , he's getting senile! old etc. It was nothing to do with that ;) so we wasted a few weeks :rolleyes: stuffing around. Poor baby. Hope you get it all sorted out, bound to be something going on there one way or another with the sudden onset of behaviour. Good luckxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 Thanks, Monah. I did have the horrible thought of a brain tumour as well. He's so healthy otherwise, particularly for a 12 year old. He's really strong, can outwalk me, and just the thought of something like that is hideous. How was the brain tumour diagnosed? :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 He may be in pain. Sometimes they react like that when they are hurting. All the best for the old boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Thanks, Monah. I did have the horrible thought of a brain tumour as well. He's so healthy otherwise, particularly for a 12 year old. He's really strong, can outwalk me, and just the thought of something like that is hideous. How was the brain tumour diagnosed? ;) Sheridan, it took a while and mine was soooo bloody healthy, all his organs, heart etc. were checked and he could have just gone on forever (and I always thought he would, I was absolutley devastated for over 12 months :rolleyes: and shocked). It did not get diagnosed until I was stroking his head (lots of curls ;) ) and felt a 'hole'. The tumour had been 'feeding' off his muscle and he only had skull on one side. Even the vets did not notice whn looking at him as they were looking at other things, eyes, insides, bloods etc, urine. All which were perfect. When I saw a vet (same practice) who was older and had seen it before, he knew straight away what it was. But the symptoms can be so varied and due to other things so it would not be unusual to be missed. That's why I mentioned it, so that you can ask for it to be investigated just in case. Love and kisses to your lovely boyxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 You may find his back is out . Not wanting be patted could simply more be a case of not wanting the pain associated with the touch.Just like us when someone goes touch a sunburnt area. Often not wanting feet groomed can be associated witha sore back,shoulders .mild arthritis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tintin Jac Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Could well be senility. Our boy was recently acting very unusually. The vet thought that he might be going a bit senile. We changed his diet to one recommended by the vet and within a week, he was pretty much acting normally again. So, for your dog, if that's what the vet thinks it is, it could be very easily managed. BTW our dog was getting agro when touched and quite withdrawn. He had also started to get some very annoying sleeping habits such as sleep all day, up all night. It was a relief for us to find out what it was and be able to help him. Hope you are able to work out what's up with your dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I was going to suggest his eye sight. My family had a corgi that lived till he was 16. At the end he was very snappy because of his bad eyesight. Hope you find out what is wrong with your boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 Well, here's something that just happened. He came out for a cuddle, putting his head on my knee. I scratched both ears for five minutes or so then did it again. Third time, I touched his left ear and he snatched at my hand. It seems to be his left side more often than not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreatBigPuppy Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Might be an injury to that site? Might be the starts of dementia? Might be a tumor or object lodged in the ear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnauzer Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Hi Sheridan, Sounds to me like it is pain related. Have his ears checked well and swabbed. I would also ask them to feel and check his neck and spine. I hope he recovers quickly. Big pats to the old boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 Poor boy, he really wants to be patted. Will update after the vet visit but if anyone has some other suggestions, please post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kajtek Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I sooooo hope it's not it! My friends little staffy girl suddenly became agressive/snappy. They had tests done and yes, it was brain tumour. Please have him checked for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 Went to the vet this morning and of course, we muzzled the boy. Luckily, as the vet would have lost his hand several times over. Grumpy does not like the vet "doing things". This is normal ... Nothing obvious. Nothing in his ears. Possibly his eyesight. People may remember me taking him to see an opthamologist to get his eyes checked (no cataracts but ageing lenses). Nothing with his back and the vet poked and prodded a lot, which Grumpy didn't like at all but he wasn't in pain with it. The vet took some blood (vet nurse and me holding him) so he can check kidney, liver, thyroid. A sort of blanket, we don't know what's wrong so let's test for everything blood test. The vet said that it's possibly a tumour but he would have expected something other than aggression. He did say it could be the beginnings of dementia and there's some medication that is very good for that. He also said that it could be behavioural (friend staying with me, dog put out) and if it continues there's a medication for that as well. Good sign that he's eating and drinking normally. Now it's a wait and see what happens with the blood tests. Didn't get a urine test. Forgot about that but aggression isn't a sign of the kidney thing that wheatens get so I'm not especially concerned about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Well, that's sort of good news!! How is his appetite sheridan?? when my boy had a tumour, he ate so much food, I was actually pleased as he had never been an 'eater', very difficult. But he did not put on any weight at all, which made me suspicious. Near the end, he lost his bark and all sorts of other things, poor baby. We had all the tests for everything too, and for a coupole of weeks I was feeling very optimistic, but it was not to be. I hope your lovely boy just has his nose out of joint!! and it's great that the vets have done so many tests. I'm only saying about my Basil so that you can discount it (tumour) hopefully. It's better to have an idea just what to look for, I wish I had known, not that it would have made a difference in the end, but I needed to know what was wrong with him. Please keep posting with his prognosis and all the best. Kisses and hugs and cuddles to the boy , go with whatever can help, there are some great meds out there these days.Best wishes for you bothxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxBloody dogs :D can't live with them, can't live without them!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 Thanks, Monah. His appetite is as it ever was: big, fat and greedy. He can hear food from miles away. He's always been very food oriented so there's no change there. No change in his barking or alertness. He's put on weight but I've been a bit too generous with the Ziwipeak and pigs' ears of late. He's been drinking more water but he also has a companion now and is doing a lot more running around. Today was pretty cold and I was working so he slept most of the day and hardly drank anything. Same with my little kerry girl. Snored the day away, the pair of them. I just found him asleep on my bed, head on my pillow. So utterly adorable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now