My dog is suddenly panicking, shaking, and won't stay on my bed. Why?

Ruling out an underlying health issue such as pain or illness is always a good first step when your pet experiences a sudden behavior change. As seven is the start of the senior years, it is possible there is some pain from laying in the bed, or arthritis causing problems. if Milou checks out health, trying to find if there is a pattern to the "attacks" may be helpful- does it happen the same time every night? Same spot? Same triggers? Is the neighbor arriving home in a noisy car at that time, etc? This may help you figure out what is triggering it so you can make some adjustments- IE moving the bed somewhere quieter, making sure your dog is fast asleep prior to that time, getting out excess energy before bed, feeding a treat to keep the stomach from becoming too empty and causing growling/discomfort, etc. If you can't seem to find any pattern at all, taking a video of the even to bring to your vet or a local trainer may be helpful in better identifying what is going on, and finding a solution.

It sounds like he is having some anxiety. If there is anything that has recently changed or any loud noises like a storm or construction, this could explain why he is so anxious. I would just try to give him a little extra TLC to see if this helps. If this continues, I would have your vet take a look at him to ensure he isn't in pain somewhere. I have seen dogs do this with back/neck pain as well. If your vet thinks it is anxiety, they can prescribe him an anti-anxiety medicine to help. I hope this helps.

Thanks for using PetCoach. Shaking and panting can be signs of anxiety or possibly pain. It may be a storm or change in atmospheric pressure triggered her anxiety. I recommend looking into a product such as Adaptil, a natural pheromone that can help some anxious dogs. If she continues shaking I recommend a vet visit to rule out any pain and discuss her anxiety, in some cases medications can greatly improve quality of life for anxious pets. https://www.adaptil.com/us#redirected https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4953006

These can be symptoms of many serious medical issues, anxiety, fear, pain, neurologic disease, infection, etc. I would recommend that you have him checked out by a vet to see what could be going on. After a thorough physical exam and discussion of his recent history, the vet may recommend diagnostics, such as blood work, x-rays, ultrasound, etc. to diagnose the cause.

Although I can't be exactly sure there may be something causing Kenai's anxiety in he middle of the night. Sometimes a noise that occurs (perhaps snoring or something while sleeping in your case) is causing Kenai's anxiety. If there are loud noises outside like thunder, gun shots, cars back firing this could also trigger this response. It may even be a sound imperceptible to you. My first suggestion is to try an Adaptil collar to see if this lessens some anxiety. This is a pheromone collar that tends to work nicely with mild anxiety. There are supplements like Solliquin that may also be helpful. Even adding a white noise machine may be worthwhile to block out some sound. It may be helpful to crate train Kenai at least for sleeping. Sometimes have a "settle location" like a crate can help reduce a dog's anxiety. Finally, if there is no improvement it would be a good idea to have Kenai examined by your veterinarian to ensure there isn't any underlying health problem contributing to the behavior. Sometimes pain or infection can manifest in anxious behaviors. If necessary your veterinarian can prescribe a medication for anxiety. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck to you and Kenai!

That is concerning. It is possible there is something they are hearing outside, such as a neighbor or wild animal, or even a critter in the walls that could be bothering them. Looking for a pattern (time of day, certain TV or radio shows on, person coming home, etc) may help you figure out what the trigger is to stop the behavior from happening. Taking a video of the behavior and bringing it to a trainer or behaviorist may also be a good idea to see if they can pick out any details that may provide more information.

WIthout actually seeing the behavior it is difficult to say exactly what is going on with her. I would recommend taking a video of this behavior and making an appointment with your veterinarian to have them view the video and determine if this is something to be concerned about. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.