Why is my 9-year-old dog staring blankly and sleeping in odd places?

This change in behavior can indicate that Daisy is sick or may be in pain. Oftentimes, the first sign of illness in pets is a behavior change. Without seeing her in person, I cannot narrow down what is going on with her, but I do recommend watching her closely for the rest of the weekend. If she is still acting like this on Monday, I would take her into the vet for a health check. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Seeing that Harry is 9 years of age, what you are seeing could certainly be due to age. He may be suffering from canine cognitive dysfunction. I would recommend that Harry be examined by a veterinarian and having his blood tested to rule out any other possible causes. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Yes, any of those things you mentioned are possible causes for her symptoms. There are other things too. Sounds a bit like cognitive dysfunction to me (aka: dementia). I strongly recommend you get her to your vet for an exam.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Whitey is not feeling well. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. She may be quite ill with these symptoms. I would recommend having her blood tested and having abdominal x-rays taken. I hope this helps and that Whitey gets better soon. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I'm very sorry to hear this! Unfortunately dogs can develop dementia as they age which can make them act in odd ways including pacing and looking into space. This is not a condition that is easily diagnosed in dogs as there are no medical signs aside from.the symptoms. Another thing that could cause behaviour change in a dog would be any condition that effects the brain. Especially diseases such as tumours which will press on and effect different areas. I would be slightly concerned that the behaviour change in your dog may be due to a physical brain condition such as a tumour, the fact that Buddy paws his head makes me wonder if there is a physical source of discomfort. My advice would be to return to your vet for an examination of neurological function and an eye exam. Sometimes these tests will show nothing, but often there are clues to be found regarding tumours. For a definitive diagnosis an MRI scan is often required. In terms of treatment it is very limited for both conditions. Treatment usually involves managing pain and trying to increase blood flow to the brain to help cognitive function. Although if quality of life deteriorates then euthanasia is sometimes the only option. Best of luck.

This can be caused by many different things, including impending illness, stress, pain, a change in his environment, behavioral, etc. I would recommend a good checkup with a vet to see if there is a medical cause. The vet will perform a thorough physical exam and look for any abnormalities or sources of potential pain. Bloodwork may be recommended to for internal medical illnesses. If nothing is uncovered, then they may discuss other treatments such as things for stress or help you evaluate what started this new attitude.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Moxie. I think that her sudden change in behavior is worrisome. Dogs can slow down as they age. However, she is only middle aged. Plus age changes are gradual. Not as dramatic as you have described. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. I worry that she is painful somewhere. For example, neck and/or back pain is common in small and medium breed dogs. Arthritis or a soft tissue injury could also explain the signs you are seeing. The veterinarian will carefully examine her. X-rays may be recommended. Based on these results, treatment can be started to help her feel better. In the meantime, keep her quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!