Why is my dog suddenly aggressive towards other pets and not eating?

Any dog that all of a sudden acts aggressive it is usually due to some type of pain in the body. If he is not eating he may have an intestinal obstruction and that is painful. I suggest you get him to a vet for an exam.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Mylah and her apparent aggression. Aggression problems can be very complicated and complex. One thing you should do initially is take her to your veterinarian and let them make sure that she is healthy and that nothing appears wrong medically. Pain, etc can bring about aggression and irritability problems. Once the medical check is cleared, then you can discuss with your vet exactly what is going on behaviorally. Your veterinarian may want to refer you to a certified trainer or animal behaviorist to try to sort out what is triggering the aggression. I see she is spayed so we can rule out irritability/aggression associated with her heat cycles. I wish you the best of luck with little cutie Mylah.

I strongly recommend that you have your dog examined by a vet since she is considered an old dog and very heavy and therefore could be suffering from painful arthritis which in turn may make her aggressive. If pain is the culprit, then NSAIDs given regularly will help control that pain and the aggression may stop. I would be worried that she will hurt your other pets and ultimately the humans in the house (not just your brother). Best keep her separated from the cats until you take her to the vet.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! If this has been a fairly sudden behavior change for Elsa, the first thing I would suggest would be to have her examined by a vet to see if there may be a medial reason for the aggression - many illnesses including thyroid problems and neurologic issues can cause sudden mood swings and behavior changes like this, as well as anything that may be painful such as an injury of some kind, arthritis, etc. If your vet determines that Elsa is healthy, then I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist as the next step. Aggression towards humans is a serious and complex behavior issue that needs to be handled by a professional who can work with your dog in person. The behaviorist will evaluate your dog and help you determine what is triggering the aggression, then put together a detailed training plan to work on the problem. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

I am so sorry to hear about your dog! With a sudden change in behavior like this I would recommend having her examined by a vet to ensure there isn't a medical cause. Occasionally we can have diseases that cause a change in appetite/behavior such as this, so it is best to have her examined to ensure there isn't a medical treatment to resolve the issue!

That’s hard to say. Certainly her hormones can make her more unpredictable and prone to mood swings. If only she could talk and tell you! There could also be an element of her maturing into an adult dog now and this will sometimes change things in her idea of the human pack structure. Because of situations like this, I recommend to spay or neuter all pets who are not intended to be breeding animals. It tends to keep them more even keel and generally exhibit less signs of aggression or dominance. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would recommend taking your dog to the vet for an exam, as there are definitely some medical conditions that can cause a dramatic increase in appetite like this. Some possibilities would include Cushing's disease, diabetes, a thyroid tumor, or a problem with absorbing nutrients from the GI tract. Your veterinarian can do blood work or other testing if needed to help determine what may be causing this.