My 7-year-old dog suddenly growls at me. Is he sick or in pain?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The development of aggression as a dog gets older is not something I would consider to be normal. This behavioral change could be due to canine cognitive dysfunction (think of this as doggy dementia) or potentially something more neurological (brain tumor or degenerative change to the brain). I would recommend having Buddy examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. There may be something systemic going on so having his blood tested would be a good idea. There are drugs that you can use for doggy dementia such as Selegiline. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I would be most suspicious of her being pain with that description. It could be orthopedic pain or abdominal, or even eyes/ear/skin or a headache. If she's very old, it could also be dementia, which can be worse during certain times of the day. I would recommend getting a video of her behavior (not the growling, you don't want to do anything that might results in getting bit), and taking her and the video to her vet to discuss next steps.

If Shadow had an injury from bumping his head a few weeks ago, I'd have expected to see symptoms before now. I'm concerned about this sudden aggression which can be a sign of pain or illness. Have him seen by a vet for this.

Hi there. It's unusual to see aggression issues suddenly start in a dog this age without any history of aggression, so I would be suspicious that Danny may have a medical problem causing this. He may be painful or uncomfortable for some reason, or may have a hormonal problem such as hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease causing him to be more irritable. I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam and possibly lab work to see if an underlying cause can be found.

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.

Oh dear! That is a worry for sure! It's really important that you don't get hurt, because dog bites can be pretty serious. I would suggest making an appointment with your vet to talk about possibilities. They might be able to link you up with a behaviorist, or dog trainer that could help a lot. There also could be medications that might help. Or, like you said, there could be a medical problem that is upsetting him.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Benny. I am sorry to hear about his behavior changes. That is very upsetting. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. My first thought is that he could have a medical problem contributing to the change you are observing in him. For example, if a dog is painful from arthritis, an ear infection, periodontal disease or some other issue, he may act out aggressively. Another consideration is if he has dementia. This is common in older pets and is frequently observed at night. The veterinarian will thoroughly examine him and determine how best to help you both. In the meantime, be careful around him to keep yourself safe and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!