Why is my dog suddenly scared and cowering, but seems otherwise fine?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Maple! I would take Maple in to your Vet when they open today. The constant crying indicates discomfort somewhere or fear/anxiety. It can be many, many things so with out examining her I can not tell you for sure. Possibilities are: anal glands, back pain, stomach pains from gas, fleas, nausea, she could be in heat, etc. Look her all over, especially her skin. Try to take her for a walk and see how she does. Pick her up and snuggle her and then call your Vet when they open. I hope this helps and I wish Maple a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Cokie was either hurt or scared suddenly. This can happen from insect bite, accidentally tearing a toenail, or a number of other minor, but painful things. It could also be related to a back injury, clot, bladder stone, or other more serious medical conditions- though he’s pretty young for those things. He could also have been scared for some unknown reason (thunder, cat outside, motorcycle reviving up, etc), If you have the ability to check on him at lunch (or have someone else check on him at lunch) that would be ideal, though very likely he will be completely normal by then. If he is not back to normal this evening, consider seeing a vet to get him checked out. Best wishes to you and Cokie!

Poor Bow. These symptoms suggest that she either has anxiety from something that scared her or she is having a sudden pain response from somewhere in her body. If the panting episode is continuous and seems labored, she has dulled responses, +/- white or pale gums, or if she seems to be in pain, then I would rush her to the ER vet to have her looked over. However if she is alert, has a normal mentation (aware of her surroundings), panting and shaking are intermittent and not continuous, and if she slowly improves over the next hour as you try to slowly coax her out of her hiding spot, then I would wait it to until morning. Especially if she has a history of anxiety or a recent event (i.e. Thunderstorms, guests over, loud noises, etc) can be seen as a possible cause for her current state. I hope your fur baby is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Hopefully she just got spooked and will return to her normal self after she has time to settle down. Best wishes.

Oh poor girl! She is adorable! Sometimes dogs can get scared of a number of things and act that way. Try to think of anything that could have scared her such as a visitor, neighbors or even loud outside noises. Rarely, dogs try to get away when they do not feel well (more commonly seen with cats). Keep her close, pet her and let her know that everything will be ok with a calm demeanor and gentle voice. If no improvement is observed by tomorrow, have her examined by your veterinarian to ensure that there is no medical reason for her behavior. Good luck!

Any abrupt change in demeanor or behavior should be checked by a vet as soon as possible. Sometimes this is the only way our pets can tell us something is wrong. Hiding and not wanting to be touched can indicate pain or discomfort. She could have a hidden injury you weren't aware of, she could have an infection of some kind, eaten something that didn't agree with her, there are a number of possibilities. Your vet will do an exam, labwork and probably x-rays and based on these results will be better able to tell you what is wrong and how best to treat it.

Sorry to hear that Sammy isn't acting like himself. Given the unusual behavior he is exhibiting, I would say that it is a good idea to have him examined by a veterinarian for any less obvious irregularities. Some of the possible causes for this type of behavior is stress, pain, or generally feeling under the weather. The veterinarian will hopefully be able to isolate the possible cause of the issue. Hope this helps.

If she’s eating/drinking, pooping normally and does not seem to be limping or painful when touched around her legs or belly….it is most likely stress. Possibly there was a super loud noise/siren/crash etc. that scared her. Vetriscience composure chews (available without a prescription on Chewy.com) can help with stress, including separation anxiety stress/firework stress, etc. Hope she feels better soon!