Dog suddenly scared, hiding, whining, and sad. Is it anxiety?

I'm sorry to hear Gizmo isn't acting himself! Without seeing him it is very hard to say. It sound like he could be painful and he's acting anxious. I recommend taking him to the vet for a full physical exam. Have them check for pain in his limbs or spine. Have them check for an ear infection or any evidence of fleas. Also have them check his anal glands. These are common areas that pets have problems and show signs of anxiety. I would also question if there have been any loud noises or thunder storms. These things can also cause stress in pets. Please do not give any medications over the counter until you talk to your vet. Good luck and kisses to Gizmo!

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.

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!

Peeing in the house, barking excessively, soft stool and drinking a lot could all be caused by stress/anxiety, for which non -prescription VetriScience daily Composure chews (available on chewy.com) may help, however a consult with your veterinarian re: Prozac (which takes 3 weeks to take effect) or an alternate anti-depressant /anti-anxiety medication or the help of a trainer may be needed. It would be safest however to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam, full screening bloodwork, a urinalysis and fecal exam to rule out parasites as the cause of the soft stool or renal disease/diabetes as the cause of the increased drinking. Your vet can also prescribe/send home metronidale which is an anti-inflammatory antibiotic to resolve the diarrhea +/- probiotics to help with the soft stool. Good luck!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Your description sounds most suspicious of generalized anxiety. There may have been something that spooked your dog recently to cause the behavior change, making him want to be near you all the time and causing him to seek reassurance. However, given his breed, it's also possible that he's just got too much pent-up energy - many high energy breeds can develop either anxiety or boredom if they aren't given an outlet for their energy and a way to tire themselves out. I recommend making sure your dog has a way to RUN his energy off daily. (with his breed and age, a walk probably won't cut it). You can take him running, or if he's ball motivated, throwing a ball is a great option to get him running. Fenced in dog parks are good options too. If tiring him out doesn't help reduce his clingy behaviors, I recommend consulting your vet and having them do a physical exam and likely some screening bloodwork. Sometimes panting, whining, and being generally clingy are the dog's way of telling us that something's not right, which can be the first sign of a disease or health problem. I hope this helps!

Any continued abnormal symptoms (longer than 24 hours) warrants a vet exam. I cannot tell you what is wrong with him just by your description as those symptoms are very vague. I suggest you get him examined by your vet to see if there is an underlying medical issue. If there is no underlying medical problem found then you can speak to your vet about possibly trying some anti-anxiety medications as the behavior he is exhibiting is not normal. If you can, video him doing this so you can show the vet.

I'd always want to rule out a medical problem when there has been an abrupt change in behavior. A visit to the vet is in order to help to ensure that there are no underlying issues - changes in vision, neurologic issues, etc - that may be at the bottom of this. If everything is well with your health, ask yourself some questions: could there be any nocturnal animals visiting your property, and would she be able to see them or smell them? Could there be distant thunderstorms that she is hearing (and you're not, because you're sleeping) and the noise is making her anxious? You can try some low impact changes, such as a [Thundershirt ](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thundershirt-heather-gray-dog-anxiety-solution) or [pheromone diffuser](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thunderease-calming-diffuser-kit-for-dogs) to help calm anxiety. Your vet can also prescribe medications that will reduce anxiety. Hope this helps!