My 9-year-old German Shepherd is acting off. Is she sick or in pain?

As long as she is behaving normally otherwise, you can monitor her at home. If the behavior persists or worsens, consider an exam with your veterinarian. The symptoms described could be due to old age changes. Your veterinarian may recommend blood work and a neurological exam to rule out medical causes. https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-signs-of-cognitive-dysfunction-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/aging-gracefully-6-things-to-know-about-canine-cognitive-dysfunct/

She could have pain somewhere in or on her body or she could have anxiety. It is hard to say for sure without seeing her or examining her actions. I would recommend video taping her doing this and showing it to your veterinarian. The vet can also do a complete physical exam to make sure she is not hurting somewhere on her body. Typically pets will gnaw or limp on a certain leg if they are experiencing pain along the skin or musculoskeleton. If she is painful in her belly, then you can see vomiting, lethargy, and lack of appetite associated with it. I hope this helps and best of luck finding out what's truly going on with your pet Riley. Take care.

Aww, I’m sorry to hear about Daisy! I see this commonly with either pain or anxiety. These little guys can easily injure their backs and legs which can cause changes in behavior and the way they stand- as well as shaking. You may also notice Daisy avoiding the dog door or refusing to jump on beds/couches as she normally does. I recommend taking her in for a good physical exam to see if this might be the case. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Daisy!

It could be Loxely isn't feeling well or may be in pain. You can see behavior changes in dogs when they are sick or painful. I would keep an eye on him for the next 24-48 hours. If this behavior continues over this time, then I would have him seen by a vet. Should he develop other symptoms such as limping, severe lethargy, vomiting, or a loss of appetite, I would take him into a vet right away. I hope this helps!

I am so sorry to hear that Daisy is sick. Lethargy can be a symptom of many different problems. However, at her age I worry about things like kidney failure, liver disease, and cancer. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Many problems can be treated if caught early, but if you wait too long they can be life threatening. The veterinarian will likely recommend blood work and possibly an X-ray to help determine the diagnosis. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

This is a very good question, and can sometimes be a sign of discomfort/ pain or anxiety. If it continues, or if you notice any changes in Daisy's appetite, energy, urination, defecation, I recommend having her seen by a veterinarian to help rule out any discomfort .

I am sorry to hear about Sadie. She definitely needs to visit a vet for this issue since it has been going on for so long. If she seems weak, has abdominal pain, is not eating or is vomiting, is having trouble breathing, or has pale gums then these would be reasons to seek emergency care. If not I would try to get an appointment at your vet as soon as possible.