My 10-year-old dog is clingy. Is it old age or a serious health issue?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be multiple reasons for a dog to suddenly act clingy: fear, separation anxiety, and medical conditions. Medical conditions could be: pain, anal gland issues, fleas, overall nausea from kidney or liver disease, brain tumor or as some dogs age they develop cognitive dysfunction or doggie dementia. If Snicker's behavior persists then I recommend an exam and possibly blood work be done by your Vet. Sadly his symptoms are non-specific and can mean many different things. I hope this helps and I wish you and Sage the best!

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!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be many reasons why Cornia has begun to be a little more clingy to your husband than usual. If she has arthritis, it may be the changes in weather make her arthritis symptoms worse. Sometimes animals cling to their owners when they are not feeling well. I would consult with Cornia's veterinarian and get her in for an exam to make sure there is not something else more concerning going on. If it is determined she just has arthritis, she may need a medication adjustment or additional medications or therapies to help her symptoms. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If he is truly 17 years old then this could be due to cognitive disorder which is similar to dementia. There isn't much you can do about this but you could try to put him on anipryl which can sometimes help but the meds are expensive. If he is younger like it looks in the pictures, this could be from several things like a new anxiety (construction workers, storms, change in his owner(s) routine, etc), pain somewhere, and more. I would have your vet do a thorough exam on him. If everything looks normal, I would talk to him about anti-anxiety meds if needed. Some natural things to try is a calming collar like adaptil and calming chews like vetriscience composure or the stronger prescription version composure pro. I hope this helps!

I wish our pets could talk. This could be behavioral or medical. Pain from arthritis can cause behavior changes. Dogs can become senile, it could be separation anxiety. Changes in senses like blindness or deafness can cause behavior change. I would recommend an exam to rule out medical problems before assuming it is behavioral. I am a big fan of crate training to give dogs a sense of security and safety. Get a nice orthopedic bed and favorite treats or toys to make this a safe enjoyable space. Hope that helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Teddybear could have moderate separation anxiety (that’s the not letting you out of his sight). The appetite changes can also be due to something like chronic pancreatitis or acid reflux/stomach ulcer. I have also seen clingy behavior and changes to appetite with pain (hurt back/neck especially). Long story short, take Teddybear in for a good checkup with your vet. If there is nothing weird on exam or routine bloodwork, you can chat about anxiety medications that can help. Best of luck to you and Teddybear!

Hi Cathy, I'm sorry to hear that Demitasse isn't feeling well! A temperature of 101 F is normal. My primary concerns are her possible decreased appetite, random cries, and sudden change in attitude and being generally clingy. These are all pretty generalized symptoms, but it does seem that she's painful and not feeling well, so I'd recommend having her seen by a vet as soon as possible. Your vet will be able to do a thorough exam to see if they can detect pain anywhere, and will likely recommend running bloodwork to look at Demitasse's organ function, particularly with her decreased appetite. I would also recommend that you test her appetite a little bit with a few treats, or a little bit of bland food such as lowfat chicken and white rice - it will be helpful for your vet to know if she's eating anything at all, and if she can hold that food down or if there are any other symptoms such as vomiting. With the information they gain from the exam and any diagnostics, your vet can then offer specific treatment for her issue, and will likely start her on appropriate pain medication if warranted. I hope this helps and she feels better soon! Feel free to request a consultation if you'd like to discuss Demitasse in more detail.