Is my senior dog's sudden anxiety from blindness or other illness?

If separation anxiety is suspected, the first step is to discuss the situation with a veterinarian and have the dog undergo a complete physical examination. It is important to make sure that a dog's behavior is truly due to separation anxiety and not from something else. For instance,a dog may bark when alone because he feels he is protecting his property or because he can hear another dog. A veterinarian may recommend some testing to determine if a dog has an underlying medical problem, which could contribute to behavior problems or make them worse. This is important considering he is suspected to have developed anxiety recently and quite suddenly. Tests may include a complete blood count (CBC), a chemistry panel, urinalysis, thyroid testing, a blood pressure check, and an electrocardiogram (ECG). These tests will also be important to evaluate the health status of a dog prior to being placed on any medication.

I'm sorry to hear about your issues with Cotton. It sound like he is suffering separation anxiety. This can be a standalone behavior problem, but when it develops suddenly in older pets, it can indicate a change in health status such as hearing or vision loss. This is a good resource for managing separation anxiety, but if you do not see improvement, I would recommend having Cotton seen by your veterinarian to ensure there is nothing else going on. https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/separation-anxiety-solution-training-fido-that-calm-behavior-makes-you/

Poor Gibson! As dogs age, they can develop canine cognitive dysfunction (similar to dementia in humans) or decreases in their hearing and sight, which can result in anxiety and behavioral changes. Restlessness, panting and sudden jumping could also be a sign of pain. At this point, your best bet is to take Gibson to his vet for evaluation to determine if he has any apparent sources of pain, which could be managed with pain medication. If not, your vet will be able to discuss some of the different medication options to try to manage cognitive dysfunction, but these are not always overly effective. I hope that all goes well!

You are correct there could be something else going on. In senior dogs like Molly, they can develop a condition called canine cognitive dysfunction. This is similar to dementia in humans, and it would cause her to behavior strangely at times. I would have Molly seen by a vet. The vet can diagnose if she does have cognitive canine dysfunction by doing a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, and x-rays to rule out any health problems that could potentially cause her symptoms. If canine cognitive dysfunction is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment with you. While it cannot be cured, it can be managed with mediations, behavioral therapy, and special diets.

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!

If you are noticing a sudden onset of blindness, Ryder needs to be examined by the veterinarian right away. This could be an indication of high blood pressure or other system disease that may respond well to treatment if caught early. A sudden change in behavior could be behavioral in nature OR it could be related to increased hunger from an endocrine disease. Discuss this with the veterinarian as well and make sure to keep things up and out of Ryder's reach. I hope this helps.

It does sound like things are tough for both of you. From what you are saying, it sounds like you prefer a holistic treatment program for Tango, but it sounds like he's gotten worse despite this. You need to have him seen by a vet for this anxiety, I suspect he needs anti-anxiety drugs. I'd take him into the vet in the morning. Best of luck.