Why is my senior dog suddenly hiding but seems otherwise fine?

ChaCha is adorable and I'm sorry to hear that she has been so out of sorts. Hiding, behavioral changes, and a reluctance to play may indicate signs of pain, heart disease, liver disease, among others. I recommend taking ChaCha to her vet for an exam and any necessary diagnostic tests (possibly blood work and x-rays) to get to the bottom of this issue. She may need a course of pain medication if she managed to cause a back or neck injury. I hope that she's feeling better soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Zippy. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He may be experiencing pain from arthritis or could have developed a disease that is contributing to his behavior changes. If there is something that can be diagnosed, then there may be treatment options to help keep him more comfortable. After his examination, laboratory work may be recommended. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Zellie. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian to investigate this sudden change in behavior. She sounds very sore. She could be experiencing pain in her back or hindlimbs that is limiting her mobility. Her veterinarian will carefully examine her and try to detect any sore areas. If found, x-rays may be recommended. In the meantime, do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. With the symptoms that you are describing, I would strongly suggest having a veterinarian examine her. The symptoms you are describing can be caused by many things and would be best to have a veterinarian perform Diagnostics to rule out different causes. I would be concerned about a foreign body obstruction, systemic disease or infection, or trauma-related. The veterinarian can then make the most appropriate Diagnostic and treatment recommendations based on the physical examination. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Moxie. I think that her sudden change in behavior is worrisome. Dogs can slow down as they age. However, she is only middle aged. Plus age changes are gradual. Not as dramatic as you have described. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. I worry that she is painful somewhere. For example, neck and/or back pain is common in small and medium breed dogs. Arthritis or a soft tissue injury could also explain the signs you are seeing. The veterinarian will carefully examine her. X-rays may be recommended. Based on these results, treatment can be started to help her feel better. In the meantime, keep her quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Poor Zeus! If he is that painful even with home treatment I would bring him into your vet now. It is possible there is an injury that requires stronger treatment or care such as a sprain, pinched nerve, muscle sprain, broken bone, etc, so a vet visit would be best to figure out the cause and help Zeus feel better. Until you can get to your vet, keeping him on kennel rest and on leashed potty breaks only can help minimize any further jostling or 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/