Why is my senior dog suddenly snapping at children after being good?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. A sudden change in behavior could be due to a systemic infection / disease, neurological condition or anxiety that has worsened from a stressful experience. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Marshall so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would have his blood tested including his thyroid level to see if there is an explanation for this behavior. If everything comes back normal, then I would recommend having Marshall go through a behavioral class and consider anti-anxiety medications if no improvement. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Most often behavioral changes in an older dog are related to pain, an underlying health problem, or cognitive dysfunction (like dementia). If Thai also has a lump or mass in his side this could be uncomfortable and might make him prone to snapping but is probably not the main cause of his behavior change. Painful conditions like arthritis certainly effect older dogs quality of life and can make them grouchy. Cognitive dysfunction occurs when older dogs start to get a little confused. There are medications and supplements that may be helpful for both conditions. I suggest having a veterinarian examine Thai to see if he has arthritis or other painful condition causing him to snap. The veterinarian can also check the lump to make sure it isn't a serious issue. Please remember there are no safe over the counter pain medications for dogs so your veterinarian will need to prescribe the pain medications if they are deemed necessary. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Thai is feeling more like himself soon!

I suggest you have your dog examined by your vet because many times older dogs will start to growl and be "grouchy" when they are hurting (ie: arthritis) or because their vision or hearing is going. If she felt better overall then she may not be as apt to be upset. You are correct, the best thing you can do to be safe it is to keep them separated. The easiest way to do this is to baby gate off a section of the house for your dog to be in so that there is no way for them to come into direct contact with each other. Without gating your only option is to use a basket muzzle (not a cloth muzzle) on her so that if she does try to bite - she can't make direct contact with her teeth. ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Company-Animals-BASKERVILLE-MUZZLE-size/dp/B004OB3M2Y/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=B004OB3M2Y&qid=1558944063&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-1 ) Finally, you can try pheromone therapy - it may help but I honestly haven't had great results with these products but they won't hurt to try. ( http://www.dapdiffuser.com/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

The sudden temperament change can be due to stress from a new baby or maybe an indication of pain or a neurological problem such as tumor or dementia. You can talk with your vet about medicine for pain but with a new baby it is probably safest to not chance it and always keep them separate. If the medicines do not help and her behavior continues then I am afraid your only other option is considering euthanasia for everyone’s safety. I am so sorry you are faced with this!

I'm sorry to hear that you're dealing with this scary, and sad, situation. Firstly, I would never allow her to be around the kids, even while supervised. She's being clear that she's uncomfortable with it and the next step will likely be biting if her growling doesn't get her out of the situation. Secondly, at her age, I would be most concerned about pain (arthritis pain, etc) or maybe a change in mental status such as dementia, so I'd recommend starting with a vet visit to look for a medical cause. If it's just the grandchildren she struggles with, and the vet can't find any pain, you may not need to do anything beyond keeping them apart. If she's also growling at you and the vet can't find a medical cause, it will be time to work with a behaviorist.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The development of aggression as a dog gets older is not something I would consider to be normal. This behavioral change could be due to canine cognitive dysfunction (think of this as doggy dementia) or potentially something more neurological (brain tumor or degenerative change to the brain). I would recommend having Buddy examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. There may be something systemic going on so having his blood tested would be a good idea. There are drugs that you can use for doggy dementia such as Selegiline. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. Any sudden change in behavior, especially in a senior pet, is worrisome. This may be a neurological problem, like early onset cognitive dysfunction, or the beginning of a loss of senses ( hearing, sight ) that may be causing his reaction. You really need to have Buster fully evaluated to see if there is a medical reason for this strange behavior, or if there is a medication, diet change, treatment or behavior modification that might help. I am sure if there is a need for any treatment, a method to get it into him will be found, or perhaps a consult with a behavioral specialist should be tried first. Hopefully, you can find a solution to his distress. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.