Why is my Westie confused, restless, shaking head, and hiding?

Poor Casper! It would help to know exactly how much he weighs, but calculating his dose of chocolate based on a 20 lb "guesstimate" since he's a Westie, this could be enough to cause signs of toxicity such as vomiting or diarrhea. It's unlikely to cause serious toxicity issues like cardiac arrhythmias, muscle tremors, seizures, or death, but could certainly make him feel sick for the next day or so. To be safe, it would be best to take him to the vet right away so that they can induce vomiting to help prevent any problems.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to an underlying allergy predisposing him to fungal infections. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

This sounds like he may have ingested something. Any chance of chocolate, cigarettes, or any prescription or recreational drugs he may have had access to? I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated immediately. I am concerned that this could escalate to seizure activity. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Your description of Papito sounds like a dog that accidentally ingested drugs or medications. If you happen to have any elicit drugs in the house, or medications that contain amphetamines or other uppers (diet pills, anxiety medication, ADHD medication), then I would first check to see if he happened to get into any of those. Ingestion of caffein or chocolate is another possible cause of this hyper-excitability. In either case, it's best to take him to the vet for an exam or treatment. It's also possible that he has a primary brain abnormality. The vet will be able to help narrow-down the cause of this and ensure he gets the necessary treatment to keep him from having life-threatening complications. If you happen to discover that he has ingested an illegal drug, then please know that you can freely share this information with the vet in-confidence without fear of being reported to the police - our main goal is ensuring the dog gets treated appropriately. I hope that helps and Papito gets better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. If he has not improved after a work up by your veterinarian, I recommend that you have Webster re-evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. At this point, an abdominal ultrasound would be indicated. Treatment would be based on findings. At the very least, he can be started on medications to make him feel better. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

This is highly suspicious of a toxin ingestion, especially if this behavior started all of a sudden. Please take your pet to your local vet right away to have him thoroughly checked. He likely ingested something that is affecting his nervous system. If he is a typical anxious dog, then another explanation here is that he got spooked by something. You can ask your vet for some suggestions to treat his anxiety. Medication + behavioral modification training with a certified animal behaviorist are the best options for treating anxiety in pets. I hope that your pet's behavior rectifies soon. Best of luck and take care.

I would first have her evaluated by a veterinarian to make sure she does not have an underlying medical condition. In some cases, pain can cause animals to behave unpredictably. If pain is ruled out, a disease in the brain may be the cause of her aggression. You may also consider contacting a veterinary behaviorist for advice.