https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:18:12 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2117172 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 20:16:48 +0000 BananaPancakes 2117172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd head into the vet for blood work. We just lost our dog in February, and she had been starting to act a little strange (including refusing foods) over the previous 6 months. I just thought it was her getting old, but it ended up being something much worse. We had blood work done on a Saturday and she was gone by Monday because we had waited too late. I'd be cautious, especially at his age, and let the vet run some tests. So many things can be handled with medication if it's caught early enough, and strange behavior is a good sign something's up. Lots of good thoughts for Dutch! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116989 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 15:08:19 +0000 youboots 2116989@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@IRunForFun: thank you for taking the time to respond. Like I said at first he is the first dog I have ever had and we just love him so much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116985 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 15:04:07 +0000 IRunForFun 2116985@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: The vets gave us tips for helping her adjust to the vision/hearing losses and to help her get around better and be familiar in our apartment again. The one thing that was tough was to prevent anything from startling her - making sure no one approached her too quickly or touched or grabbed her suddenly. Basically she would need to be approached slowly and allowed to sniff hands, etc, before she was touched. It was easier for us because we have no kids yet, and because she was small and relatively inactive, so we could pick her up and carry her where we needed her to go. </p> <p>Unfortunately we did end up needing to say goodbye to her about 6 months after the vision problems became really bad, but not entirely due to them. She was 13 or 14 (rescue pup so not exactly sure) and had some other health issues as well. :sad: </p> <p>I hope the vet can give you some concrete answers and it's something you can remedy to make everyone comfortable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116983 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 14:55:20 +0000 youboots 2116983@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: thank you. Uh it was just so stressful. Baby had not met her Papa because he had pneumonia when she was born. Not sure why they brought the dog to meet a 3 week old but that's not the point. @IRunForFun: what ended up happening with your dog if you don't mind me asking? I'm so sorry, that sounds similar to what we are going through. It makes me nervous that he is acting so strange with a brand new baby at home, soon she will be moving around and could startle him. It will be sad to keep them separated in the future but we may have to do that.</p> <p>I just made an appt to see the vet next week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116977 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 14:44:35 +0000 IRunForFun 2116977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Awww. It does sound like maybe something is going on with his vision/hearing. Sometimes those things can deteriorate so slowly that the changes are subtle and then all of a sudden the dog is acting vastly different. </p> <p>This happened with my old pup and because I was around her every single day I didn't really notice until it was pretty far gone. She started being a lot more skittish and a little confused and she would act out where she previously didn't because she couldn't always see/hear other animals or people approaching her anymore due to her loss of those senses. So she would sometimes snap or snarl if something took her by surprise. Maybe that would explain your dog attacking your mom's dog? </p> <p>I'd definitely take him to the vet, although the only way we found out the extent of the vision damage was to take our dog to a pet opthamologist (which sounds ridiculous, I know.) </p> <p>Of course, at his age, he could also be suffering from a bit of dementia. :sad: </p> <p>It's so hard to see pets go downhill. I'm really sorry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116975 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 14:40:20 +0000 blackbird 2116975@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only have cats, but when my cat started to refuse to go to the bathroom like normal and fighting with his brother, it turned out to be a kidney problem. My vet said it was a naturally tendency if one cat is sick for dominance issues to come out. Even if they didn't exist before. The behavior definitely warrants a check up, especially with the fighting. I'm sorry </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116972 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 14:32:47 +0000 youboots 2116972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Boo. He just attacked my parents in laws dog. They usually get along famously. He's ok, just a hole in his ear. He's had scuffles with other dogs in the past but it's been years. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116831 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 10:49:12 +0000 youboots 2116831@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Pinecone316: thank you. It's been especially tough on M. He always had a dog or two growing up, but Dutch was the first dog that was really his. We went to Petco for some fish food and Dutch came right up to him at an adoption event and sneezed on his feet. An hour and a half later we were packing him up and driving him home. He really chose us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116828 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 10:42:15 +0000 youboots 2116828@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mama Bird: he has some vision problems, perhaps he is losing vision in his second eye. They usually spend lots of time outside sunning themselves when it's nice, so sometimes they are in the backyard for hours each day depending on the weather. It's been really nice and now there is some rain, but it's Oregon so he's always been around rain.</p> <p>@MrsHansen82: They pretty much kill anything wild that comes in the yard that is not fast/smart enough to get away from them. We live in the downtown district of a suburbian town, so I doubht anything bigger than a raccoon has been out there and the neighbors dog is a yippy 10 lb terror.</p> <p>Looks like we just need to find a time to schlep him into the vet. I just feel like whenever we take them they try and tell us we need to buy so many things (heart worm, flea, tick, etc. I like our vet but it feels like such a racket sometimes and I don't want to put the poor guy on a bunch of meds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116827 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 10:41:07 +0000 Mrs.Pinecone316 2116827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No advice but just wanted to say sorry:( See your aging buddy change is never easy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116820 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 10:28:16 +0000 turquoisemama 2116820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sisters dog started acting less confident when her lost some of his vision. </p> <p>Is it possible that there's a neighbor with a new dog that he's afraid of? Or maybe a recent wild animal visitor? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116813 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 10:11:43 +0000 Mama Bird 2116813@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sorry, it's scary when you can tell something's wrong but you can't figure out what... At that age, he could be having either eye or hearing problems. With a dog who spends a lot of time indoors, there may be very few signs because they're so used to their surroundings they can pretty much get around by memory. It could be making him less confident to go outside though. Has the vet checked for something of that sort?</p> <p>Or if you've had the kind of awful cold winter we had here, maybe the snow or the cold are bothering him... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-is-wrong-with-my-dog#post-2116807 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 10:00:24 +0000 youboots 2116807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Dutch is the first dog I have ever had. We adopted him 8 1/2 years ago from a no kill shelter who had him for 1 1/2 years, he was badly abused so it took that long for him to be trained/pass the state temperament test. They are not sure how old he was he had lived chained to a tree his whole life and was underfed and beaten. Their guess on age 2 or less. He is a mixed breed Shepard/lab/chow we think and weighs about 65 lbs.</p> <p>He has always been a wonderful loyal dog. Really happy and easy. He can be skittish and is scared of things like brooms, the vacuum, hoses etc. He loves people and kids and seems really in tune with our 19 day old baby.</p> <p>A few months ago he started refusing to go outside to go potty or eat. Sometimes once a day, sometimes every time. So we gently prompted him, put treats in his food, let him stay inside and try again. Put sometimes we are forced to pull him outside by his collar which is upsetting to everyone. Because of his history we are so careful to be gentle to him. I want to cry. I'm not sure if it matters but we also have a six year old Mini Aussie who is just fine.</p> <p>My Mom thinks he has brain damage. I think he could be 12 and is getting old and confused. Any advice or experience with an aging dog? He is checking out at every vet appointment. Physically he seems fine. </p> <p>ETA we both work from home so his routine is the same. And we are around even more because of the baby. </p>