new to the group and worried about my yorkie
 

Hi all, I have just joined and was searching through past threads, but to be honest I have never used a forum and not really sure what I was looking for.


Anyway, Holly, my large yorkie cross is approx. 12 years old. I rescued her from death row 6 years ago and she has been the most amazing sweet little thing once she got over the trauma of her previous life. Recently however, her behaviour has changed. She has become much more needy. E.g. she use to sit outside the bathroom door and wait for me, now she stands and cries and scratches at the door. My partner and parents have said that she wont rest when I am away from her and cries and whines all the time. She has become less gentle when eating treats from our hands and has snapped a couple of times. Her breathing is much heavier and louder. She has turned from stubborn to out right bold. She is scratching alot more and is more smelly than usual. The other thing that I am concerned about is that when ever we are petting her one of her hind legs start moving, I am aware that many dogs have a" spot" where this happens. However with Hols it happens no matter where I am rubbing her.


I know that her hips are painful as she has arthritis however she loves her walks and runs on beach and in the fields, which I keep nice and short so she isn't in a lot of pain after.


I have made apt with the vet for next week and would love to hear if anyone has had similar experience with their dogs and advice they might have.


A concerned Mummy to Holly

Hi and welcome to YT. Sorry to hear that Holly is not her self. Im glad you have a vet apt. It sounds to me that she is not feeling well and just needs to be near you. I hope the vet apt will help clear things up.

As our darlings age, they can easily become more dependent, or "insecure" with their surroundings, much more needy.....something as "simple" as a changing eye sight issue can really affect their personality.....they realize there is something that is not right, but they don't have any idea what is going on. Changes in hearing or eye sight is very noticeable to them, but it is confusing and frightening. That could explain this "neediness" you see in your aging baby now....realizes changes are happening to her eyesight and hearing and even movement in aging joints, but she doesnt understand what in the world is happening and it is frightening to her....she wants her mommy to make it better and keep her safe.

A good vet visit is the right thing to do. Hopefully, your vet is a good vet, compassionate and sensitive to changes due to aging, as well as issues that may be caused by system failures secondary to aging organs and systems......painful joints due to progression in age can be alleviated with medication and could make a world of difference. It may not be anything that simple, and it is necessary you have a concerned, attentive vet assessing your senior. Make sure the compassion as well as attentiveness to what YOU are relaying to him, and a genuine concern for your senior is clearly obvious to the vet, not just a "get 'em in, get 'em out, take this pill, let me know" attitude. Let us know what the vet sees as the issue with your aging little lady!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: Totally agree.

As our kiddo's age, their senses can change (sight/hearing etc) and this can lead to feeling some fear and neediness. Like us humans, dogs can also have mind/memory/cognition issues as their minds age too...and that can be scary for them. Some dogs even get dementia, and there are meds to try for that.

But you also mentioned her being more greedy about treats and about her breathing. On the treats -- does she have a marked increase in hunger overall? Does she seem desperate about food? On the breathing...is she lethargic, breathless, panting, less energetic....?

And on top of that, *any* other random symptoms like fur loss, drinking/peeing a lot, pot belly shape, recurrent skin infections, ear issues, overall lethargy, panting, heat intolerance, hind leg weakness....just anything...?

My older boy became grumpy and was lethargic at times and smelly.... Turned out he needed a dental cleaning which he had a few months ago. He's like a new dog now! Just turned 14 in August. So playful and no smell and much happier.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Thanks for all the advice folks. I decided to go to different vet this to get second opinion, as I felt rushed out of the surgery when we went for our yearly check up a few months ago. I'm defy not going to be rushed out this time. Have been giving her lots of cuddles and special care since I posted last.


Her snapping for treats has eased a little with a lot of work from my partner and I. Overall her appetite has lessened (so have the treats). The smell from her coat is much stronger but her breath is fine. She does have another condition on her tail stump. She was badly docked and left with a boney scar at the tip of her tail. Its covered in bit black heads and spots but my current vet said to leave it alone as she is too old for surgery. It does not seem to upset her unless you touch it.


Anyhow, all will be revealed on Thursday am. I will post an update afterward.


Thanks again for advice and kind words.