Lazy dog...anything to worry about?

vgf1995

Hi,
Over the past two or three days we've noticed something with our 2 year old terrier/lab. She's usually moderately active, in and out of the garden and playing with her toys (although she does also spend a lot of time lounging on the couch). However, over the past couple of days she's taken to staying in her crate all day, sleeping on her blankets or just lying there eyes open. She's been eating and drinking okay and going out to the bathroom, but always goes straight back into her crate. I've tried to coax her out with toys and ham but she's not really that interested. Even walks to the dog park don't have the lasting excitement they used to have with her, as she returns to her crate as soon as we get home, regardless of how buzzing she was when she was out. Should we be worried about depression etc. or is she just being a bit lazy?

volchitsa

Have you taken her to the vet? I'd think of something physical before I'd start to wonder about depression (except if there was a clear reason for this, like another dog dying.

But it sounds like the dog is ill, TBH. Although you say she's fine when she's outside?

vgf1995

volchitsa wrote: »

Have you taken her to the vet? I'd think of something physical before I'd start to wonder about depression (except if there was a clear reason for this, like another dog dying.

But it sounds like the dog is ill, TBH. Although you say she's fine when she's outside?

Thanks for the reply. Haven't brought her to the vet yet. I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid or if there really might be a problem. No trauma or anything clearly bad happening recently so that makes depression less likely I guess. She's absolutely her normal self ourside on walks, she gets walked twice a day (once to a dog park) and loves playing with the other dogs there. It's just at home she doesn't seem like herself. I doubt it's due to lack of mentally stimulation. We have a big family that are always giving her attention and she has a lot of toys. I really hope she's not ill but I will give the vet a call to get him to check.

cocker5

It could be anything OP .. yes there is a possibility she could be just ‘p*ssed off’ happens to all of us sometimes BUT I would rule out anything medical first

DBB

volchitsa wrote: »

Have you taken her to the vet? I'd think of something physical before I'd start to wonder about depression (except if there was a clear reason for this, like another dog dying.

But it sounds like the dog is ill, TBH. Although you say she's fine when she's outside?

I'd second the possibility of there being a potential physical problem... This can be missed/discounted when the dog seems fine when let out or when out on walks, because the adrenaline release with all the excitement masks the physical discomfort... Temporarily.
As a lab, joint issues are a strong possibility.
So, bottom line is, you could do with getting her a good physical check by your vet. At least then, if your vet rules out a physical problem, you can start to rule in other possibilities.
It also seems to me that you're very on-the-ball in noticing that there's been a change in your dog's normal behaviour. Always worth investigating

razorblunt

Our dog is quite "lazy" in the sense she loves the couch/her bed/ any blanket. However a few times we think she might be off for, really slow on walks, it's sometimes the start of tummy issues (which she's prone to). We generally put her on a rice diet for 48 hours and she's back to herself within 24 anyway.

This was only after several trips to vet. Definitely get her checked out incase she has any issues there.

jimf

any possibility of a phantom pregnancy

vgf1995

Hi all,
Thanks for the help. A little update. We brought her to the vet and the vet said she's fit and healthy, so nothing to worry about there thank god. She seems to have snapped out of it in the past day or so. Still a mystery I guess. Glad she's back to herself.

DBB

That's good news op
As a matter of interest, is she spayed? If not, there could have been hormones at play. If not a phantom pregnancy as Jim suggested, could she have been in heat?
Of course, assuming she's properly spayed (no bits of ovary left behind), the above can be reliably discounted!
However, it'll be worth just keeping tabs to see if this happens again, and if there's any sort of pattern to it timing-wise

vgf1995

DBB wrote: »

That's good news op
As a matter of interest, is she spayed? If not, there could have been hormones at play. If not a phantom pregnancy as Jim suggested, could she have been in heat?
Of course, assuming she's properly spayed (no bits of ovary left behind), the above can be reliably discounted!
However, it'll be worth just keeping tabs to see if this happens again, and if there's any sort of pattern to it timing-wise

She was spayed in January 2017 and we've never had any problems or things like this even so i'd assume it was properly done? We're keeping an eye on her anyways.

jimf

dogs are a bit like ourselves off days for no reason

once eating and more important drinking just monitor closely

DBB

vgf1995 wrote: »

She was spayed in January 2017 and we've never had any problems or things like this even so i'd assume it was properly done? We're keeping an eye on her anyways.

Yep, it doesn't sound like there's any issue in that department.
Who knows? Maybe she had tweaked a muscle... Maybe she was just feeling a little bit off. We're all entitled to that!
Great to know she's back to her old self anyway

jimf

or she may be just acting the typical female looking for attention

ok dbb ban away

DBB

jimf wrote: »

or she may be just acting the typical female looking for attention

ok dbb ban away

*takes rolled-up newspaper*
Bold jimf. BOLD.

jimf

DBB wrote: »

*takes rolled-up newspaper*
Bold jimf. BOLD.

:D:D

Graces7

jimf wrote: »

dogs are a bit like ourselves off days for no reason

once eating and more important drinking just monitor closely

yes, ,my wee dog gets what I call "moody blue" days. I just watch and wait. often when I have been out the day before..

jimf

DBB wrote: »

*takes rolled-up newspaper*
Bold jimf. BOLD.

the wife says shovel handle works better with me