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Dog suddenly needy.

Species: Dog
Breed: Chiwawa mix(possibly
Age: 5-8 years
Austin is 7. He is a shelter dog. I've had him since he was 2-ish. He was diagnosed with Addison's disease at 3-he almost died. He is very well controlled on DOCP which I give him every 25 days IM. ( I'm a paramedic ). He has a good personality, very mellow, likes most people. I walk him about 2-3x a day every day. He eats well and isn't overweight. He plays with most other dogs and has NEVER bitten a dog or a person . He even plays with cats! My problem is he has never been needy for me. When I'm around, we are in the same room"Seperate but equal". He sleeps with me but at the foot of the bed. When I leave he's fine- never upset. When I'm at work he stays with a friend who he loves. All of a sudden he's VERY NEEDY.like really needy. If I'm sitting he's in my lap. Right now I'm sitting on the bed and he's crawling up my chest. I can hardly type this. He also moans and kinda growls but it's not fear or anger, it's kinda a "pet me, I'm here-" like a needy child. He had been to the vet very recently and perfect bill of health- blood work etc; always very concerned about Addison's.other than the needy, he is totally normal, the behavior as I told you.
What is going on???? I've read they can sense if you are sick- which I'm not. I love him dearly, but it's driving me nuts!! Please help!!!
🐶raxgel


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I can't say that this is something that I've seen commonly. It does seem a little bit odd that your dog was relatively aloof and now he is obsessed with being with you.

I'm afraid I don't really have an answer for you though. My first suggestion was going to be to have him have a thorough physical exam to make sure he is not trying to tell you that he has a health issue, but it sounds like that's not the issue.

This is probably totally not the cause, but I know when I was pregnant all of my animals did this to me. Any chance that's possible?

It's also possible that when he stayed with your friend somehow your friend conditioned this behavior in him. But, if this is the case I'm not sure how you would "uncondition" it.

The moaning sort of has me concerned though. Chihuahua dogs are really prone to a couple of things that can cause them some pain such as back problems or anal gland issues. I've seen some dogs get more needy when they're dealing with this type of issue. If your vet doesn't feel like he has any obvious issue then perhaps they would be willing to do a trial of pain meds. If he is better on the pain medication then I would go into deeper investigations for pain issues.

If it get much worse then you can talk to your vet about prescribing anti-anxiety medication which may help.

Sorry I don't have an exact answer for you!

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Hi Dr-
Thank you for your response! Funny thing- I WAS pregnant about two months ago and I miscarried about 4 weeks into it. There is no chance I am now. Austin did have an anal gland issue about a month ago as well, and the dr was right on that too. It was taken care of and he was very recently given a clean bill of health.
The only other thing I can think of is I am treated for bipolar type 2 disorder( manic depression). I am VERY well controlled on my meds, hardly any issues at all, maybe he's picking up on something I'm putting out?
I really appreciate your help- I guess it's back to the vet! They know me by name there- lol.

Best-
Rachel


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Interesting. I think it is certainly possible that your dog is picking up on something that you are not even aware of. But, at this point it would be tough to say what that is!



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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.