Behavior - growling and becoming ornery
he has started growling and becoming ornery. We say he acts like an "crotchy old man". He alway has had food issues, but lately even if he is sleeping or lying on the floor he will growl when anyone comes near him. I use the term loosely, it's more like a moan. He is doing quite a bit of licking himself, on his paws and legs. We live where there is snow and ice and salt is put down during these months. Anyone ever have these issues with their sheepie??? We also have a 7 month old Shih Tzu and they get along well, but it gets us nervous when he does this growling thing around her.  |
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| Sounds like a vet visit might be the best thing to rule out any medical problem with him turning Crotchy. Licking on the paws and legs is either pain related or something is irritating his skin. So a vet visit first to see what is going on. Growling if anyone comes near him is usually if he has never done that before a warning, leave me alone I am not feeling great, so stay away.
So off to the vets to see what is going on firstly. |
| Definitely a trip to the vet. I get grumpy when in pain or not feeling well, too.
Licking the foreleg can be a sign of discomfort. |
| Yup, I agree with the above. Chauncey didn't make it to the crotchy phase but the licking of his fore-legs ( wrist ) was driving me to distraction. Our vet started him on Glyco-Flex III and it has dramatically decreased. BTW: Chauncey is only 4 years old.
Also this time of year with the salt I try to wash it off with a quick bucket wash if they treat our lane, which isn't often....MD's winter weather budget is is the hole already, heck we still have packed snow from the storm a week before Christmas  |
| Moan is more often "I'm in stress". I worry about the salt on the roads. On the skin it can be an irritant. If he's been licking, it could be too much salt in his system which could be bad for kidneys, etc.
When MO started licking the carpel region, wrist and we felt a slight swelling we immediately thought, "cancer" having dealt with it with several other dogs. This time it was arthritis.......she was about 4 or 5 when it first came up. She's still licking, about 7-8 years later.........makes a good Frito Paw.....but that's something different. |
| Off to the Vet you go. Thats too young a dog to be crotchedy. |
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