[Mallary P]

My 9 year old Shih Tzu has always been a gem. Even as a puppy, she was never one to be destructive or chew on anything. She has recently gone to the vet and was given a clean bill of health. I feed her Fromm Surf & Turf and Acana Grasslands (switch off). Occasionally, she gets Weruva canned food. I’ve been feeding her this way for 2 months and it’s been great. But this week, she has started destroying the blinds. I have a sliding glass door and so far, half of them are shredded/torn off the track. There have been no changes in her routine and the only other thing she is doing is pulling the towel down off of my oven (does not shred it though). When I come in and survey the damage, she is my same happy, content girl. My boyfriend is moving but we don’t live together and he has not begun packing yet. I’ve been trying to think about what could be setting her off. Storms stress her out but we havent had any. I do have a new neighbor, but he seems to be pretty quiet. I’ll need to replace the blinds in my apartment, but I’m curious why there is a sudden change in her behavior. What could be wrong with my baby? Any ideas?

[anonymously]

Dementia? Age 7 is considered a senior. Separation anxiety? Sudden changes in behavior or appetite are often red flags.
Best to rule out medical causes first. If it’s behavioral or anxiety she may respond to medication such as an antidepressant. I would put a call into the vet and see what he suggests. He may want to do some more testing to rule out neurological.

[anonymously]

I thought about it a little more, it does sound like separation anxiety. And if the dog has had a recent senior workup and medical issues have been ruled out, I bet your vet would be willing to prescribe medication that would be helpful. I wouldn’t minimize her symptoms, what you describe is equivilant to a human having a full blown panic attack.

Give us an update, if you think of it.

[Author]

Posts