Whats wrong w/my dog?

Question

My dog is 5 yrs old, shes a shih zu .. she seems to be having panic/anxiety attacks possibly?! Every couple months usually late at night she freaks out.. starts panting really hard, shaking, and wont stay off me, she wil climb on top of my pillow and basically sit on my head or neck.. this can go on for ab an hour or so.. could something serious be wrong or is she just crazy?

Answer 1

Do you have a medical condition? Only reason why i ask this is because dogs can sense when something is wrong.

Answer 2

I have a Tzu about the same age. What you are describing sounds similar to what Spike does whenever there are loud noises, which I believe comes from him not being socialized properly as a puppy. I got him when he was 11 months old. It is especially bad when it rains, storms or when neighbors set off firecrackers! He also is terrified of vacuum cleaners and is not too fond of trains either. It can be a problem for him and us quite frequently since we live right by a rr track! Sometimes it is as if he hears something we do not and he always starts it even before a storm starts- so he feels it before it even begins! The fear causes him to bark in a frightened manner when he is crated at bedtime. When he is not in his crate he wants to hide and can put himself in the smallest hiding place where he has a hard time getting back out.

The only remedy for the overnight barking I have found is putting him in his travel crate in the laundry room where it is insulated from the offending noises. Sometimes I do that for a period of time during the day but mostly I just comfort him best I can to avoid him being in smaller plastic travel crate too long. He does seem comforted by the travel crate at these times, since it was used as his den when he was a puppy. I avoid any medication. I was going to try the biscuits that are supposed to calm your dog, at least during storms, but he is a very picky eater.

Answer 3

My Chihuahua does this in the middle of the night sometimes. He does it when he has to go outside. He is scared to go in the house because he knows that he isn't supposed to. Lol. He will shake and shake and jump on me and try to wake me up so I can let him out. I noticed him doing this when he was only a year old. Smart dog. Your dog might be doing the same thing...You never know. If she does it again, try taking her outside to use the bathroom. And if that is the case, then let her out everynight before you go to bed. I had to start doing that, and ever since then, I haven't been woken up anymore by my dog.

Answer 4

Sounds like something is scaring her. You say this happens every couple of months. Have seen dogs act very weird do to unusual noises like thunder,back firing cars, mining operations, also animals like mice,snakes,squirrels in walls,etc. Also keep in mind dogs sense earthquakes,storms,anything that's causes barometric pressure to change suddenly . Think back and try to remember if anything could have triggered these episodes. Good luck ....

Answer 5

Have you discussed this with the vet? If you are unable to pinpoint something that has startled her (using a tape or video recorder overnight to find out what's going on when this starts would help), I would explore the possibility of epilepsy.

Answer 6

Your dog is probably thirsty, keep plenty of water for the dog.
dogs are dumb when it comes to where is my water, make a sound by runnin your fingers in the water to get the dog to drink up.
Give the dog a toy, stuff animal or chew bone.

Answer 7

She has issues....you might consider a trip to the Vet, eh? That type of behavior suggests anxiety.

It is an owners responsibility to provide good care for the pet, don't you think?

Answer 8

have you spayed your dog? she may be in heat.

have your dog checked out and get yourself a full physical. you may not know that she is trying to tell you something about yourself. you may have one of those dogs that can sense certain conditions in people.