Sudden increase in anxiety- why?!

[motmot]

I'm completely baffled and quite frustrated by our dog's sudden increase in anxiety. I've posted on here before, she hasn't been the easiest pet, to put it mildly.

Bit of background: she's a 10.5 year old rescue German Wirehaired Pointer and we've had her for about a year and a half. She has always been a nervous girl, following you around from room to room, etc. She suffers badly from separation anxiety but we have systems in place (leaving from an area of the house she isn't allowed in and leaving the radio on-seems to keep her relaxed and doesn't trigger the separation anxiety). She was sleeping very happily in her (open) crate at night with the door to that room shut.

Until a couple of weeks ago when in the middle of the night she suddenly freaked out and started scratching the door to get out. She ended up upstairs outside our room, where she is not normally allowed. We hoped it was a one off, I haven't been feeling great with early pregnancy sickness etc and she hadn't had a proper walk for two days. We thought maybe she just wasn't calmed by her usual (reasonably high, for a 10 year old) levels of exercise.

However about a week later it happened again, and she is now creeping upstairs to sleep outside our room every night. Dog hair etc aside, this isn't the end of the world, but she isn't herself. She doesn't sleep well (curled into a tiny ball rather than stretched out in her bed). There's no room for her crate upstairs and she is happy to sleep in it downstairs during the day, and knows not to venture up there.

Routines are now well and truly back to normal now with school, walks, etc but she is still more anxious than usual during the day and much more so at night.

Any ideas?! I feel sorry for her, but reassuring, treats in the crate, steady normal approaches don't seem to be doing anything.

[pigsDOfly]

I'd be letting the vet have a look at her to rule out any physical problems. Could be it the onset of senility do you think?

[SunshineAndShadows]

I'd be concerned about senile cognitive dysfunction (dementia)
A medication called selgian is excellent for this

[motmot]

Thanks for your replies- I did wonder about dementia although thought she was a bit young, all the pointers I've known/family have owned all lived to 14 or 15. I also wondered about her sight maybe deteriorating, so will take her along if this week's school and walk routine don't settle things.

[Booboostwo]

Some dogs, usually bitches, have odd reactions to your pregnancy hormones. My bitch went bonkers during my pregnancy. She was fearful and very clingey, but it all disappeared and she returned to normal as soon as the baby was born.