Can’t shake the feeling there is something up with my dog

[Doggydoggo]

Dog is 3 years old. Extremely energetic hyper breed. For 3 years she has been full on non stop from 7am until 10pm at night. She could run all day and still want to run a bit more.

For the past few weeks she has changed. She’s still eating and drinking fine but her energy has been zapped. She’s tiring after half an hour walk. She’s sleeping a lot too, no longer whining on an evening, just sleeping. She’s not lethargic and will get up if asked however.

Another thing that’s bothering me is she stops breathing when asleep for upto 10 seconds at a time but then starts breathing again normally - no gasp or anything.?

Shes booked into vets tomorrow for a check up but DH says what are you going to tell them exactly? That she’s not hyper anymore?

She’s also being unusually affectionate though, wants to cuddle me all the time and be near me when she never used to be like this.

Any ideas?

It is perfectly legit to tell the vet you feel like something isn’t right.

"Not at herself" is what they call it round this neck of the woods. Holter monitor if all signs persist and all else fails

Could be anything really. I'd say even the vet won't be able to tell you straight off. She might have an infection somewhere and be running a temperature and feeling unwell. Did you notice the breathing thing after you started to suspect she was sick, could she have always done it? Our collie sometimes appears to stop breathing like this but it doesn't seem to bother her.

No idea but my dogs are family so I know how worried you will be so didn't want to read and run. People will be along shortly with better advice. Could it possibly be she is just leaving the puppy stage and heading into adulthood hence a reduction in energy? Not sure if that's even how it works but just thinking at 3 that might be a possible explanation. Try not to worry too much, she's eating and drinking and you've booked her into the vet which is absolutely the right thing to do. For now, just enjoy the extra cuddles with her. Hope the check up goes well tomorrow.

Dogs can't tell you when they are unwell, so if you think your pooch seems off, then mention it to the vets. You are the best person to know your dog's usual behaviour and habits, and when things change. The vet can run tests that might pick something up.

Good luck, and I hope your dog is ok.

You tell the vet exactly what you've written here, they'll take you seriously. I really hope they get to the bottom of it and she's better soon.

Tell him how you feel. A good vet will understand.

She may have just grown up.

Some terriers and other breeds do calm down a lot at three, but it does sound as though something else is amiss, the increased clinginess is often a sign that something is wrong. It is the right thing to do, to get her checked over properly.

This is definitely worth a vet visit, I’ve had two animals with similar but different symptoms (ie my dog slowed down at odd times unusually and my cat stopped breathing for a time then started again) and both were heart problems. It’s very worrying when you pet isn’t right, trust your instincts.

Defo push the vet. Is she spayed?

My girl was very similar, always on the go. Her downward show of energy was so slow I wasn't initially clicking. She would do anything I asked, play if I kept up routine etc., and she was a bit clingy.

I'd had her checked due to discharge several times but they said it was nothing on basic tests. When I finally pushed for an ultrasound she had advanced Pyometra. Luckily we caught in time.

I don't expect it's the same btw. More that it sounds like a dog hiding pain/illness well.

It's so worrying when they change like that. My dog has polyarthritis and is going through a bad spell and I just said to my dd earlier how I missed her being irritating! She's usually hyper too and is a gorgeous pain in the neck when feeling well.
It may be something like an auto immune condition (like my dog has). With my dog there were also clear signs like limping and not getting upstairs easily. When she's on steroids she's back to normal but obviously they aren't a good long term solution. Took ages to find out what was wrong and it was heartbreaking to see her so miserable. Hope you get it sorted.

My dog also does that breathing thing. Quite scary but we're used to it now. Other times she pants a lot which I believe can be the steroids.

Ask your DH if he thinks you should wait until your dog says something hurts?

A lot if the time all you can do is tell the vet that 'she's not herself -esting/cdrinking/weeing/pooing nirmsl, but NO energy/bounce'. Vets are used to animals not being able to say x hurts when I y.

they'll do all the checks & tests. If you're not happy with their conclusion, get a second opinion. I can't stress this enough!!

hope your baby is ok xx

You know your dog better than anyone. In the vets we often have appointments that say "x just not their self" owner will then come in and basically explain their pets symptoms.
Trust your vet, they will take your concerns seriously. It may mean taking bloods or other tests. If she's glued to you for extra affection and reassurance and that's not in her normally, that's a good sign she's feeling a bit poorly.
Hope she gets on ok OP.

Exercise intolerance could be a sign of a heart condition. Definitely best to get it checked. They'll give her a good going over and listen to her heart for any signs of abnormalities.

Is there any chance you could take a urine sample tomorrow? It might help the vet rule something in or out quickly.

Dogs are like children, you just know when something isn't right. I was the same with an older dog of mine. Spent a fortune at vet and vet hospital and nobody could find a thing wrong. I lost her at just 5 years old to several underlying issues. I knew something wasn't right but felt like I was basking me head against a wall to convince the experts I was right and they were wrong. The one time in my life I wished I hadn't been right. Good luck. You know your dog and you know if something isn't quite right. Trust your instinct.

Yadnbu.go to the vet.you are absolutely right to do so.
hope he can be healed asap