Unexplained anxiety in a dog

[hiredandsqueak]

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Bella is eleven a rescue lhasa apso. She is generally a happy yappy dog but over the last three nights she seems to have become really anxious and I can't work out why.
She is never really alone I do the school run but ds is here and she tends to go upstairs either to him or my bed if I'm not here. In the last three days routines have been as normal, no changes, nothing to spook her.
She is happy and normal all day until it gets dark and then she starts pacing and goes either upstairs or lies against the front door. If I let her out for a wee she won't come back in and I have to put a lead on her to bring her in because she growls if I try to pick her up (I don't pick her up very often but she doesn't ever growl when I do usually) This carries on until bedtime when I go to bed leaving her where she is. She doesn't go to her bed as she would usually but when I get up next morning she is in bed. She makes no noise overnight so happy enough alone.
I will obviously take her to the vet but any ideas would be great. I suppose I'm panicking a bit because she had a malignant melanoma removed June July time. Blood tests at the time showed no concerns and vet believed we had caught it in time but there is always the worry I suppose.

Can you tell her what to do rather than let her make up her own mind?

Well yes I tell her to go to bed but she won't move she just stands with her paw raised. I do tell her to come in but again she won't move not even for a treat. She does usually do as I ask during the day so I can send her to her bed if somebody comes to the door and she never needs telling twice to come in it's only these last three evenings when she won't.

My parents old dog has become more and more anxious as she's aged, night tunes especially she often hair can't settle and is now scared of things like the washing machine she never was before. I think it's typical for old age/ a touch of doggy dementia!

I wondered if it might be her age. I'm going to try a thundershirt and a plug in and see how we get on.

Could it be her eyesight? My older dog has eye issues and he waits to be carried upstairs when it's dark because his pupils don't react to light properly so he can't see.

Should have said he goes up and down stairs fine by himself when it's light.

Absolutely as you have already done she needs a vets appointment. Hopefully this is soon.

As PP eyesight was my first thought too.

Have fireworks started? Could it be a noise phobia?
Does it coincide with the boiler kicking in?

At her age I'd also think about senile cognitive dysfunction and also chronic oain(often associated with the development of noise phobias)

No no links with the boiler as it's on before the anxiety starts. Not noticed any pain or stiffness she appears as fit as a fiddle we walk 5k most days and she's always eager to go.
I've put all the lights on before it gets dark today, she's choosing to sit by the front door again rather than sit with me so expect that the pacing will start sooner or later.
I took her a walk around the block at 11pm last night and she did get in bed afterwards so will try that again once it gets dark and see if that settles her down.
I've contacted the vet and will see him next week, thundershirt will be here tomorrow so will give that a try in the meantime.

She might be in pain so avoiding you and just wanted peace I mean it could be anything that hurts but maybe get her checked out.

Dogs are such a worry aren't they? They worm their way into your heart and you can't even rely on mother's instinct. I'm sure I worried less about dc when they were behaving out of synch (two with autism there was a lot of out of synch ) Hoping whatever it is it can be helped by the vet anyway.