Change in dogs behaviour - withdrawn

[Northernlass99]

My old boy is 12 or 13. He is a rescue collie cross lab. He is eating fine, wants to go for his walks, wants a treat, runs around the fields barking at rabbits etc as normal. But in the house his behaviour has changed. He used to like to play with his toys in the evening with us, and then come up on the sofa for a cuddle. But the last 6 weeks he is very withdrawn in the house. Wont play, and barely lets us stroke him. He seems scared of DH and sometimes of me. As soon as we go to stroke him he starts licking his lips and panting, tail between the legs. In the evening he lies in his downstairs bed until he can go to his upstairs bed!

I think he is going a bit deaf as sometimes we return from being out and he won't notice for ten minutes. He is also not hearing the doorbell barking at it as per usual. This has been the case for a while.

Nothing has changed in his environment or routine. I just can't work out what is wrong. Anyone had experience with a dog going deaf, getting dementia or withdrawing?

I tried to make a vets appointment but my vets said they are only doing urgent appointments for the next 8 weeks as they are short of vets after several have left!

Have you had a vet check? My first instinct is that there may be a medical reason for this change in behaviour.

Thanks. Cant get an appointment at my practice for the next 8 weeks due to lack of vets! He doesn't seem in pain or agitated physically, which is why I wondered if it was mental or environmental. But I think you are right that it could be an explanation.

Can you take him to a different vets?

I would say this IS a need for an urgent appointment. Something is wrong OP. Please call the vet again.

Could be pain related. I would speak to the vet

Thanks for the advice, yes I'll try that. When he is out on walks he is fine, charging around. But as you say, something is wrong.

That's completely unacceptable. I'd see a new vet. We took my cat to a new vet for an urgent tooth removal when ours couldn't book her in for a clinic for 2wks and they got her in 2 days later.

Gut feeling is pain of some sort. I would go to the vet asap.

Sounds pain-related. Find another vet.

He needs to see a vet. Tomorrow.

Mine's exactly like this when she has an ear infection, often if it's deep there is no outside redness or gunk / smell to indicate it. Our vet will always get them in ASAP for an ear infection, might be worth saying that when you call?