Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Bird Dogs => Topic started by: seth30 on January 06, 2011, 11:25:36 AM

Title: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 06, 2011, 11:25:36 AM: My female lab has starting acting strangely, and I am at a loss for words. She has been barking and growling at things that are not there, and even growled at me as I came around a corner in the house. We have two other dogs, as well, so I know that whatever she is growling at is not really there. My first thought was rabies, but shes up to date on her shots. She is not the bottom of the pecking order either with the dogs. So there should be no agression issues with being picked on either. The other two dogs in the house no longer play with her, and avoid her if they can. She is a working dog, and has been hunting for two seasons, daily walks,and games of catch. So bordem should not be a issue. Anybody have a dog that acts this way?
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: PointNLab on January 06, 2011, 02:00:05 PM: If the behavior has changed drastically, I would take her in for a vet check.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: BIGINNER on January 06, 2011, 02:04:18 PM: MAYBE SHE'S SEEING GHOSTS?

WHO YOU GONNA CALL??? GHOST BUSTERS!!!!! :chuckle:

MAYBE SHE THINKS THAT SHE'S THE LEADER OF THE "PACK"? :dunno:
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: singleshot12 on January 06, 2011, 02:14:16 PM: Sometimes when labs get older they can get senile and have those same symptoms. But it sounds like yours is young so it may be neurological, maybe a brain tumor causing her weirdness. Good luck and keep us posted on her condition.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 06, 2011, 02:28:07 PM: Thanks, my wife is going to take her in, and the vet said over the phone that they will do blood work on her. I hope that its not a tumor and something else. She hasnt challenged the alpha dog directly but is hackled half the time and growling so he just stays on the other side of the living room. Since I have litter mates in the house, I hope that if we have to put her down that the male lab wont go with depression.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 06, 2011, 02:31:36 PM: Heres a few pics of her, as you can tell she is the runt of the litter as well. I have had her for two years now, and this last week has been stressful with her. Never owned a dog in my life that did this.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: gaddy on January 06, 2011, 02:36:18 PM: hope all goes well
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: singleshot12 on January 06, 2011, 02:54:37 PM: Thinking about it some more there could be other issues. Females will get weird if there are other dogs around. They want to be the only dog for their master and will sometimes get jealous or act out to get more attention. Did you get the other two dogs after her?
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: Happy Gilmore on January 06, 2011, 03:20:40 PM: get her thyroid levels checked asap! go to the vet before something happens.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 06, 2011, 04:06:40 PM: Quote from: singleshot12 on January 06, 2011, 02:54:37 PM
Thinking about it some more there could be other issues. Females will get weird if there are other dogs around. They want to be the only dog for their master and will sometimes get jealous or act out to get more attention. Did you get the other two dogs after her?
no she and the other lab are litter mates. The other dog we have is a 12 year old weiner that has been around a lot longer. my two labs just turned 2 years old this last novemenber. They are both spayed and nuetered so that isnt a problem. The thyroid sounds like a area to check. Thanks for the help in this!
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: WRL on January 06, 2011, 06:13:02 PM: Dogs that are losing their sight will act that way.

Also, dogs that are having "mini seizures" will act that way.

Definitely a vet appt is in order. I'd also have her eyes checked by a veterinary opthamologist.

WRL
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: Schmalzfam on January 06, 2011, 10:10:50 PM: Quote from: WRL on January 06, 2011, 06:13:02 PM
Dogs that are losing their sight will act that way.

Also, dogs that are having "mini seizures" will act that way.

Definitely a vet appt is in order. I'd also have her eyes checked by a veterinary opthamologist.

WRL

I was thinking eye sight too...maybe can't see very well and is scared from the feeling of her sight changing. Poor girl, I hope she is ok.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 07, 2011, 07:13:15 AM: she has a appoitment next week. decided to wiegh my self last night, then grab her and weighed myslelf again. she is 49 pounds, when she is usally around the 55 pounds. I havent noticed any weird bowel movemnts in the yard, and she still eats like a champ. With all the duck hunting I have been doing, I wonder if its a parasite :dunno: Cant wait for the vet appoitment!
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: Clumber on January 08, 2011, 12:49:39 PM: My first thought as I read this was also sight or hearing loss. Or maybe something like a cheat-grass hull embedding somewhere causing random pain. Petite mal seizures can cause the same sort of odd random behavior, like another said. When something changes radically, I like to give the dog the benefit of the doubt and check for physical symptoms before behavioral ones. Especially if nothing in the dog's environment has changed drastically preceding the change in behavior.

We'll keep our digits crossed for her. Hopefully it will be something minor and easily solved - something like thyroid, since it is fully treatable by very inexpensive pills. I had a Kees on Soloxine her entire life and if I had to pick a chronic condition for a dog, low thyroid would be my 1st choice!
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 10, 2011, 06:36:00 AM: I spent a lot of one on one time with her friday, and sunday. Sunday night she did her bark at nothing is there routine, but most of the day she stayed by my side, and tried to keep body contact as much as she could. Everytime I sat down or stood still, she would put her chin on my knee or foot. She is going in soon, and getting a fecal matter check, and blood check, im looking foward to the results.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: Birdguy on January 12, 2011, 07:15:07 PM: Any news :dunno: :dunno:. Hope no news is good news.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: Ridgeratt on January 12, 2011, 07:41:36 PM: Quote from: seth30 on January 07, 2011, 07:13:15 AM
she has a appoitment next week. decided to wiegh my self last night, then grab her and weighed myslelf again. she is 49 pounds, when she is usally around the 55 pounds. I havent noticed any weird bowel movemnts in the yard, and she still eats like a champ. With all the duck hunting I have been doing, I wonder if its a parasite :dunno: Cant wait for the vet appoitment!
A week! :yike: I would be shoppin a new vet!

I guess I was fortunate not to have a vet that is tied into a corporation! I can call and talk or text to them and they used to say bring them in and gave me a time!!
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: huntlakewood on January 18, 2011, 12:35:26 PM: Good luck.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: C-Money on January 18, 2011, 12:52:51 PM: :dunno:
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 18, 2011, 12:56:37 PM: yeah no news was good news. She had a parasite, and was losing weight. Got her on meds and double rations. She was acting weird probably due to her hunger, and weight loss.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: BIGINNER on January 18, 2011, 01:02:40 PM: Quote from: seth30 on January 18, 2011, 12:56:37 PM
yeah no news was good news. She had a parasite, and was losing weight. Got her on meds and double rations. She was acting weird probably due to her hunger, and weight loss.

awesome!!! did she start gaining her weight back?
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 18, 2011, 01:12:26 PM: yep 4 lbs more to go and she will be back to her orignal weight. been acting great once we got her on meds and double rations. :tup:
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: singleshot12 on January 18, 2011, 01:16:00 PM: Glad you got it resolved and she is doing better. Just curious to what kind of parasite she picked up?
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 18, 2011, 01:20:26 PM: Ill ask my wife when I get home. I suck at the medical terms :chuckle: I was taking her to fir Island almost daily in December and she drank from the fields and dikes on several occasions.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: singleshot12 on January 18, 2011, 01:22:56 PM: Yeah because I let my dogs drink out of those ditches all the time.. and kinda hard to stop then when they're thirsty
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 18, 2011, 01:23:14 PM: I think it was giarda (spelling??)
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 18, 2011, 01:24:13 PM: With all the coyotes and other dogs doing there buisness on or around the water its no wonder my lab got sick.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: singleshot12 on January 18, 2011, 01:27:09 PM: prolly wouldn't hurt to have an annual vet check up after each hunting season just to be safe.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: quadrafire on January 18, 2011, 01:30:10 PM: I have never heard of behavioral changes associated with giardia. Are they sure she didn't have some hypoglycemia as well.
You may want to have that checked on a 12-24 hr fasting blood sample. The double rations may be compensating for low blood sugar?????
Not to create any more concern, but the behavioral stuff and giardia don't seem to mesh in my mind.
Giardia = diarrhea, weight loss.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 18, 2011, 01:43:55 PM: yeah, and being that she seems to have a weaker immune system than my male lab, I really need to make sure she gets one.
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: singleshot12 on January 18, 2011, 01:51:25 PM: well I read up on Giardia in dogs a little and it states that some dogs that get the parasite don't show any signs while others get more extreme symptoms
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: seth30 on January 18, 2011, 01:56:24 PM: Molly has always been a tad food agressive, usually with treats and canned food. Not with dried food though, maybe this caused the aggression with her being hungry and losing weight. :dunno:
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: Happy Gilmore on January 18, 2011, 04:46:58 PM: usually pups get lathargic- good you got him to the vet- this is a good example why all the internet advice in the world isn't worth a professionals opinion in person be it health or training-
Title: Re: lab acting weird.
Post by: huntlakewood on January 18, 2011, 07:32:00 PM: glad to hear every thing would be ok.