# Older dog getting grumpier/growling a lot



## Sugar (Aug 21, 2008)

Hi,
I have a 10 yr old cocker and he started to get grumpy and growl a lot during the last couple of years or so which has been getting worse.
I don't know why he is like this as has always been a very gentle and loving, well behaved dog.
He does have arthitis which is getting worse, he has cartrophen jabs for this as rimifin no longer helped and has been a lot better.
The thing is I don't know if it's the Arthritis as when he is doing o.k. he is still grumpy.
I was wondering if it could be to do with brain aging or senility and if something like aktivait or senilife would help.
He has started to bark frantically when I put him in the car with a wide eyed look and also growls at my other dogs when they go past him and sometimes at people too (mainly my partner).
I don't know if this is normal aging but am worried that one day he will have to be pts because of this and he will end his last days unhappy as people has suggeted having him pts but I always thought I would make this choice if he was in pain.
He does wag his tails and have a fuss but the grumbling is getting more frquent, mentioned to the vet a few times but not really any reply.
Hope someone else has got experiance of this that could offer some advice.
Thanks


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Dogs like people can and do get confused when the get older so it could well be old dog syndrome. One of mine did get like it in old age. She was put on something called vivitonin which is still avalible although there are probably more modern drugs now as it was quite some time ago now. I found that it did help. You should discuss it with your vet and maybe also his pain relief for the arthritis if they are in pain that can make them grumpy too.


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

Have you had his eyesight checked? My Westie is only 7 years old, and is the most amazingly affectionate dog, but a little while a go he started to snap and growl if someone, or one of the other dogs, touched him whilst he was asleep or resting for example. Whilst at the vets for something unrelated, I mentioned it to the vet and he checked his eyes, and we discovered he had cataracts. At 7 yrs (well, he would have only just turned 6 when we noticed it), he is rather young for them, but the vet said apparently they can happen to dogs as young as 2 yrs.

This explained the snapping/growling, we were merely making the poor lad jump and startling him when we touched him because he couldn't see our hand going down to him, so he snapped as a slight fear reaction. Now we simply call his name softly each time we go to touch him so he knows we are there, and make no sudden sharp movements, and we've got our lovely soppy dog back 

Looking back, a few things now add up that pointed to eye troubles anyway. Whilst out walking and he was off lead, he'd occasionally go off in the opposite direction when running to catch up after lagging behind- his nose would be to the ground trying to find me, and he'd respond to my calls, but just couldn't see me. Now I make sure he never lags too far behind, and I wipe a cheap strongly scented disinfectant on the soles of my wellies before taking him out, so he has a strong scent reference on the ground to track and find me.

The vet can check for eye problems really easily, a quick check with the proper lighting tools will be able to find any cataracts if he has them and could give you a simple explanation for his behaviour. Just a thought.


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## bucksmum (Jul 19, 2009)

I also would suspect his eyesight is deteriorating,maybe his hearing as well.

I have a 16 year old jack russell who has always been as good as gold with people and other dogs but now his eyesight and hearing are not good at all he will growl when another dog walks into the room or a person sits down beside him.He is fine once he's had a stroke to reassure him but he feels threatened,he can smell something/someone getting close.

He also does the barking at nothing 

He is on vivitonin but i haven't seen alot of improvement on it.

I also have a 14 year old lab who recently started snapping at our other dogs but since being put on Metacam for her arthritis she has become alot more tolerant and back to her 'lick them to death' self.

I guess like us they feel grumpy when suffering from aches and pains and they do seem to get 'growly' when eyesight and hearing start to go.


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## Sugar (Aug 21, 2008)

Hi,
Thanks for you replys.
I will get his eyesight and hearing checked as sometimes it's hard to tell isn't it. He is very quick to growl or bark at any little noise to maybe his eyes could be failing him making him feel more paranoid.

I did have a quick look at old dog signs online and have got myself a bit worried as he had vestibular a number of months ago and recovered well but read it could be caused by brain tumours etc! I know brain tumours can cause temperament changes/problems can't they.
One thing that is quite bad is I go to bed first normally and he comes with me, when my partener comes upstairs he really goes mad growling and sometimes barks even though we tell him to settle etc. so my partener has to get dressed for bed outside the room and get into bed quickly so he shuts up.
It's all quite puzzleing, this is one of those times I really wish he could tell me what he's thinking!


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## Zayna (Apr 19, 2009)

My mums lab went exactly like this when he got old. It turned out it was partly down to cataracts but also just old age, apparently dogs can get dementia like people.


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## SlingDash (Jul 30, 2010)

There is an excellent book called *The Dog's Mind* by Bruce Fogle, and it has quite a lot about the ageing process in dogs.

If he is in pain, it might contribute to his mood.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

my dog Inca is still grumbling at my puppy and he's been with us since November. 

She's fine with him on walks when they're walking side by side on lead, though doesn't seem to like off-lead rough play.

I test her sight and hearing regularly and she alerts me to phone ringing, door etc ..so I wondered if she was in pain or just old age.

She's on mobile bones and while she likes to saunter along sniffing everything (our walks are very relaxing) she can still run at full stretch which I'm sure she wouldn't be able to do with arthritis.

I've decided to try the Aktivait to see if that makes a difference first she's only been on it two days but thought if it improved brain function for her she maybe less grumpy with JJ in the house? (improving her mood etc)

Has else had success with Aktivait?


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## bluegirl (May 7, 2012)

I also have a 10 yr old cocker who is becoming a bit growly with age. She is still fine for the most part but I can see that the lengthy grooming sessions she used to let me do are becoming a thing of the past. She seems much less tolerant of me tugging with slicker brush and comb and grumbles if she feels its too much, which she would never have done in the past. I do know she has the very beginnings of a cataract in one eye as she was health checked a few months ago.
Since on the whole she is pretty much the same with just the occasional growly outburst for things she seems to have less patience with I've just put it down to getting older. With your dog already having arthritis and the potential to have further health issues then I would image these, especially pain is causing him some distress.
I am learning to adapt our routine a bit, as I said atm its only the grooming sessions she objects to but I'm expecting more to be added to the list. I have a friend who had a very placid cocker girl but she also explained to me that the older she was the more stubborn and growly she became. She also had arthritis and died at the grand age of 15.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

My nearly ten year old is like this. I've checked his eyes and his eyesight is fine, given what he can see and chases after in the woods!! There are no cataracts. He's just decided that he doesn't like his space invaded by the youngsters or us. 

He doesn't like being loomed over and growls even if we bend down for a stroke even if he's come rushing up for attention. Oddly, he's better with the youngsters than he was and now wants to be on the bed with them whereas til recently he wouldn't tolerate that.


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