My dog is a black lab mix, now 17yrs old. Lately he has started growling and barking at my cats who he's lived with for the past 12 years. The cats are afraid to come up on the porch to eat, I had to move their food off the porch so they wouldn't starve.

There hasn't been any change to our life-style that would make him start this.

Anyone have this happen? Any suggestions?

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Mary

Personally, I believe that dogs can have some aging disabilities much like humans do, so in my mind, it is possible. When I was growing up, we had a poodle that got very neurotic in his aging years.

Another thought .... is there any sign of his eyesight going bad? That can scare an animal...

I haven't noticed him having any trouble with his eye-sight. He goes out in the yard, walks around the house with no noticeable problem. His sister, Rosie, on the other hand is now deaf in both ears. Cody (the one who is acting weird) hears fine.

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Mary

I'm glad that you posted this question...I've been wondering the same thing. Our dog is 13 and has had many health issues lately. I've noticed that she'll go out into the yard and just stare into space and look very confused...She never did this before...She just hasn't been acting the same...We joke that she is going senile, but maybe she really is! ~Lisa

Yes they can! And as Mary said when they get older things like eyesight, smell, and hearing diminish. He may be surprised or think the cats are sneaking up on him for no good.
Sometimes dogs just get really cranky too when they age.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Unfortunately, dogs most certainly can become senile. I also would question his eyesight. He would be able to get around the yard because he's familiar with it. But, the cats move and he may not be able to quite make them out.

Mary? Mary? Who's Mary? LOL!

(It's Lisa)

Yes, dogs get dementia too.
My friends had to put down their much loved Chow because he started growling, getting jumpy, etc. after never having been this way at all. I had never heard him so much as bark once in 10+ years, only "cry " to go out if he saw a squirrel. He was such a good dog!

He growled at me and others in his old age and it was getting worse. ( I was so shocked, I actually asked him if he had just growled at me...lol) He was their baby but after he nipped their son it was clear that he was going to get dangerous so after much heart-wrenching discussion, he had to be put down. ( he was living in the garage after the biting incident, he was no longer allowed in the house or to be alone with the kids who had previously loved on him and wrestled with him, used him for a pillow, etc)
We were all very sad but the vet said there was no way to stop it, or know how it would effect him.

Yes, they can get senile. We have one right now. Our little poodle is 16 and it's like he's in a daze a lot of the time. He goes outside to potty and then just stands there looking out to nowhere -- almost like "I know I came out there for something!" And he does the same thing inside, too. He'll just walk around and then stop and not move and just stare into space.

We had a springer/cocker mix that had alzheimers. He was on medication for about a year and a half. He didn't get mean or cranky, but he didn't know where he was. We'd take him outside to *go* and he'd wander and wander, then come in and pee on the floor. He also walked in circles constantly and lost quite a bit of weight from all the exercise. Another odd thing that he did was to walk over to a corner and just stand there looking into the corner for 20 minutes or so. We finally had him put down. He was 15.

That's what our poodle does! We know we need to put him down but it's going to just absolutely kill us. He's a member of our family. Our boys were only in third grade when we got him as a puppy. They're 25 now!

How do people do it??

I suggest taking him to the vet and having him checked. I don't want to scare anyone, but these types of things can be a indication of a brain tumor. You might be thinking that you wouldn't treat it, even if it is a tumor -- I know I would for an elderly pooch. But at least you'd have an explanation and perhaps they could suggest a way to make it easier for him/her to live with it for whatever time they have left.

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

Mary is DNJ51 Silly! I made a mistake! Because I am old and senile. And those of you who are psychotic err I mean psychic would've figured that out!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

It's not easy. I cried and cried. Our boys were 6 and 8 when we got the dog. They had grown up and moved out. Honestly, I think it was harder on me than them. He was part of the family and so good with the boys. DH kept telling me that we had to do something, and I put it off as long as I could. Our only regret is that DH had the dog buried in a pet cemetary (unmarked). DS2 was very upset that we didn't have the presence of mind to bring him home and bury him in the yard.

How long has it been since you had him put down? We are really thinking hard about it. Do you feel guilty aftewards? We will definitely bury him in the yard next to our cat that died in October. I'm going to get a metal tool box and fill it with his favorite blankets and put him in it. We had a very hard time when our kitty died. I can't imagine.....

It's been 4 years. I felt horrible at the time and it took a long time to get over it. I know it was the best for him. He had no idea where he was, and he was literally starving to death. It was so sad. It has to be so hard for you to think about and plan. The tool box with his favorite things is a great idea. Do your boys still live at home?

When I had to have my kitty put down last July, I had him cremated and returned to me in a little oak box. It probably sounds stupid to some people, but I couldn't imagine what I would do if/when we move. I'd have a hard time leaving his grave behind and wondering if the next owners might dig him up accidentally.

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

No, one of my boys is married and the other one lives about 15 minutes from us. We've definitely thought about it more lately ......

It's good that they know what's happening and can be in on the decision. Neither of my sons could make it home at the time.
Keep me posted. I'll be thinking of you.

ummm...no, I don't think it's silly. My best friend did the same thing.
For many people, pets are a part of the family and should be treated as such.

Probably the saddest thing I've had to witness w/ my oldest son is when his first hamster died. And this was a mean hamster that didn't like people!

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

NO.....It's not stupid. When we put my cat down (19 yrs old) we had her cremated and I bought a Christmas stocking that is holding her and her favourite toys and her brush.

Almost 2 years to the day, her sister died in my DH's arms (almost 22 yrs old). We had her cremated in her favourite box. (she died on a Sunday and DH took her to the vet on Monday. DH went in to the vets office and said "I have a problem with my cat." The lady asked what the problem was. DH said "She's dead." It wasn't funny at the time but now I laugh. You also have to know the DH's sense of humor. They also chuckled at his comment too!) She is also in a stocking I bought (just like her sister) with her brush and favourite toys. I didn't want to bury them in the yard because I want to take them with us when we move. We had them for over 10 years (got them from my old boss) and there is no way I could leave them here.

I do believe animals can get senile, along with other "aging" problems. I'm going back to school for vet assistant and when I read this it was ironic that the section I was reading covered "the aging animal". I didn't see anything in the text book about senility, but there's no way I doubt that it can happen.