Dog Acting Weird Since Returning from Vacation

Hello,

My boyfriend and I recently returned from vacation on Saturday, and picked up our dog from his parent's house. I noticed immediately that she was acting strangely...she was very tired and just seemed to want to lay down.

Now, I should say that she's a 1.5 yr old yorkie who generally has the energy of a hyperactive hummingbird. So, when I noticed how much she wanted to lay down and sleep, I thought something was very wrong. His parent's mentioned finding a tick on her the week before, so I thought maybe lyme's disease was the culprit. I had her tested Monday afternoon for both lyme's disease and heartworm--both were negative.

We found another tick on her ear last night (new one, not big), but she's otherwise in good shape. She had no fever or anything at the vet, but they said she was "mildly dehydrated." They gave her a syringe of fluids and she seemed to perk up a bit. However, she's been leery about her food (she's normally insatiable) and whenever someone makes a noise or movement she takes off. She won't come when she's called, and in fact runs the other way.

We went away on vacation last year too and another friend watched her for the week--but there were no ill effects. She was fine after that. So...I am at a loss as to what might have happened while we were gone. My bf's parents said that they loved having her around (they adore her) and that she acted normal while she was with them. I do know that my bf's nephew was there fairly often as well (he's 3), so maybe he scared/hurt her without them knowing?

Any suggestions are welcome...I am at a loss. She's really scaring me though!

:shrug:

Could she have eaten something she wasn't supposed to, or gotten in to anything? I know a woman whose dog got sick when her parents were watching it. They took the dog to a local pond to go swimming and the pond unfortunately had bacteria in it. Ask them if they took the dog anyplace, or fed her anything different, and especially make sure she hasn't eaten any recalled food or treats.

There are also more tick-borne diseases than just lyme that you may want to test for. Erlichia (or erlichiosis), anaplasmosis, rocky mountain spotted fever...find out if any of these might be a problem in your area (or the area where the dog vacationed). You may also want to retest for lyme to make sure.

oh dear, sorry to hear your little one isn't dong too good! I don't have much to offer, except it's nice to see you back, but not so nice under these circumstances. I hope Audrey (is that correct?) is back to her old self soon.

keep us posted if you can.

We've been having a bad year for anaplasmosis here--4 of our 6 dogs came down with it and hubby was just diagnosed with it. Don't know if it's as common where you are, but I'd definitely have a test for anaplasmosis and ehrlichia done.

I don't think that anxiety would put her that much off her food or cause her to be dehydrated. Maybe she ate something that is causing discomfort as it passes through? Does she seem to be drinking normally? How about eliminating?

Certainly if her condition doesn't improve quickly or worsens, another vet visit is in order. Dehydration can happen quickly and have fatal consequences.

Poor dear! I hope she's better soon! :fingerscr :grouphug:

Yikes!

I just looked up anaplasmosis and it says "The most common signs of infection are high fever, lethargy, and swollen painful joints (this can be dramatic). The pets become dumpy, will not eat well, and will be reluctant to move. Painful joints can shift from leg to leg and they may cry when they try to move.

Other signs of infection include vomiting, diarrhea, and neurologic signs. We have seen dogs have seizures and other brain disorders with Anaplasmosis. Some pets may develop liver and kidney damage with the infection."

Since she doesn't have a fever, I don't think this is the cause. Hopefully not anyway! If she isn't perking up by the weekend I'm going to take her back to the vet.

She was playing and seemed pretty interested in her heartguard "treat" last night, so I have no idea. It's just so strange. I couldn't find her after she followed me upstairs, come to find her sleeping on my bed--which she NEVER does.

If it had been something behavioral (something scared her, etc.)--how long would it take for her to recover? It's hard to tell what's going on.

:confused:

Does she seem to be drinking normally? How about eliminating?


She has been drinking fairly normally--and seems to have no problem with her potty time. I give her water occasionally and I've seen her go and drink too. She will eat her food as long as it's quiet and we leave her alone.

:sad:

She has been drinking fairly normally--and seems to have no problem with her potty time. I give her water occasionally and I've seen her go and drink too. She will eat her food as long as it's quiet and we leave her alone.

:sad:

How is her stool?

The symptoms you found for anaplasmosis are for advanced cases. At onset, the symptoms can vary widely. Cole was just more lethargic than usual and had less stamina. He also started sleeping up on the bed during the day--unlike his usual routine. We had him checked because he just wasn't up to snuff and found the anaplasmosis. We checked the other five right away and found three others that tested positive--but their infections were either milder or we caught it early because they were asymptomatic except for the snap test results and lower than normal platelet and white blood cell counts.

Hubby on the other hand, had a rip-roarin' case of it, complete with fever, chills, headache, sore skin... You name it. :shrug: I guess he's just "lucky" that way :p

Her stool has been normal, solid as far as I know. I'll double check with my bf when I get home (he's home with her this week).