Our dog Suzi is acting different..........

[CathyA]

Our dog, Suzi, is about 8 years old. She gets her vaccinations every year. She's mostly an indoor dog, but goes out in our fenced yard every day. She's a mutt and weighs about 30#.
She gets a heartworm plus pill every month and I'm getting ready to start her on her flea/tick med. We usually stop using the flea/tick med during the winter. But this winter has been unusually mild, so I hope that wasn't a mistake.
She's a bit overweight, but seems to be gaining out of proportion with what she eats. She's been sleeping alot more than usual and just seems to lack energy. She's drinking the usual amount of water.
I took her temp this morning and it was 100F......which seems sort of low, but not abnormal.
We switched her food about 6 months ago from Purina dog chow to Blue Buffalo, which seemed to be a healthier food.
Anything we should be thinking about? Maybe this will pass soon. I don't want to rush her to the vets, and she goes absolutely bonkers in the car and it really stresses her.
Do dogs get diabetes? We've had fairly healthy pets, so I'm not up on all the things that dogs can get. I suppose the first thing would be to take in a stool specimen to the vet.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
P.S..........I have chickens who are old, but healthy. They are confined in a big, protected run. I did give one an antibiotic for about a week several weeks ago for a stuck egg. Suzi has been obsessed with eating the chicken poop off my boots in the entranceway. I don't think that would hurt her though. (She really looks forward to it. haha )

[redfox]

In my opinion, the sooner an ill animal gets to the vet, the better. Waiting always has cost me more.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Yes pets do get diabetes and something else you might consider is hypothyroidism with her sleeping more and gaining weight. She does need to be checked out by a vet IMO.

[HumboldtGurl]

I'm not a vet but very familiar with dog health issues. If she hasn't had a regular checkup with a full blood workup within the last year I would get her in to see the vet as soon as you can. Dogs need a checkup at least once a year.

It doesn't sound like an emergency but those types of symptoms can indicate any number of age-related conditions like Cushing's, diabetes or thyroid issues. The sooner it gets diagnosed, the better. When they get to be around 8, that's when these things really start showing up.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

[pony mom]

Have you reduced the amount of food she's getting? Blue Buffalo is a higher quality food than Purina and she probably should be eating less of it.

[redfox]

How's she doing, CathyA?

[CathyA]

Thanks for asking. She seems to be doing better. She has more energy. I'm keeping a close eye on her. Maybe she's just getting older and isn't as crazy as she used to be. haha
pony mom.......We try to give her what the bag of food says we should for her weight. I was expecting her to lose some weight after changing over from the Purina.....which is mostly all grains.
Thanks for all your suggestions. She may just have had something like a virus, but I'll definitely be keeping my eye on her.

[puglogic]

If I fed my dogs what it says to feed them on our (premium dog food) package, they'd both be very overweight. I would ratchet it back very slightly in increments until her weight is under control. When you get it dialed in, and she's a good healthy weight, you won't have to monkey with it any more. Being overweight is something you can control, and it will extend her life.

[CathyA]

Thanks Pug.......I guess I was thinking what they were telling me to feed her was good for her health.......but they are trying to sell the food.
Thanks for reminding me to use my own mind!