Panic attacks

[RD]

Is it possible for dogs to have completely random panic attacks?

I swear to God, Eve's had one today. I woke up this morning to her FLIPPING OUT in my bathroom, scratching the door up and stress-panting like she'd just run a marathon.

She's been nervous/anxious ALL FREAKING MORNING. I gave her a huge fresh knuckle bone and numerous times she randomly stopped eating it in order to slink around and look worried.

I took her for a quick walk/potty, she went. I took her inside and squeezed her for a while (she calms if I wrap my arms around her and apply some pressure, like a human thundershirt I guess) and felt all over her body to make sure she wasn't too warm or broken or hurty. After about a half hour of ttouch and pressure, she was still extremely tense and stressy.

This is very unlike her normal behavior. Typically she can stress over seemingly nothing, but it's extremely brief and I can redirect her with just a few words. This has lasted all morning and pulled her away from her favorite food. There is absolutely NOTHING going on that would make this behavior make sense. I can see nothing wrong with her physically, she's eating, drinking, having bowel movements and peeing normally. It's not bloat. If she's in some sort of pain, I'm not able to localize it to any specific area.

Obviously my first concern is that something physical is going on, but I'm also wondering if it's possible for dogs to just have a bad day and flip out.

Has anyone experienced something like this with their dog?

 

[Bailey08]

My trainer has a 13 yr old lab who has gotten anxious as he's gotten older, e.g., he developed thunderstorm phobia. Anyway, I know he's had at least one panic attack.

Eve may also have become freaked out by something you didn't notice.

Anyway, I'm sorry for both of you that she's going through this. Anxiety is no fun.

 

[Teal]

The only time I've seen a dog randomly do that is when there is some sort of weather/disaster disturbance type thing going on. It might not even have been anything you noticed.

Hopefully it was just a one time thing.. sounds so stressful for poor Eve

 

[Lyzelle]

Zander has moments like that. He stresses, worries, and slinks around the house for hours. Looks over his shoulder like something is coming to get him, constantly trying to climb in my lap or hide behind things he normally wouldn't go anywhere NEAR.

As far as I can tell, there's no rhyme or reason for it. Except for the dryer buzzer. He has randomly decided as of last week or so that the dryer buzzer is evil. But otherwise, nothing in particular seems to set him off. Rainy days, sunny days, quiet days, people in the house days. No clue. Once he finally lays down and goes to sleep though, he's conked out for HOURS. It really wears them down mentally. I have to ignore him, though, or he only gets worse.

I've heard some dogs can react that way to unusually high or low pressure when a front is coming through. Maybe check your weather? She might have heard something over at the neighbors, too, if you have any.

 

[RD]

We have been having very weird weather lately. That is a GREAT point Lyzelle, and I don't know why I hadn't thought of it.

I took her out with me when I went shopping today and she was 100% fine, in fact she was confident and a great deal more upbeat than usual for her serious little self.

 

[ihartgonzo]

We have weird weather and maybe thunderstorms coming later... Gonzo has also been a spazzy weirdo. He keeps jumping on my lap. Border Collies. Got to love them!

 

[puppydog]

Oh yes. Borders do that. Aeron did it A LOT.

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

Considering humans can (and I unfairly do) I'd answer yes.

 

[LauraLeigh]

My Mom's beagle went into melt down mode when I was visiting at Christmas, we finally figured out when the camera flash went off and reflected in the window he thought it was lightning...

Poor Eve :-(