Zak (7yr GSD) acting odd (threads merged to include aspirin question)

for the past few days Zak has been really odd.

He has been out side in the freezing cold for ages( hours if I let him), even lying on the patio sleeping. When I call him in he goes to a corner and growls at me if i try to get hold of him. I had to offer him treats to get him in. Then on Saturday he was panting really heavy and followed OH into the bathroom and just followed him everywhere (which he never does). This lasted about 30 mins....

yesterday wasn't too bad

Today he has paced around upstairs and just now he was literally sat next to the radiator which is on full blast.

He has been on his normal walks and been running free, I was going to leave him home to rest but he had other ideas......he is eating normal and pooing normal. He doesn't appear to be in pain as no yelps or anything...

could it be his arthritis playing up and him being brave and not letting it show?

he just seems a bit out of sorts but I can't put my finger on it OH says its me being over protective and that if he was in pain he wouldn't be asking to go out and running.

What do you think?

A trip to the vets is needed.

You're not being over protective, you know your dog and rightly sense something is wrong. I'd take him to the vet and get him checked out.

A trip to the vets for a full check up ASAP

thought so, its just he is not very friendly at all lol so vets can't examine him easily so its always last resort but I think its muzzle time and see whats going on, thanks

I agree with the advice so far, definitely get him to see the vet sooner rather than later. That does sound like very odd behaviour.

I do hope he is okay.

booked in for 9am in the morning, have read you can give aspirin for pain relief in dogs is this advisable just to help if he is in pain?

have read on the net that it is ok to give aspirin (in moderation) to dogs with chronic pain. They recommend that you use the uncoated asprin and give a dosage guide per lb/kg

As I think Zak may be in pain hence my other thread, would you give him a tablet may be to help over night?

he is seeing a vet at 9am in the morning.

A worried Mel x

I'd stick to TLC until tomorrow. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Hi Melsgems panting can be a sign of pain and the other behaviour you describe also signals something is wrong, so I too would advise a trip to the vet ASAP.

Regarding the aspirin, dogs and humans absorb drugs at different rates and a drug which is used for both humans and dogs often has a different coating so you need to take account of this. I would never give a 'human' drug to a dog unless advised to do so by a vet. All drugs can have adverse reactions and when a vet prescribes a drug he should be aware of these and ready to deal with any side effects. Also you don't know what is wrong with your dog, asprin can make some conditions worse.

A hot water bottle in a towel and soft words are very comforting to a dog in pain.