Adult Yorkie Male Behavior Change

[Kirbyhealth]

Hi All,

We have a 7 year old male Yorkie who was born with a limited eye site condition. As he has aged his eye site has become more limited and has become more vocal with a new more bossy style of communication (he is still has some vision). He's a bit skittish/reactive with random noise, he also experienced symptoms of Atlantoaxial luxation (spinal related inflammation) last year that vet treatment alleviated.

Our concern:
Recently he has started to whine/or cry out at random times after he is put in his bedroom and early morning, his buddy a small Pomeranian sleeping close by. Could this be the premature mind/aging process where his world has gotten smaller; from his playful cat like boundless energetic behavior?
Or health related? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a bunch!!

[Scoobstersmom]

Seven is not at all old for a yorkie, and usually dogs that gradually lose vision adapt well. I would be more suspicious of a health issue and have him checked out thoroughly by your vet, especially as he has a history of a back issue. I have an 8 year old toy poodle that has had a few problems with his back/neck. The first sign is generally crying out unexpectedly, maybe just a yip if he turns his head suddenly. It seemed random at first, but now we know that's how he shows his neck is bothering him. A short course of prednisolone and some crate rest and he's back at it. Dogs don't always show pain in ways that we can easily interpret. Hope this helps.


Diana

[Wylie's Mom]

Dogs hide pain/discomfort *very* well, and the signs can be subtle at times. I'd really bring your kiddo in so the vet can do range-of-motion exams to see if there is any new areas of discomfort. This is a great link to read:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/eme...-dog-pain.html