Question:
I have a 10yr old dog. Last summer she got into the habit of eating cat poop(from a stray) that was deposited under our deck. I managed to clean up thepoop but since then she spends her whole day and evening sniffing for anyfood morsels that may be in our house. In the last couple of weeks this isall she does... She has no interest in me and does not listen if I talk toher...she just walks around sniffing for food on the floor. I should addthere is no food on the floor to find but she keeps looking anyways.

We were at the vet a month ago and I asked about possible worms etc..The vetsaid no cause her coat would look dull and that she looked fine. She askedabout her water drinking habits (possible diabetes) but she doesn't drinkexcessively. She eats Innova dog food and her weight is good. I don't thinkthis is normal and I'm looking for suggestions on any conditions that couldcause this behaviour. Shall I get blood work done on her? Would this showanything? Or maybe it's an obsessive complusive thing?

Answer: .I think any change in behavior, especially in our seniors, is a markerrequiring a full panel of bloodwork - CBC and chemistry panel (please makesure the dog has been fasted 12 hours). Despite what your vet says, I'dtoss in a fresh stool sample plus a first catch urine sample. This way youcan rule out most, but not all, medical problems. Something like Addison'sdisease can only be ruled out with further testing - ordinary bloodworkoften shows nothing. It could be a form of dementia, but this dog is prettyyoung for that. There's just no way to know without doing all the medicalstuff first. At least that's where I'd start, especially if this pup hasnot had any BW done in the past year.

Absolutely no insult intended -- Is it possible that you have mice orsquirrels getting into the house and between the walls? Our dog can telleach fall when the weather starts to get cold that there are mice in theattached garage. And it makes her go crazy trying to decide what's in thewall.