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My senior dog digs with her nose. Is she anxious or stressed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cocker Spaniel | Female | spayed | 14 years old | 27 lbs

Hi. My 14 yrs old cocker spaniel is "digging" in the back yard with her nose. She is getting better thru vet's prescription of an eye infection and I am afraid she will damage her eyes again. We just moved to another country and I have never seen doing this. Should I be concerned? Please help.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 19th, 2017

Hello, I would be concerned with dirt getting into her eyes and causing irritation as well. I would keep her from digging if you could. Perhaps she is digging because she is anxious or bored, so providing her with some toys or something to keep her distracted like a Kong toy would be ideal. If the digging persists the. You may want to speak to your veterinarian about behavior changes in Shafika. Hope this helps and best of luck

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    When dogs do this they are trying to "bury" something. Some dogs rub their noses after eating to get rid of the food scent. This is a wild instinct. Some dogs rub their noses before eating in order to get rid of other scents, so they don't spoil their food. ... If it is a habitual behavior. She is likely stressed and uncomfortable in the new surroundings. That is usually why dogs do this. I would recommend using a natural calming aid like Rescue Remedy for Pets and/or DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) products: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bach-Rescue-Remedy-Pet-Natural-Stress-Relief-for-Pets-0-35-FL-OZ/25581235 http://dapdiffuser.com/ Both products can be purchased without a prescription in most of the large pet stores like PetCo or Petsmart or even most Walmarts have them. Hope this helps. Best wishes. I'm glad the eyes are getting better - keep with the treatment. If you have any more questions please feel free to post again!

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