Why is my old dog acting sad, apathetic, and less affectionate?

Question

Hi,I wanted to ask if the personality changes are normal in my dog given that he is old and neutered,everyone talks about the physical things but he can of course eat and drink and wander around but he is very apathetic, far less affectionate and most of the time seems sad or a little bored or something no matter what I do..He loves to eat,sleep and still go for very slow walks..Thanks x. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

I am sorry to hear about your concerns for Archie. Any behavior changes can be a sign of a health problem in a pet. We can have problems such as arthritis making them feel uncomfortable and not wanting to get up and move around like they used to. We can have systemic illness causing them to just feel lousy and therefore not being as interactive as normal (imagine if you have the flu or a bad cold and just feel tired/like you don't want to do anything). For these reasons, I would recommend a visit to your vet if Archie is having changes as you describe in his energy/enthusiasm. The vet can do a good physical exam to check for any abnormalities, and may recommend doing bloodwork to screen for underlying diseases.

Why is my old dog acting sad, apathetic, and less affectionate?

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