Why is my senior dog growling at other dogs after a coyote attack?

Question

3 weeks ago my dogs were attacked by a coyote. The beagle was killed, but my Catahoula fought the coyote off and chased it away. This week, we brought her to the dog park as we have always done. She is 13 and did ok with of the older dogs, but now she growls at the ones that want to play and get excited. She has never done that before. At home she is as sweet as she ever was and still very playful. What can or should we do to fix this? Pet's info: Dog | Catahoula Leopard Dog | Female | spayed | 13 years and 3 months old | 50 lbs

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

I am afraid you cannot fix this. At the age of 13 she is not really willing and able to play wild like a young dog may want to play. She will likely also suffer from arthritis, so playing and running more than at home may hurt. If she is not taking an NSAID or pain medicine for arthritis, and if she is showing signs of stiffness in the morning, less activity, then you should take her to your vet for an exam and prescription for arthritis pain. Once she is not painful anymore, she may want to play wild again. There is also a possibility that she has suffered a trauma during the fight with the coyote and that this is generally making her more careful and less trusting with other dogs. She may get over it with time.

Why is my senior dog growling at other dogs after a coyote attack?

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