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My 10-year-old dog is clingy. Is it old age or a serious health issue?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | 4 years and 1 month old

Nick is 10 years old and has become very clingy lately. He follows me everywhere and is always asking for attention. He has epilepsy, urinary calculus, spondylitis and chronic pneumonia. When the clinginess started, I took him to the vet. His kidney functioning is normal but his WBC count was very high, so he was given antibiotics. What could be the reason for his sudden clinginess. Is it just because of old age or could he be dying? What should I do??

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 7th, 2019

First, you did the right thing by taking Nick into the vet. If his WBC count was very high, he was likely feeling quite poorly, and that may have made him clingy. Given his number of health problems and his age, I would take advantage of the clinginess and give him lots of love. You never know how long you will have him.

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