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My Aussie is 10 years old this month. About 6 weeks ...

Sent to Pet Experts June 8 2006 at 5:46 AM
   

My Aussie is 10 years old this month. About 6 weeks ago, I noticed that his appetite all of a sudden is off the charts, always hungary and begging/ also he has begun togo the cats litter box!!!!never done that before, About 6 months ago I had a complete blood work up done as a base line just because he is getting older. Is this older dog behavior? I have always had the cat before him so they go together, he has never messed in the cat box before ( I think he is eating poop) Any explanation? Thank you

 

Optional Information:
Age: 10; Male; Breed: austrailian shepherd

Already Tried:
nothing except I am going to get a litter box with a in/out top for the cat today thinking that he cannot get to it then. My thinking is there is a major change going on within him and I don't know if its physical or emotional? since he has never even attempted this before. It has all been within the last six weeks. (we left him with my daughter to go out of town but she has had him before so this should not have been traumatic to him. He is well adjusted with her family../p>

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Status:  Closed   Value: $15
Answer
June 8 2006 at 5:51 AM (4 minutes and 46 seconds later)
         
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Hunger like this may be due to a metabolic problem such as diabetes.
Intestinal parasites are a possibility.
While dogs normally become hypothyroid and eat less and gain weight in some rare instances they can become hyperthyroid which makes them very hungry.
You need to see your vet again with the dog. Bring a fresh stool sample to check for parasites and plan on bloodwork to determine what the problem is.
Hope this helps you!

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