anxiety

Question
My 8 year old Yorkshire terrier has started to show anxiety at night when all the lights go out and we are in bed she starts to scratch on anything she can. She pants and acts like she does when there is a thunderstorm. I understand the reason when there is a storm but now it is every night for no apparent reason. Nothing I do calms her down. I don't want to medicate her every night if I don't have to but will if that is the only way to get some sleep. Can you advise?

Answer
Angela

Please take her to a vet and confirm that there is no loss of eyesight.  Loss of night vision is indicative of several diseases and certainly would scare her a lot. She may be showing fear and anxiety

My Gordon setter has retinal atrophy which has made her lose her night vision and she can no longer walk down the hall at night - even with night lights - unless all normal lights are on.

Do you ever crate her ?  She might feel safer there since it's completely predictable and she can feel that she's enclosed

I sure hope it's just behavioral and not physical - or if it's physical, it's something easy to treat.

Let me know how you make out.

-Beth