My ShitZu is acting Silly/Crazy

Question
Hi Shelley,
We have a 13yr old female ShitZu, her name is "Piggy". We have had her from birth, we owned her mother (Channel). We had to put Channel down about 6 months ago, she had a collapsed trachea. We were ALL devistated, Piggy was in a deep depression for a couple of month or so. She has NEVER been without her Mother. For the last year I haven't been able to work, so Piggy is never alone. She is always at my side. Now for the last few months she is just acting sooo silly. She growls, rolls around, hops, play fights and has become very vocal. It's all just play but it's constant, she even does it in her sleep. She used to be a little shy, and just playful at times. We LOVE her and don't mind at all, she's actually VERY entertaining. I just want make sure she's mentally healthy. Do you think this is normal or she has cracked up?

Answer
Dear Dee,

Thank you for writing to me.  Please forgive the delay in responding. I have been inundated with emergency rescue work.

I am deeply sorry for the loss of your beloved Channel.  There is nothing that can prepare us for the grief that we feel when our treasured family members go to Rainbow Bridge.

As for Piggy, who has suddenly come out of her lengthy depression, as she too was mourning the loss of her beloved mother, it sounds like this little miss has come into her own!  The only part that is troubling is that she continues this behavior during her sleep.

The best thing to do in my opinion is to get a medical exam with a full blood workup, including her thyroid.  At the age of 13yrs, it is very important to have a baseline blood panel done to see exactly what is going on.  Your vet can then make any necessary adjustments for her health.

Please give Piggy a big hug from me.

Best Regards,
Shelley Davis