Dog suddenly acting anxious. Hallucinations?

[grrenley]

I have a west-siberian Laika, 3.5 years. A few days ago she's been showing apathy, lack of appetite, fatigue. The vet diagnosed it as food poisoning (possibly she dug sth up and ate it). She's been getting better after two days (both energy and appetite came back), but yesterday, on the fourth day since she fell ill she started behaving really weird. It began when she was sleeping. Suddenly she violently woke up, ran into another room as if she sensed something dangerous, started sniffing the floor and looking at the ceiling and walls. Since that moment, whenever she's inside, after 10-15 minutes of normal, calm behaviour she freaks out like that again, starts running very short distances (2-3 metres), suddenly stops and seems frightened/worried. Sometimes it's as if she's seeing something specific in the air, on the walls or feeling something inside the floor. It makes her very frightened (yesterday evening she literally jumped into my arms when I was sitting in the chair and stayed there for good 10 minutes until I felt to tired to hold her like that - nothing like this ever happened before, she was visibly distressed). She spends a lot of time outside, in our yard, and acts anxious there as well, although not as much as she does inside the house. She keeps sniffing and looking at the foundation of the house, just as she's sniffing the floor when inside.
My question is, seeing as has gone through an illness a day before, could this be a neurological or psychological symptom of anything? Hallucinations or anxiety attacks? I live in Ukraine and we have already called the vet, but he has no idea what is going on, he says it's a normal behaviour but we can see that it's definitely not normal for our dog. We have no money now, also I simply doubt there's a way of testing her brain and neurological system even if we had, not in this country for sure, so there's no way of properly diagnosing her. Please, I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions. There is a chance that she does sense something (we noticed that she's afraid of slowworm, maybe she can feel them waking up under the house), but we have no way of confirming that. Please help, we're very worried!

[SaveThemAll]

Def check your yard, and if ppl can throw things into your yard, you shouldn't leave her outside by herself, period, and always ck your yard first while she is out there.  poisoning or OD of something could be possible.  Get some security cameras for your yard too should you find something that someone has throw into your yard. Post CCTV sign. Vet care should also be given. Prayers for the animals.

[tweetybird47]

what was wrong with your dog

[Margot49]

Ginger makes a good point with possibly ingesting mushrooms.  Have you checked your yard?

[ginger899]

I know what Slow-Worms are. They are like tiny snakes, but harmless and don't bite. We have them in the UK.

It could be that the poisoning has caused some change in her body-chemistry, which might re-balance given a week or two and the correct treatment for the poisoning (and what exactly was she poisoned with?) The vet tells you it is food poisoning. It might be. Salmonella can cause after effects sch as weakness etc. But I don't know about hallucinations....

Are there any toxic mushrooms/fungi growing in your garden, yard, or anywhere she might have nibbled at them? Or plants? Younger dogs are more likely to test and try all sorts of things to nibble at out of curiosity. Mushrooms can sometimes cause hallucinations.

At the moment, I wouldn't necessarily assume this is behavioural, and might be an effect of her physical illness (re: the poisoning) It is possible she will steady out given a few more days, and her system returns to normal??

Is she eating okay? Drinking, going out for walks....doing poops and pees okay?
Did she have an antibiotic prescribed?

[JustSummer]

Dogs don't get salmonella.

[Margot49]

I am not familiar with this breed so I looked it up.  Beautiful dogs but I did read they can have aggressive temperaments and need a lot of exercise.  I am not seeing they have many possible genetic health issues but Epilepsy has been seen in some.  Hope that is not your case and, yes, more thorough neurological exams would need to be done.
All that being said, do you have any idea what the dog may have ingested, if it did?  Anything toxic in the yard or have you used any toxic chemicals?  Are any plants in your yard toxic?  Did your Vet prescribe any medication?

Let's try a different path assuming this might be behavioral.  Anything different in or outside the house?  Any different person or animal been around?  Dogs are so sensitive to smell, perhaps that is what he is smelling.  

Dogs will sometimes go through developmental periods where they might act scared but that is usually before 2 years of age.  I suggest you do not correct or coddle him.  Instead, try to refocus his attention to something good in that area.  Even giving Sit commands and rewarding with a treat.  Hopefully, if that is the case, this will pass.

What I am leaning more toward is he is smelling and/or hearing something in or under the house.  I don't know what slow worm is.  Any chance you might have some type of rodent that got under the house?  Is there any way you can check under your foundation?  Maybe even a cat is under there.  

Wish I could be of more help and hope this gets resolved but I would try to investigate inside and outside the house for something.

Please come back and update and good luck.

[WilliamHarold1]

My dog has been having this same problem for 5 days now and the vet cant figure it out...did you ever figure it out????