sudden chewing

[tschock]

9 year old, female, black lab has suddenly taken to chewing on EVERYTHING!
She just destroyed my 2 y/o son's favorite (plastic) elephant toy...destroyed his wooden elephant toy, chewed up three stuffed elephants and one stuffed bear.
She's taken one of my stuffed bears and seems to be "cleaning it" right now...not chewing on it.
She has NEVER had a chewing problem before.
She was at the vet a couple of months ago and there was no sign of tooth decay or any other problems. She was healthy as a horse...? lol

She's also been very "clingy" the past few days...won't leave my sight for even a second. Last night she did something else that she's never done before...she jumped up on our bed in the middle of the night to sleep with us.
She's scratching at me more than usual too. She normally scratches to let me know when she needs out to pee or when her water dish is empty...but now she's doing this every few minutes...and she doesn't need anything.
She'll scratch until I stand up, and then she takes off...it's all very odd.

Maybe she's sick? Maybe her time is coming to an end and she knows something we don't know...trying to spend as much time with us as possible?
Her coat looks great...shiny, silky as always...drinking a bit more...and eating more too I think...going to the "potty" about the same amount too.

Anyone have any idea what sorts of things would cause her to do this?

[tschock]

Came back with a clean bill of health! YAY!
So...I'm guessing it's psychological?

She HAS been through a lot in the past 2 years...dad died so we took her in...brother moved back out to farm so took her back there...farm burned down so she came back to us...guess it's all been too much for her?

What options are available for doggie anxiety/depression?
Assuming that's what it is. Although she has been back here for the past 6 months...and nothing stressful has happened in that time...as far as I know.
She's been wanting out more lately...going out for longer periods of time...so maybe it's spring fever?

[tonyb286]

Yes, Ghilly is absolutely right, these are symptoms of something going on that your dog knows but just can't find the right way to tell you. She is certainly finding every way possible, including climbing into your bed, which is a sign she needs your attention and reassurance. The chewing may be more put down to stress, as your girl is clearly worried about something that is happening to her.

The increased drinking is a concern. Diabetes is worth checking, kidney problems too, and of course Cushings, these can be assessed by having your vet take blood for testing. If you can 'catch' a sample of urine in a clean container, all the better - take this with you when you see the vet. Tony

[Ghilly]

Increased water consumption and increased food consumption are early signs of Cushing's Disease.  They can also be early signs of diabetes.  

Nine is getting on in years for a large breed like a lab, so she could also be experiencing some signs of aging that are confusing her and that have her acting strangely.  Her sight could be starting to go, or her hearing.  Dogs naturally cannot tell us when something is bothering them so they often do odd things that are out of character for them in an attempt to signal to us that something is not quite right.

I would give the vet a call and mention these things to him.  First and foremost I would mention the increased thirst and increased appetite, but I would also tell him about the chewing and the clinginess because they may or may not be related.  The thirst and hunger might be a totally separate and distinct issue from the chewing, or they may not.  Your vet is best qualified to make that judgement.  Please keep us up to date on how things progress.

Ghilly