[Dailydrool] sudden or new aggression

[Nancy]

Marie's post got me thinking: my mother-in-law's cocker spaniel, Gracie, 
can be aggressive, and her "issue" was finally traced to a chronic 
(untreated) ear infection that she had as a pup, and she was formerly 
owned by a clueless family with young, wild children. They must have 
accidentally hurt her when her ears were very painful, so now if anyone 
leans over her and puts their hands near the top of her head, she lunges 
and breaks skin if you're not fast enough.

Gracie, now 7 years old, goes to a caring and wonderful vet who says 
she'll probably be on a low dose of predisone the rest of her life to 
keep her ears clear and not hurting. But even though her ears are under 
control, her fear of being hurt by someone leaning over her is still 
there, so she stays in a crate when the family gathers. She's so used to 
it that it's just fine with her -- she feels safe in there....

I agree, a vet visit might help figure out anything you haven't been 
able to discover on your own. One local vet practice has a behavioral 
specialist on staff, so maybe someone like that could help if medical 
stuff gets ruled out.

Good luck with your scary situation!

Nancy, owned by Frank the Tank and Tina-Weena

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