[ThePanda]

My 9 month-old Westie seems to have lost his smell. He's just walking around the home all day, sniffing the floor, as if trying to regain his smell. That's all he does, he hardly eats or drinks...

What's happening?

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by ThePanda

My 9 month-old Westie seems to have lost his smell. He's just walking around the home all day, sniffing the floor, as if trying to regain his smell. That's all he does, he hardly eats or drinks...

What's happening?

This is a mystery! I really can't tell you what it is but will leave you with a couple of questions to think about. Has your pup just recently had vaccinations--esp. rabies? Some dogs can act strange after shots--and may not be an immediate reaction-esp. rabies.
Did you recently use something on your floor that was not what you usually use? And is this just one floor or all of them? Lol, maybe you should use something different on the floor (possibly a smell he wouldn't like to see if he would stop---Ever hear of Bitter Apple?). It does kind of sound like some kind of obsession! This is stretching it a bit, but did he lose a favorite toy or is something else missing that was there before that he may of been attached to?

Could he have something trapped or growing in his nose?

Are you sure he is really sniffing/smelling the floor---And not just hanging his head down because of a problem with his throat--nothing in his throat I hope that is obstructing or anything? Could he have a sore throat or some kind of problem there so he doesn't want to eat or drink? Hope he doesn't get dehydrated over this! Does he have any other symptoms---even subtle ones? How do his ears look inside? You know smell, taste, hearing, etc. can influence one another--all senses. Does he lick the floor at all while doing this? (my brother has a dog that was obsessed with licking the floor and even the 'cement' road).

Maybe you can just call your vet and ask him if he has any ideas about it or if he ever heard of it with another dog. Hope your dog stops and it is nothing to worry about. Keep us posted--Don't want to worry!

Just went back and read some of your previous posts. In July you had mentioned he didn't like to walk and just wanted to smell the ground! Does he still do that when you walk him now?

You also had mentioned that you were wondering if he was a Westie for sure. Did you ever get that 'settled'? Here is a good link if you want to look at Westie pictures: West Highland White Terrier, Westie Information and Pictures
There is a lot of info there and a lot of pics--Be sure and scroll all the way down as there are 3 more pages to click on. Great site, don't you think!?

[ThePanda]

First of all, thank you for the detailed answer, I know it took you quite a while to write all the questions and info.I've solved the Westie problem. I'm pretty sure now that he is a Westie. Outside he still likes to sniff the ground, although he now doesn't do it that often.He's had his last shot last summer, in August. The floor is cleaned with the same thing, so that can't really be the problem. As for his toys, all of them are in place. I'm not sure about his throat or ears, I'm starting to get concerned about his mental health.Can dogs have schizofrenia? He often just go berserk for no reason, barking at the door. Other times Obi is lying quietly near me with his belly on the floor, when suddenly he just jumps on his feet, for no reason.He isn't licking the floor, just walking in circles, sniffing the floor/carpet/newspaper. I'm not sure if there's a pattern.Hope this clears up some things.

[Yogi]

Issues such as this can be attributed to neurological as well as something like a pinched nerve or slipped disc in the neck. Your best solution is to get the dog to a vet to rule out such things. Good Luck.