Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Restless Elderly Dog

I have a 15 year old mongrel.  Generally a happy and healthy dog for her age.  Still enjoying food, walks, frisbies and cuddles.  She is on incurin for night time incontinence (has been for about 2 years) and Forticor for slightly elevated protien levels in her urine but these are stable and not causing her any problems.

She is reasonable settled during the day but from tea time (about 4) until about 8:30 she will not settle.  Keeps pacing, looking at us as if she is asking to be out but when we let her out she just comes straight back in.  Eventually she will settle on our bed until about 12:00 when she gets up, paces for a bit and then settles downstairs.

She wakes us wanting to be out about 3 and then settles again.

Love her dearly but I am finding it very annoying and also distressing to see her like this each evening.  Food treats that take her some time to east seem to settle her but uspet her stomach.  

Any ideas?
3 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Quality of life. It sure looks like that baby has had a great one. It's just something you have to deal with at that age. Good luck
Helpful - 0
441382 tn?1452810569
There is something that can occur as your dog ages called Cognitive Dysfunction.  It's basically doggie/kitty senility.  The dog is still physically healthy but he starts to exhibit behaviors that he never has before.  As long as you and your vet have ruled out any physiological causes for the behaviors, most of the time it's simply a matter of the dog's natural aging process.

A list of things that are associated with Cognitive Dysfunction follows:

*  Forgetting routines
*  Becomes clingy and doesn't want to be away from you OR, on the other
    hand, no longer shows an interest in physical contact with you.
*  Goes to the wrong side of the door (the hinge side) or walks behind the
    door when it's opened
*  Stares at objects or stares at nothing for prolonged periods of time
*  Vocalizes more
*  Gets "lost" in familiar surroundings (for example, goes to kitchen to get a
    drink and then stands in the kitchen and barks because he cannot recall
     how to get back to you)
*  Cannot navigate around obstacles without a certain amount of difficulty
*  Becomes disinterested in things going on around him
*  Gets his days and nights reversed.  Sleeps most of the day and is restless
    at night
*  No longer interested in exercise
*  Licks people or objects incessantly
*  Sleeps restlessly and awakens many times a night
*  Goes outside to go to the bathroom, doesn't go, and then goes as soon
    as you bring him back inside
*  Ability to do things that he has done his whole life appears to be impaired
*  Forgets how to do tricks or is slow to respond to common commands
*  Can't seem to learn new things
*  Ceases to groom himself or grooming himself happens infrequently
*  Confusion
*  Eats more or eats less than he normally did
*  No longer uses body language to communicate emotions

There is an acronym that is used to describe cognitive dysfunction.  It is CRASH and it stands for:

*  Confusion
*  Responsiveness decreases
*  Activity changes
*  Sleep/wake cycle disturbances
*  House training lapses

There is a drug called Anipryl (selegilene hydrochloride) that is used to treat this.  If your dog displays any of the other behaviors that signal Cognitive Dysfunction I would make an appointment with the vet to have him evaluated to see if the vet thinks that Anipryl would be helpful.  As long as he is otherwise physically fine, it would make things a lot easier on everyone, including your dog.

Please keep us up to date on his progress and let us know how he is faring.

Ghilly

Helpful - 0
675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
This webpage might interest you?:

http://www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ca0&c=608089#prodlist

There are a few natural solutions on this page for calming effects on dogs, stress-related behaviours, etc. They are "plug-ins" which release natural canine pheromones into the air (not drugs) so they wouldn't interfere with any drug regime your dog is on. They also don't sound TOO dreadfully expensive (but of course that depends on how long they are supposed to last!)
It is just possible something like this might comfort and relax her during the evenings and the night.
I would be slightly wary of the ones which contain actual herbs, however, as it's possible breathing in vapours of substances like Valerian etc on a daily basis might interfere with your dogs medication...? I don't know for certain. The only way to know definitely would be to consult a herbal vet.
Here is a list of herbal vets in different areas of the UK. But some of these will only treat, or deal with, a dog under their care:

www.herbalvets.org.uk

Otherwise, it's possible she might have early stage dementia. If it is, there are medications that can help, but you would have to mention these restlessness symptoms to your vet.

Homeopathic remedies are certainly worth a try. These are quite safe for dogs and all animals, and shouldn't clash with medication...but please do ask your vet before starting any homeopathic treatment. Some people have little faith in Homeopathy, and poo-poo it, but I have seen good results, and sometimes quite quickly, in dogs with these remedies.
For "insomnia in older animals", homeopathic ARSEN. ALB. is a remedy.
For "restlessness with frequent changes of position"...ACONITE.
There are probably other remedies to. For full homeopathic advice and treatment, again, it would be best to consult a homeopathic vet.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Dogs Community

Top Dogs Answerers
675347 tn?1365460645
United Kingdom
974371 tn?1424653129
Central Valley, CA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
Ooh and aah your way through these too-cute photos of MedHelp members' best friends
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.