old dog all of a sudden won't sleep

[superprettypet]

Our dog, 14 year Pom, normally sleeps well but she has very bad knee joints and hobbles on 3 legs.  She also takes medication for epilepsy, phenol barbital and potassium bromide.  She has been on this medication for most of her life.  Tonight she would not settle so we thought she might be hot, so we put on the air conditioner to cooler and she did relax for a while but woke up and started to bark.  She seems to have trouble moving around on her legs and we wondered if she is having pain and cannot settle.  When she is picked up she does not seem like she is in pain.  She continues to be unsettled and to bark, what can we do?

[Margot49]

Certainly sounds like pain may be an issue and I would consult your Vet for some pain meds.
What kind of barking?  Just randomly barking or like she is barking at something?  Is she whining or just barking?
This may also be canine dementia which is similar to Alzheimer in people.d oes she sleep in a dog bed or with you?  If you don't think she will chew the pad or cord and it is not hot in your area, you might try setting a heating pad on low but make sure you put something on top so her body is not in direct contact with the pad.  You only want to do this if you are there.  Never leave home and leave that on.
The other possibility is hearing and/or vision loss.
Considering her age, a check up with your Vet to address these issues might be a good idea.
Good luck and please update

[Jerry_NJ]

Sounds like pain, check with your vet about some pain relief.. maybe something to reduce swelling given the leg problem you describe.  This may be nothing more than aspirin, but I am not suggesting you use aspirin without advice from a vet.. you may find something useful searching on aspirin and dogs.