tegk68 Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Does senile dementia occur in dogs? Dearest Cassie, who's about 9/10 years old, so not super old, is displaying some odd behaviour signs recently. Nothing at home has changed. In fact life is just like it always has been. Yet these last couple of months, Cassie is showing signs of what I can only think of as odd behaviour. To give you an idea, these are the things she does. They don't happen all the time, but worryingly appear to be getting more so with time: 1. staring into space for up to 10 mins or longer (I usually step in and interact with her, so could be for longer if I didn't). Sometimes she'll do this standing up in the middle of the room stock still or facing a corner like I've put her in detention! 2. odd barking. She barks at nothing at all. In fact I'm pretty sure she hasn't got a clue what she is barking at, she just stares at nothing and barks. 3. Occassionally she'll run round in a circle, madly . This is usually when we're out on a walk. 4. She has started having a little nibble of my shins on a walk . It doesn't hurt and at first it was a little disconcerting but now I don't mind. She also 'had a go' at the OH two nights ago. She was on the sofa with him aaleep and he petted her. She jumped a mile and launched herself at him agressively. It was over quickly as she came to her senses. Being an older dog, he should've given her a little more warning probably. It was still a little upsetting as she'd never done that before. 5. and lastly, she has become very 'food obsessed'. When she eats all her heckles are up and if anyone comes near (animals not humans) she goes beserk. It takes a while for hher to pacify once she's eaten. This would be fine but she never used to be like this. Normally, in my little bit of experience, I would associate the above behaviour with a change in routine or perhaps as a reaction to being unsettled or unhappy but I can't think of any situation that has changed. We went to the vets just over a month ago for a check up and boosters and she was pronounced to be in 'good health'. She certainly has a good appetite and enjoys her two meals a day. Also she enjoys her walks although these are only once a day for a mile as she has some arthritis and gets a bit stiff with walks of any longer duration. I'd be really interested in your thoughts and experiences. I am wondering if it is a bit of senility? Thanks for reading all this. Helen x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 dogs CAN become senile, and it might not show on an ordinary check up at the vets, other members will have more accurate experience to share with you. I am sure there is also a drug that can help her, I have heard it mentioned. Can you give her somewhere quiet to eat in peace so she doesn't have to worry about the others? Hope she will be better soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendbert Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Gdog did get a bit senile as he got older and would do the staring into space thing. He would stand for ages, in a world of his own and when I touched him or got in his line of vision he would be all surprised. He was never agressive or possessive over his food but would go in the garden and have the odd woof at nothing Sending a gentle squidge to Cassie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegk68 Posted January 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Thank you both. I have somewhere quiet to feed her and have been seperating her from others so as not to cause a problem and to give her some space but still her heckels go up. It's interesting what you write about Gdog Wendy. That's exactly how she is. Once in the 'stare mode' she really is in her own world and does give quite a look of suprise when you break her out of it. Is there anything medically that can be done? or is it just a case of old age setting in and adjusting how we co act with her. I presume that she is happy enough in her own little world. I hope so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I am sure I have heard of a drug Helen, if no one here knows about it, try DP. It may have been on there that I read about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantan Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 One of our old family dogs, Kim, went senile. She did the staring into space and got disorientated but was never aggressive. She sometimes didn't recognise her name or the person talking to her and then all of a sudden a light would come on and she'd realise it was me or my nanna or grandad and be all happy to see us. She still enjoyed her walks and lived for about 3 years in this condition before a sudden deterioration when we had to make the decision to let her go We never knew Kim's real age and thought she might have been 3 when she came to us but in light of the dementia the vet said she might have been more like 6 or 7 when she arrived. So she could have been anywhere between 8 and 11 when it started. The staring into space coupled with aggression might be indicative of a petit mal so it might be worth asking the vet for his thoughts. for you and Cassie Marion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegk68 Posted January 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Thanks Marion . I'm really sorry to hear about Kim's demise . I hope Cassie is going to be OK. I hadn't thought of anything like a petit mal . Can they conclusively ascertain something like that at the vets? Sounds like I need to go back and have a word wth my vets about all of this. TBH this w/e I found it all pathetically upsetting . I just want her to be happy. Maybe I'm being a bit OTT. Doggiemum, I don't have a password for DP to do a search for that drug. I'll try and manually look for it though. Thanks for the tip off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockergirl Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I'm sorry to hear about Cassie I have a good friend whose beloved old collie x Fin has been diagnosed with CCD and what we've found out about it is as below... The usual diagnosis for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction or Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (senility) is if they display several or all of the following behaviours in the absence of any physical causes: Stop responding to their name. Forget once familiar tricks May stop responding to even basic commands No longer remember routines Stare blankly into space or at walls Get stuck in corners, under furniture or behind furniture Engages in repetitive and compulsive disorders Pace or wander aimlessly Compulsively walk in circles... around a table or from room to room Appear lost or confused, even in familiar surroundings Dogs who knew exactly where their garden ended and never crossed the line, wander past the normal boundaries, becoming lost and confused. Easily agitated and/or barks for no reason The most common 'symptoms' are loss of continence and waking up during the night which may also be coupled with pacing/barking/whining. There are no blood tests or scans which can diagnose CCD but your vet can perform tests to rule out other causes for the behaviour. Selegiline Hydrochloride is a drug used to treat Alzheimer's in humans and is also used for dogs suffering from CCD. I think the 'shelf name' for this drug is Selgian or Anipryl. Antioxidants and even omega 3 oils have also been shown to have beneficial effects in some cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I *think* vivitonin can help with senility Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Vivitonin is the most commonly prescribed drug for this type of thing in my exerience. We have had good results from it in a couple of oldies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClazUK Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Vivitonin or Activate might help - we've tried both on Shadow (14 in May) but he really is in a world of his own. But I have heard good things about both in other cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegk68 Posted January 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 Thank you all so much The vivitonin looks like an interesting supplement. Definately a trip to the vets me thinks to discuss further but it has been enormously useful to get your take on this. Cockergirl, she's definately displaying quite a few of the symptoms you list Thanks again and I'll keep you posted when I know more Hx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yena Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 tegk68, so sorry to hear about Cassie, we had a smiliar experience with Monty. He would get stuck in corners, just fall fast asleep were he was standing plus many other things. What didn't help was he was almost blind and deaf. Eventually he was unable to go on the walks he so much enjoyed. But, he still gave us loads and loads of enjoyment, and sadly although he his no longer with us, them last few months were a joy. 's to you and Cassie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingrid Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 My old dog Kerry who we lost in 2001 at the ripe old age of 16 suffered senility in the last couple of years, he also went deaf. He would just stand and stare into space, has no idea what was going on, sometimes when food was put down you had to put dsome in his mouth to make him realise what it was. We tried vivtonin but it had no effect on him. On a good day he was like a puppy, enjoyed running round the fields, learned to keep an eye on you for sign language to recall etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindere528 Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I'm sorry to hear about Cassie, it's horrible when they go like that. My old girl Bess suffered from dementia or a doggy version of Alzheimers. She used to do the staring into space thing as if she was in her own world. She also used to get "lost" eg she would go into the wardrobe in the bedroom & couldn't find her way out again. If it hadn't been so tragic, it would have been funny. She also used to forget how to walk. We could go for a walk and suddenly, she would stop and it seemed as if she couldn't put one paw in front of the other, she literally trembled because she'd forgotten what to do. I had to pick her up & carry her. Sometimes, she forgot who I was and would be startled if I approached her. She even forgot her name. Towards the end (she passed away very peacefully at the age of 13 years & 3 months) she forgot how to eat and I would feed her bits of food by hand. In her last week or so, she forgot how to drink. She would lap at her water but didn't swallow. The vet was unwilling to give her vivitonin because she had suffered a stroke a few years before the Alzheimers starting and although she made a good recovery from her stroke, the risk of bleeding in the brain if she was given vivitonin was too high. If Cassie is otherwise well, then it's possible that vivitonin may help her, it's worth asking anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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