KathyM Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Over the last year Dharma has slipped from eternal puppyhood into looking like a "senior" dog. She is 7.5 now and while in other breeds I would have no cause for concern, in bullmastiffs I have heard this is "older". She is grey around her muzzle and isn't *quite* as boingy as she was (although she tries lol). Over the last couple of months we have started to see "naughty" behaviours arise again. I say "naughty", they're not at all, but they are antisocial and annoying behaviours that at first I put down to having Sid about, and now I'm not so sure. She is getting destructive on a minor level, something she hasn't done since she was a puppy. Today it was shredding newspaper all over the dining room and taking a big wee in the middle of it (she is on occasion losing control of that side of things though, but it's not an "issue" as yet). She also has taken to barking incessantly sometimes at the small animals here, something she's never done before as she has been brought up with them. I don't need to find a way to deal with the behaviours as I will take it right back to how we trained her as a pup, that's not why I'm posting. I'm posting because someone suggested she is going senile. While I know she is "older" for a bullmastiff, isn't she too young to be having senility issues? I would really appreciate any thoughts and also any advice re treatment/diet if that's what she needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Dharma...you silly sod . The only experience I have of senility in dogs is with my own GSD Louie, but he would have been about 10 when he started to go a bit peculiar, and even then, it was more a case of getting a bit forgetful and not recognising familiar friends, rather than a break down in house training. I did look into Vivitonin if he got any worse, but he seemed to do fine on other suppliments ( Grape Seed Extract and a magnetic collar) so I didn't bother with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Thank you so much, I'll bear that in mind! Does a magnetic collar help brain function? I might try that. I was thinking of trying her on Hills BD as it's non-prescription now so presume it can't do any harm to try it. She is otherwise fit and well, just a bit dimmer than usual. She sometimes just doesn't know if she's coming or going, and when you're stood behind such a great big oaf as her and she can't decide, you're there a while lol. I read an article on Canine Cognitive Disfunction and she ticks a lot of the boxes. Other sites recommend B vits, so am off to H&B tomorrow. Does anyone else know any dietary ideas for cognitive function? Thanks ever so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpole Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 henry is senile he goes over to corners and stands facing the wall as if wondering who put it there, he paces, has started with anxiety when left, and forgets hes had his tea we were told by our vet to give pickle plenty of b vitamins in the form of marmite sandwiches to improve brain function, and also had him on vivitonin which although improved his brain function made him a little wired as it is not meant for young dogs, we have also used aktivait the non prescription natural version of vivitonin on kass after her stroke which im convinced helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pendlewitch Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 I tried the increasingly dotty Cecil on Aktivaite, it's a herbal remedy for improving brain function. It does not work on every dog and did not work for Cecil but some report really good results, maybe worth having a google about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 I found using a magnetic collar really helped Louie, it works by improving blood flow, so the more blood getting to the brain the better the brain function, if I took it off, there was a noticeable difference in him after 2 days, but it may not work so well for every dog. There's also that other herbal thing for improving brain function, but I'm buggered if I can remember what it's called ! ....ooooo, thats going to annoy me all day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpole Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 ginkgo biloba ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissa Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Roly has Activate & Vivitonin - he is much better than he was on them. Hadn't heard of the magnetic collar improving brain function but will give that a go too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 According to this http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/articles/supplement.htm sage, calcium / phosphorous & magnesium may each have an effect on some aspects of the mind. It may therefore be worth asking your vet / googling for any evidence of them helping in senility cases Best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted December 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Thank you all so much! I've found some dog vitamin thingies online specifically for senility that I might give a go. I've read some info on choline with strong evidence to suggest it helps, so have sent Baz to H&B just now for that or a B complex with it in. Anyone know a good magnetic collar seller that isn't going to cost me a fortune for a big dog? Actually I think Lisa got one for her dane Blu somewhere quite cheaply, I'll ask her too. Thank you all for the help, I'm off down to the vets next week anyway with a poorly rat so will bob her down too. Kathy xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted December 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Just for those who have the same problem who might not have seen these, these are the ones I was talking about (thanks for the heads up on Aktivaite, I will check them out too): http://www.amazinghealth.co.uk/cognitise-dog-senile.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 ginkgo biloba ? On the nosey ! that's the one ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Thanks, will look out for that too. Something's going on with her, last night she got into a cupboard and chewed through a prescription Baz had picked up for me (6 packets of the mini-pill lol, she didn't get through to the tablets thank God!). I know this is something you would normally "puppy proof" against but you get complacent when they are grownup and trained and behave well lol. This morning she put her head through the guinea pig hutch (literally headbutted her way into it, pushing the bars out of the door), she's never, not once been aggressive with small animals. It's exasperating, it's like she's reverting to a big and potentially dangerous puppy and I've got to accept it's her getting on and not being wilfully disobedient when she should know better. She *did* know better but I'm not sure at all now. I'm going to cave and take her down to the vets after my exam on Monday (so prolly Tuesday). I think we'll ask to get her onto Hills BD and take it from there. I feel a bit cheated and (probably stupidly) bereaved - like we've waited for years for her to come out of puppyhood and she went straight into old age, and while I know we've got her for years yet I don't like having to accept she's maybe getting old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Hang on in there Kathy, there's still a fair few things to try that may well sort the problem . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpole Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 i think you are right to get her checked kathy there are plenty of other things besides senility that can cause odd behaviour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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