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Dementia?

post #1 of 9
11/16/09 at 9:54am
Thread Starter 
Does anyone here have any experience with their senior doggies developing dementia? I also think Vino may be losing his hearing, that could explain some of his odd behavior. I obviously need to get him into the vet for a check-up, when I took him in back in February for a senior panel he passed with flying colors, but I don't suppose a blood test would measure cognitive function and the odd behavior has only been going on for a month or so, but it seems like it is progressing rapidly.
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post #2 of 9
11/16/09 at 10:29am
Yes MOST dogs of "senior" years have some dementia ... Gigis started at about 12.5 yrs... No blood tests do not measure it but I did read some online papers ... let me see if I can find them again , as computer crash took out links
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post #3 of 9
11/16/09 at 11:40am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
Yes MOST dogs of "senior" years have some dementia ... Gigis started at about 12.5 yrs... No blood tests do not measure it but I did read some online papers ... let me see if I can find them again , as computer crash took out links
thanks, Jen, I really appreciate it
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post #4 of 9
11/16/09 at 12:16pm
I'm not a dog owner but I have heard there is a medication that will help older dogs that are loosing cognitive function. Sorry, but I don't know the name of the med.
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post #5 of 9
11/16/09 at 12:34pm
We had an Airedale who became senile. Lannie forgot that she could back up, and would get stuck in corners, and often forgot how to go up and down the stairs. She had a lot of "accidents", too. We just took her outside every hour or two, didn't let her near children, and didn't put our faces down to her. That went on for about two years, and we had her put down when the arthritis in her hips got so bad she whined with pain, despite painkillers.

We never knew how old she was, because she was a rescue, but the vet estimated around 8 when we got her, so the dementia started when she was around 10, and progressed rather steadily. She used to feel safer in small rooms - she got very confused when she had the run of the house - so we usually confined her when we had to leave her alone.

That was quite a while ago, and at the time there weren't any medications for doggy dementia. I'm sceptical about their efficacy, though, after my experience with my mom's Alzheimer's.
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post #6 of 9
11/16/09 at 1:59pm
My neice took her dog to the vet. She has been having a lot of strange behaviours. The vet told her Sammy most likely has a form of dementia. He told her that he had not found a reliable medication, because she has four children age 6yrs - newborn. If Sammy shows any more signs of aggression, she should put Sammy down.
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post #7 of 9
11/16/09 at 3:31pm
this is a NON scientific link ... easy to understand http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16893480

easy read but more scientific minded http://www.sciencentral.com/articles...nguage=english

some light readinghttp://www.cvm.tamu.edu/news/pettalk/Dementia.html
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post #8 of 9
11/17/09 at 7:03am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your experiences Tricia and Marianne. There are no children around so I'm not worried about him biting anyone, and if anything he's become more tolerant of the cats lately. He actually lets Artemis and Electra lay right next to him on the couch! That was another clue something was going on

Thanks so much for the links, Jen, I will check them out
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post #9 of 9
11/17/09 at 8:18am
Our boy Tails will be 17 in February. We've noticed he no longer answers when called and his vision isn't all that it use to be either.

I think he's down to three or four teeth. I can't remember from his last cleaning. Eats like a champ and loves his stuffed toys.

He use to take care of business in the front yard and head right back in but now he can only go out front on supervised visits. Otherwise he wanders around and doesn't return when called. We normally have to
get right in front of him and tell him he's going the wrong way home.

I love the expression that Momofmany coined ( love and cheese danish)

That pretty much describes Tails' life in his final years. My youngest son is 16 and he will tell you that Tails has live until he graduates high school.
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