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This post is in connection with one I just posted about my elderly cat, Song. Song recently has started to experience dementia episodes.
Here's the link to that post...before I tell you about my golden retriever.
High thyroid #s. caused dementia?
My golden retriever's name is AU, (Au being the elemental name for gold). It sounds a little like Hey You...and for me that's an inside joke, as back in the 1970s, I had a dog named Hey You.
Anyway...above, I mentioned my cat, Song. Song is around 14 years old now, and sadly she's having short dementia episodes, that I posted about in the other thread. She doesn't do this if she is around me, AU, or Thump.
I have severe back issues and upon standing, those first 2 or 3 steps are horribly painful, so I have to take it slow, so I often can't get to Song in a timely manner and it breaks my heart to hear her sounding so afraid.
Now the one thing with AU, is that no matter where I am, he is Always between me and anywhere else in the house I want to go. He's between me and the computer room door, or if in the living room, he's on the sofa next to my recliner, or he's on the floor in front of the recliner - he's off the sofa if I so much as twitch like I'm going to get up. If I'm in the kitchen, he's laying between the kitchen and living room. If I'm in the bathroom...he's at the door. I cannot go anywhere in the house without getting past him.
Song started this dementia stuff about 3 weeks ago, and as mentioned, I can't get to her as fast as I like. Then about 6 ago, on a hunch, I started telling AU to "Find Song" as soon as I heard Song yowling. He knows "find your baby'...stuffed animal/ball/other toys.
I use the same tone, and he's up already, as I'm just barely getting to move. I was hoping if he went to Song, she would settle down upon seeing him before I could get to whatever room she was in. And it worked : )
Two days ago, instead of waiting for me, to move, to get up out of my computer chair and tell him to Find Song and go for her while I lagged behind -- Song started to yowl.. I wasn't even in motion yet, but I said 'Find Song' and the light bulb clicked in his head and he took off before I got out of my chair. He didn't wait or hesitate to see if I was coming.
By the time I got out of the computer room down the short hall and around the corner into the living room...AU was in front of Song, sniffing her and she had stopped yowling!
Later in the day, Song went into the kitchen, had another episode and I didn't even have to tell AU to 'Find Song' he jumped up and went into the kitchen and was with her before I even got out of the computer room. Song, stopped being scared as soon as AU showed up.
I know AU knows he's being helpful. He just has this super proud look and tail happy wag. He was upset with the yowling before, but didn't know what he could do about it. But now, he knows he has a job.
Song:
AU
---------
Stormy
Here's the link to that post...before I tell you about my golden retriever.
High thyroid #s. caused dementia?
My golden retriever's name is AU, (Au being the elemental name for gold). It sounds a little like Hey You...and for me that's an inside joke, as back in the 1970s, I had a dog named Hey You.
Anyway...above, I mentioned my cat, Song. Song is around 14 years old now, and sadly she's having short dementia episodes, that I posted about in the other thread. She doesn't do this if she is around me, AU, or Thump.
I have severe back issues and upon standing, those first 2 or 3 steps are horribly painful, so I have to take it slow, so I often can't get to Song in a timely manner and it breaks my heart to hear her sounding so afraid.
Now the one thing with AU, is that no matter where I am, he is Always between me and anywhere else in the house I want to go. He's between me and the computer room door, or if in the living room, he's on the sofa next to my recliner, or he's on the floor in front of the recliner - he's off the sofa if I so much as twitch like I'm going to get up. If I'm in the kitchen, he's laying between the kitchen and living room. If I'm in the bathroom...he's at the door. I cannot go anywhere in the house without getting past him.
Song started this dementia stuff about 3 weeks ago, and as mentioned, I can't get to her as fast as I like. Then about 6 ago, on a hunch, I started telling AU to "Find Song" as soon as I heard Song yowling. He knows "find your baby'...stuffed animal/ball/other toys.
I use the same tone, and he's up already, as I'm just barely getting to move. I was hoping if he went to Song, she would settle down upon seeing him before I could get to whatever room she was in. And it worked : )
Two days ago, instead of waiting for me, to move, to get up out of my computer chair and tell him to Find Song and go for her while I lagged behind -- Song started to yowl.. I wasn't even in motion yet, but I said 'Find Song' and the light bulb clicked in his head and he took off before I got out of my chair. He didn't wait or hesitate to see if I was coming.
By the time I got out of the computer room down the short hall and around the corner into the living room...AU was in front of Song, sniffing her and she had stopped yowling!
Later in the day, Song went into the kitchen, had another episode and I didn't even have to tell AU to 'Find Song' he jumped up and went into the kitchen and was with her before I even got out of the computer room. Song, stopped being scared as soon as AU showed up.
I know AU knows he's being helpful. He just has this super proud look and tail happy wag. He was upset with the yowling before, but didn't know what he could do about it. But now, he knows he has a job.
Song:
AU
---------
Stormy
