Hi I have an old German shepherd x mastiff who has arthiritis and vet says possible cognitive dysfunction he’s 12 he’s lost his muscle has muscle atrophy , he’s been pooing in the house for over a year, and has been weeing in the house for 6 mo this now he’s leaking and sleeps in his bed wet as he goes while he’s asleep and everywhere else, he does struggle with stiff joints which he’s on metacam for, he goes 5hrough a ritual of getting up several times early evening when I’m sat down up , and down turning round trying to get comfy , then hel sit down n get up again, he licks his penis and legs where the wee leak son to I’m afraid of scalding which I try to keep him clean , he eats ok and drinks I’m turn is it time? I’m sorry he’s got CCD but glad he is in your hands. She won’t let anyone brush her, clip her nails or bath her without yelping in her very high pitched yelp that she uses when she is startled or touched. He is sleeping and all of a sudden gets up startled and runs around the house with his tail down all spooked and confused. He walks around in circles and stares at the walls. We have steps in our home and she has fallen down these quite frequently as well as falling off of the bed. It is hard to see her withdrawn from human interaction and losing this battle. She is so confused, agitated, frustrated and aggressive, I hardly know this dog any more. No one can predict how fast a loved one will go downhill or the care plans that are needed, and the emotional fallout can be huge. He still has times when he doesn’t seem to know who we are and he trembles with fear. She’s sweet. I am so, so sorry for the loss of your dear companion. I accepted the challenge, even though I never had a dog before and had not experienced caring for one. I’ve gotten a lot of comfort from this site the last few weeks. CONSEQUENCES Those days are not daily. He was in cardiac arrest when I brought him to vet so the decision to not let him suffer was made immediately. Lucy, a mini Schnauzer, is almost totally blind and deaf and was showing moderate signs of dementia prior to loosing Sadie. I still haven’t come to terms with it, although she wasn’t my first dog and although I have two other dogs to comfort me in these difficult times. But I thought that was just him being him. I hope things are still OK with Cody, or no worse anyway. Buddy, my Shiba Inu who I have had since he was 8 weeks old was the world to me. Many of us here have done it; one just has to. Please be strong. He wakes up and paces, barking, whining, scratching the doors and walls, and ringing the bell to go out. If I try to leash him to move him outside or to another room, he bites. Thank you. I wanted to post here again. Then he comes out and lays down beside us for a few pets…then he is up and wondering, panting. Its been a week since we had to put my Chica to sleep. Does she have any pleasure from life anymore other than when she is about to be fed…? Dear Tarah, he has been diagnosed with doggie dementia.he has arthritis like my self and is on meds like my self. It’s no less real. He also ate chicken liver when I cooked it… just steaming with some sea salt…He’ll eat a little kibble from time to time too but not much. He seems confused at times but then sometimes he seems fine. When one can confidently draw that line. Like Eileen says, if you are on this page and searching the internet, you are doing your due diligence. She is confused and paces chronically every night and she also paces back and forth when we vacuum. Went to the vet who said she wouldn’t euthanize a healthy dog. Knowing he may not be with me much longer and watching him so frustrated and confused. I too just lost my boy Sunny end of Feb. There are people here who are also facing that painful choice. We put our sweet little Marsha to sleep and it hurts so much. This started right after we moved into our new home. I remember when my grandmother had accidents and my father had to clean her and the mess. It was after one of these episodes that we rang the vet and made our decision. Have I prolonged her pain for my selfishness? i Love her and want to make her better. You had Milo a long time and he was a big part of your life. I really hope Stanley bounces back. She never recovered fully from the anesthesia. Yes, I am going through the delema of questioning myself when is the right time, am I just being selfish for not letting her go… I admire your courage. Anyway, I just wanted to say how lucky your little guy is to have you as his mom and I know you’ll continue to give him lots of love. I think that’s the case. She steps in it and tracks it all over the area. However, what is potentially fatal for America is half … Continue reading the 2020 election: fuckery is afoot → But sometimes the risk may be worth it. She does still recognize me and when I get home from work, seems to be more alert than during the day when she sleeps a lot. Sunny, please forgive me. Last week Vicar of Dibley star Trevor Peacock, 89, died of a dementia-related illness. The hardest decision in my life had to be made…. Dear Patrick, She has been healthy her whole life, but has exhibited many signs of dementia, was just diagnosed with melanoma and just 2 days ago seemingly forgot to go to the bathroom outside, came inside and urinated on the floor. I haven’t taken her to the vet as of yet for fear of hearing that “it’s time”.. The neurologist said that yes, dogs with some neurological issues prior to surgery CAN get worse due to anesthesia. I know it’s hard. I acquired my Brothers Small Chocolate Lab in November 2015. I know you all understand and appreciate that I found this site. Virtual hugs to you. That said, the recommendation at this point is to increase anti-oxidants, give him Sam-E as a supplement (10mg/pound), and, if needed, look to Anipryl or other meds to try to help. I too have a Rat Terrier named Cricket. I constantly end up sleeping on the couch in the living room, with Brain leashed to the end of the couch so he doesn’t ambulate freely all night long creating havoc. She started doing circles all day long around the living room coffee table until she would tire herself out and fall down and sleep. Then at night we would catch her standing in our bedroom just staring at the wall. She passed away before I could see her. This is such a sad time. Some will do a free consult through a vet, but there is usually a charge if they take on your dog’s case over time. What a sad, sad way to lose her. Although it’s sad, I feel better there are others whom have done through this. Other times, I would find Buddy in a corner of the room, and I had pillows to prevent him from going behind furniture. Liz, you know your dog best. Boffins at Cambridge University identified a cold-water shock protein, which slows the onset of dementia, in the brains of a group of swimmers. It was so hard to let go but it was hard seeing my lil baby struggle she lost her vision was going in circles for months kidneys failing and she was on a heartpill. I wish you the very best luck with Jasper. He hardly seems to know us and he hasn’t eaten all day. She was just rooted to the spot and it took me a while to bring her round. I found this site on a Google site while looking up denentia in dogs. We have said we’ll take him to our VET to be PTS when he stops eating but he still has a voracious appetite. He sounds a tough little guy. He had all the signs; tripping over objects on the floor, going to the wrong side of the door to be let out and in, incessant barking at walls, pacing, pacing, pacing, pacing. Dogs have their ups and downs but sometimes they do go down and don’t recover, or not as much. He is hardly eating and has been falling since his arthritis is worst because he has no body mass. I am only 19 years old but have had her since she was a puppy so you can probably see as to why I’ve been holding on to her for so long. I’ve already lost an old dog to cancer and other disease but I’m not sure how I’ll cope with him. I give him small amounts at a time and that seems to help him digest it and not throw up… as he also throws up stuff if it’s too much. I have 9 year old mix boy from a 10 week puppy. He might help you communicate with your husband. (Selegelin was prescribed before but it only made him more restless and aggressive). I feel so lost without him. She was still running around quite happily. I carry him a lot as he has spatial difficulties and some loss of sight. I feel she has no real quality of life but at a loss as to whether her time has come . I put down my sweet Cody this week. Dogs function on an intuitive level most of the time and their sense of who they are as dogs is important to them. Sometimes it can just help to write things down. He has obvious dementia and is losing strength in his back legs–falls down, and is now urinating quite frequently (in the house) He gets stuck in corners, etc. Everything has pointed to age and dimentia. There are others here who have had to make very, very hard decisions regarding their beloved companions. I’ll send you an email. He probably sleeps app 22 hours a day. P. S. I am one of those people who keep their dogs alive way too long, and then look back and regret what I did…. I worked endlessly. Thank you. The vet saw no issue said hes healthy, good heart healthy teeth. It is very difficult with a dog who is still physically robust, but it sounds like you have assessed Button’s quality of life well. When I come home she is still standing looking lost and will not lay down. Whatever you decide, I know it will be right. We have gone through sleepless nights and very emotional draining days. I hope you still have some good times with your Mattie. I was stunned to think she too would be embroiled in this dreadful disease. I don’t know how he got so sick so fast. I’m happy for that at least. When there are more sad faces on the calendar than happy faces – the time is right. This is just my own opinion, but I think it’s better to let them go a bit early than too late. thank you so much Eileen. Over the years, the dementia started to get worse. He crams himself in corners and behind furniture and acts like he can’t get out. In the past month, he endlessly barks. Since the 1990s research has consistently identified head traumas as a contributory factor to dementia. Hi Stephanie… It’s Shona here again. I do not want her pacing with anxiety; so I stay home a lot! When I told my vet about the therapist diagnosis he said that my dog might even not display cognitive simptoms… I was so angry: if ccd is a degenerative disease how could he not, sooner or later? The vets did test by taking biopsy. How lucky he is to have had his “second life” with you. You sound like a wonderful owner/guardian for him. I hope things go well. But, it does sound like you took great care of him, and when you contacted your vet to get more of an objective perspective I think that was right. He pants all the time due to a collapsed lung (3 years ago) that has never fully repaired itself. She has arthritis which has left her back legs very weak. There are plenty of people here who understand. I put my little Cricket to sleep when she was still physically sound, though frail, because she started having seizures. Is this rebellious or Dimensia? im from venezuela and we dont have a good animal health care here, what can i do? If you are over 60 and see friends most days your risk is 12 per cent lower than those who have less interaction with pals Credit: Getty - Contributor. I feel so bad when I find him splayed out in his urine. I too came across this site when Jessie my lab (13 years old) was dealing with dementia. I know this is old but my 14 y/o Shiba did and he was scratching his face constantly and crying that I had no choice but to give him peace. I felt like I was abandoning her. With two chronic pain diseases, this is almost more than I can bare. we couldn’t think about putting him down. I not so sure the vets I have taken him to are well versed in diabetes. Thank you so much for your words. His vet is very caring and comforting. All we could do is try to treat her symptoms. I never had to take my pet in before Jess, and although I spent about six months watching her get worse and watching the toll it was taking on her and me and my other pets, the guilt and the pain was/is pretty tough. I took my beloved boy for a health check November last year. Best case scenario, he will have a good spring summer and be active during the day and sleep at night. Moses (what a fantastic name) sounds like a wonderful little guy. Hi Rebecca. God bless and watch over you. I hope your heart is OK with whatever decision you made. Looking across the internet for information I found your page. I just wanted to make a comment on this. Maya became my lifeline. That he is all alone. I’m so sorry for your loss. Jess was a rescue dog so I’m not exactly sure how old she was – 14 or 15 (and I had her for 13 years). My 13 year old was diagnosed with Doggie Dementia when evening comes she whines so load, hits the table in front of me and I can’t comfort her. If this carries on I don’t think I can let him suffer in this way for long. He jerks when he is sleeping and jumps at any sudden sound .I know that it is time for him to go. When I talked to my vet about his barking all night, and getting me up every 2 hrs. I just wish it wasn’t now because then I could stop worrying that her vet is going to be away. She has lost her eye sight and can barely hear. I had called my vet, crying, as I did not know what to do. I do not want to regret that I kept him alive too long just for me, but I can not make that decision to let him go. Sorry that I can’t offer an opinion about your dog, but here is a rating scale that you can take and fill out for your vet. And I’ve been through the loss of a brother, both parents, three destructive hurricanes, earthquakes, financial ruin. 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