Doggy dementia

[Sisyphus]

Well. I kept taking my then 12 year old lab to the vet because she was acting "off", and I was afraid she had some terrible pain I couldn't see. She kept checking out fine, and at the third visit, the vet did a screening for dementia...and she hit all the points. Her weird panting, wandering, pacing, hiding, is apparently dementia. I will be honest, I still feel like something physical must be wrong, but it's been 2 years and she has blood work, etc done and checks out fine, even her teeth despite her awful dog breath. So, they are correct, this is dementia.

 

Recently, she has been much worse. She apparently remembers she is scared of men, but forgot she has known dh for 11 plus years, and she barks at him and hides. She greets us (me, two kids) like she doesn't really know us- she appears to know she likes people, but she isnt 100 percent sure of US. It's very sad- she is timid, wants to please these strange people, isn't sure how to get outside, gets lost in the living room, hides in the bath tub (apparently a safe place), is very worried a majority of the time. She has a number of health problems she is medicated for, so I am loathe to give her what the vet termed "experimental" medicine for her dementia. But, she is a lab, and the last few weeks has been too stressed to eat sometimes. Eating is pretty much all a lab lives for... But she has wandered off pacing and hiding and forgotten or been too upset to eat.

 

To me, as a quality of life issue, not eating is very bad. But she will eat, if encouraged, and she is in good health, otherwise. Just too upset/stressed/overcome by the dementia to eat.

 

Am I deluding myself? I feel like we can work with all this (I am a pro at cleaning dog pee now) and she is generally healthy. But, her mental state is quite bad, and she seems pretty stressed, all the time...probably because she doesn't know any of us, suddenly. Or know anyone. Or where she is, really.

 

I don't know what to do. I thought her health issues (advanced arthritis, a tumor in her rear end) would be her end, but not this. Anyone with a dog with dementia want to weigh in? Is she generally ok, or generally not? Is she miserable and scared, or just spaced out but happy? How do I know?!

 

I love this dog with all my heart. I don't want to do wrong by her. I am so worried she is terrified and miserable all the time...but some days she seems happy and her old self. I've had no experience with dog mental issues before. Help.

[fraidycat]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

Wow. That sounds like such a tough call. Poor doggy. :( And poor doggy family. :(

 

I'm sorry, I have no advice or experience. All I've got is virtual hugs. :grouphug:

[chocolatechip]

I have no advice, only hugs.  Watching pets age is so hard. 

 

Our dog has become incontinent, but no dementia issues as of now.

 

I'm so sorry.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[zoobie]

I'm sorry. :grouphug:

[Pawz4me]

Anipryl  may help.  It's temporary (a few months to a year, I think) but it does help some dogs.  If that's what your vet termed "experimental" then I'm truly puzzled by that comment.  It's been used to help Canine Cognitive Dysfunction for years.

 

I *believe* some studies have shown that moderate physical activity can be beneficial.  Which isn't really surprising.  Gets the good/beneficial hormones going in the brain.

 

I think in your shoes if I didn't want to try Anipryl, or if I tried it and didn't see some relatively quick improvement, then I would opt to euthanize.  Mental distress is every bit as bad, if not worse, than physical distress.

 

I'm sorry.  I know it's hard. :grouphug: :grouphug:

[Pink and Green Mom]

:grouphug:

[Twigs]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug: