Dementia?

[pebbles]

Pebs. nearly 14 years, Miniature Pinscher, has been acting so differently from her usual self. I've been reading about dementia but she doesn't seem to have the usual signs. Her eyesight and hearing aren't the best but she gets around OK. She's eating and drinking fine. No toilet problems. Will hold on for 10 hours overnight. Slowed down a bit but can still run when there's something to run for. Everything else is as usual except for a couple of things. Quick rundown of what is happening:-

Usual mornings for years - let her out (sleeps crated in the lounge) about 6.30am, toilets, then back to bed with me until maybe 8.30am.

Lately - let her out, toilets, comes back to bed for few minutes then she's off outside again, comes back for another few minutes, then out again. This can be repeated 5/6 times and getting much more frequent as in each of the last 3 mornings. She has always hated the cold and wet, other am. she was sitting in the yard in an inch of white frost.

She has never been a girl to cuddle, She would come for a pat then off again.

Last week every evening she sits on my knee for about an hour.

I'm assuming it's just age and if she wasn't an inside dog it's probably not something you would notice. Anyone else had an oldie change years of habit?

Apart from the distance I can't see any use in taking her to the Vet. not exactly symptoms indicating anything and there's a new Vet who I really haven't much faith in as yet.

[KitKat]

Just a couple of threads from the past...

Has links etc In this thread i talk about my old boy Harm who had it, later confirmed by the vet. But there are some links and other peoples experiances etc in this one and the following thread.

Another one

[ReXy]

interesting to read,, i have an old rescue girl here who the vet thought was about 14 and was starting to suffer dementia.. she is only 9 years old but had a hard start to life which i guess has aged her. other than the symptoms you described she has no medical or other conditions,, she just plodds along when it suits her..

sorry i dont have nay helpfull advice for you, was just interesting to read another dog with same symptoms..

my girls eye sight and hearing is deteriorating, she sometimes misses jumping up on chairs, couch.. and does get a fright if someone walks up to her and she hasnt seen or not ready for them

[pebbles]

Thanks for the links. I'm not seeing any drastic medical type changes just the change in some of her habits she's had forever. I'll just keep an eye on her but they're a worry when they get old, guess you're allways looking for things.

[sumosmum]

My whippetx Daisy, turned 16 recently. She can hold on all night but does the same as your dog after she has gone to the loo the first time. She also does it at night time, around 7pm. It is like she knows that she goes to the loo at this time but forgets that she just went.......so tries to go again. Also, her behavior has changed in that she has never really liked strangers. Now, when we go for our walk each day, if she sees someone on the footpath she actually tries to go near them and wants them to pat her. If they don't pat her or acknowledge her, she looks a bit disappointed. Until about a year ago, she didn't want to know about strangers. She too is going deaf, and had an eye removed last April due to glaucoma but can see out of her remaining eye. She has also been on Fortekor for her heart since 2001, but is still going strong. She has no joint problems at all, still moves very well.

She has always been scared of the vacum cleaner. Today, while I was vacuming, she kept deliberately standing near the motor part, and staring at me while wagging her tail. It really looked like she was saying that she was confronting her fears. lol. No, seriously, she has done a lot of big turnarounds behavior wise in the last year. I think it is an age thing, must be. Apart from the strange behavior, my Daisy seems really happy, and I think she is enjoying her golden years. Good luck with your Pebs, I think the oldies are just beautiful.

[Jed]

Dunno, Pebbles, just age, I guess. A couple of mine are a bit strange on and off, one is a bit confused at times, but they seem happy enough, no medical problems, so I just enjoy them for what they are, and give them a few more treats. I figure if they can put up with me, at least I can humour them.

Sumosmum, maybe Daisy isn't hearing or seeing as well as she was?

I had a dog which was terrified of thunder - used to cower under the laundry tub and dig up the vinyl - one day I realised she wasn't doing it any more - coz she was as deaf as a post!! And I hadn't spotted it because everything else about her was normal ... noticed she didn't come when I called her all the time, but thought she was just a bit deaf.

[Stitch]

As a matter of interest what do you feed her??

Perhaps she has a low grade urinary tract infection??

[pebbles]

All my guys have chicken mince raw, kangaroo mince with veges, lightly cooked, dry food, various brands, yoghurt, fish oil, sardines, My Dog tin occasionally, (the tin food is given very seldom when I'm home but if I'm camping then might be 2/3 nights with dry food). Don't think is an infection as she doesn't go to the loo after the first trip in the am's. I've been going out with her to check - just wanders around then sits and looks at the scenery!

I think it's just an age thing - this morning she went out for her toilet at 6.45am. came in on the bed with me then after a couple of minutes she went to get off again so I held her there and she settled down and didn't move until I got up at about 8.30am. Geeze I wish they could talk!

ETA - they don't get all the above every night - mix of some things on different nights.

Edited August 23, 2007 by pebbles

[cowanbree]

I don’t know a great deal about dementia other than one experience where my old girl suddenly become terrified of the fridge and wouldn’t walk past it and would pace for hours. The vet said there was some medication that would help but she unfortunately had to be pts for other issues before we could investigate it. Might be worth talking to the vet