Guest greytsmom Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Where to begin? Last Wednesday evening our 11 1/2 yr old male began his evening by constantly standing by deck door as if he wanted to go out and occasionally walking over to us and than back to door. We obliged and let him out and he continued with this behavior until we went to bed. He would not settle and we finally gated him downstairs so we could sleep. He does not seem in pain. His stools are normal. He is perfectly fine (normal) during the day. He has done this every other evening for the past 5 days. He will stand like this for hours, despite being let out, he resumes his stance at the door. Any ideas what is going on? He has had health problems the past 2 yrs starting with a significant food allergy (now resolved), surgery for a benign cyst on his leg, and than that same foot/leg became semi-lame for which vet found nothing wrong (had thorough exam with xrays). We also just got over reminding him who was alpha. Our GSD died unexpectedly in July and he had become increasingly snarly. That has resolved also. We are perplexed and a bit dismayed at the continued issues. We want to do right by him, but it seems we are constantly at the vets. Thankfully most things have been minor. Anyone have any ideas what might be going on? We do have an appointment at the vets tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest iconsmum Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I think you may find that it's a bit of senior dog dimentia. Your vet may be able to help, or search here, I'm sure there are a couple of threads to help out. Often it begins with nighttime restlessness or anxiety. Kisses to your sweet boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greytluv Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Poor baby. Maybe the vet can give him something anxiety. Maybe try some melitonin (sp). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysmom Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 There is a drug for canine dimentia, though I'm forgetting the name at the moment. You might give the melatonin a try if you don't want to start the rx right away. Many dogs have had success with it though. Quote Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora) siggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleptogrey Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I think you may find that it's a bit of senior dog dimentia. Your vet may be able to help, or search here, I'm sure there are a couple of threads to help out. Often it begins with nighttime restlessness or anxiety. Kisses to your sweet boy. sounds exactly like what we went thru w/ our welsh terrier. dementia started at night, eventually it was all the time and he was very disoriented and not at all comfortable. i tried sedatives, had a very stoned puppy walking around. exercised him even more( he was pretty active up to the very end) hoping to have a tired dog- no luck. willie started peeing in his bed ever time he nested, when he was crated he paniced even more, contained in the kitchen- he bent the wire gate and knocked it down. my good friend, a greyhound vet, who knew him well basically told me that he was really scared, disoriented and could never be made comfortable(my vet agreed as well).all of this took a while to esclatate. sorry to hear you are dealing w/ this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfish Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 It might be dementia, but it reminds me of what happened with my lovely old Jim when he got to about twelve years old. He would ask to go in and out all evening, unless we were able to put a bed out on the patio for him when he would go and lay down outside, even in really cold weather. We wouldn't let him if the weather was too cold, partly for his sake but also because there's no way I'd shut the door on him and often it was too cold to leave it open. He'd do that same thing; just stand on the patio with his nose in the wind, or wander a few steps and stand there until we encouraged him in. We began to let him sleep in the conservatory (a cooler room) with the door into the house left open, and overnight he was OK, though his bladder wouldnt' let him sleep all through, and he'd generally get us up early-ish for a pee too. I figured that for some reason, he found our house suddenly too warm, and I wondered if it could be side effects from his heart drugs. After he'd been put on them, he suddenly grew a full coat of fur, even on his belly, for the first time in his life! Well, since he was two anyway - we took him on as a two year old, half bald from mange and neglect. Quote The plural of anecdote is not dataBrambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 What does "We also just got over reminding him who was alpha" mean? And... "He would not settle and we finally gated him downstairs so we could sleep", how many times has this happened? If you are starting to gate him away from you and separate him from his family, maybe this could be the reason he is distressed. He knows he is going to have to sleep alone. You also said he just lost his buddy, maybe this is an issue. Sounds to me that he might need some TLC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryJane Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I'm probably wrong but, I think there is a type of relatively minor seizure that has similar symptoms .. the restlessness, wanting to go outside, a little bit of confusion, not being comfortable anywhere, might look like they are searching for something. This happens to one of my greyhounds every few months and he's about 9 years old now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I believe the drug for doggy dementia is Anapryl. You might want to consider doing a blood panel and include a full thyroid panel (I'd have the vet send it to Dr. Jean Dodds at Hemopet, especially for her interpretation). Energy11's Goldie was having lots of problems, including lots of problems at night, was diagnosed as being hypothyroid by Dr. Dodds and is responding well to being on Soloxine. Here is a link to her thread. My s/o's senior Boston Terrier also has sundowner's syndrome and wanders the house at night crying. Poor poochies. Quote Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Energy11 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 (edited) I believe the drug for doggy dementia is Anapryl. You might want to consider doing a blood panel and include a full thyroid panel (I'd have the vet send it to Dr. Jean Dodds at Hemopet, especially for her interpretation). Energy11's Goldie was having lots of problems, including lots of problems at night, was diagnosed as being hypothyroid by Dr. Dodds and is responding well to being on Soloxine. Here is a link to her thread. My s/o's senior Boston Terrier also has sundowner's syndrome and wanders the house at night crying. Poor poochies. My Goldie started with this weird behavior at night, months ago! She would run through the house, barking, etc. Then, the first week of December, she had what the vets think were some small focal seizures. I am stil not convinced they weren't small strokes ... anyway, I took her off all antiseizure meds, the prednisone, etc., because I don't think Goldie has a brain tumor, which is what the evet and my regular vet (*NOT GH savvy) thought. I insisted on a full thyroid panel, including a free T4 and TSH. The panel WAS sent to Michigan STate University, and came back as "normal ..." It didn't looke "normal" to me, and I forwarded it to my former vet/employer in Florida AND Dr. Jean Dodds. BOTH said Goldie needed supplementation. ... *please see my thread ...** Goldie has been on Soloxine (thyroid supplementation) for over four weeks. She is more alert, happier, and her "night terrors," have greatly improved ... BUT, ...they are still there. Last night, she spent 1.5 hours wandering, barking, whining, drinking water, and running around. Dr. Dodds and Dr. Beau, in additon to the thyriod supplementation, recommended Anipryl, which is a drug for CCD ... Canine Cognitive Disorder (doggie Alzheimers). Dr. Dodds said to start slowly, and keep her on the lowest dosage ... I WILL be starting his drug tomorrow morning. I had company all weekend, and did not want to start her, and confuse her more ... I will let everyone know if I do see an end/change to this nighttime behavior! (**it is only at night!))) with the Anipryl. To the OP .. I'd recommend a FULL SENIOR BLOOD PANEL, FULL THYROID, and if go from there. Your baby very well may have "Doggie Alzhemiers," and there is a med (Anipryl) for it! Please PM me if you have any questions. Good Luck! Dee and The Five Edited February 7, 2011 by Energy11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotaina Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Any chance you've got some wildlife in the back yard? He could be smelling something out there that you're not seeing. Quote Meredith with Heyokha (HUS Me Teddy) and Crow (Mike Milbury). Missing Turbo (Sendahl Boss), Pancho, JoJo, and "Fat Stacks" Juana, the psycho kitty. Canku wakan kin manipi."Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Any chance you've got some wildlife in the back yard? He could be smelling something out there that you're not seeing. Exactly what I was thinking--sounds like there is an animal in your yard--apparently a nocturnal one! Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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