Cholodin?

[Guest giantsfan]

I posted this on the facebook GT last week, but thought I would try here as well since I only had one response. In a nutshell: one of my dogs was showing signs of CCD (doggie dementia). I'm not sure this is really what is going on and am working on ruling other physical issues out, but while doing some research, I discovered a supplement called cholodin that has rave reviews. People like it for the cognitive effects, as well as many other old dog type issues. Has anyone ever tried this and if so, I would love to hear the feedback.

 

Thanks!

Edited December 7, 2015 by giantsfan

[a_daerr]

I used Cholodin as a supplement for my seizure dog, Henry. His seizures were always well-controlled, but I like to think the combination of the meds and the Cholodin contributed to that. If you're going through CCD or any other type of cognitive decline with your grey, this is definitely in the "can't hurt, might help" category.

[Guest giantsfan]

Thanks, I ordered it today. Definitely can't hurt.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

LOng story of my 12 1/2 year old. At about 10 she got weird. At 5 pm it was like a switch came on and she went into what people describe as the sundowner affect. Wandered aimlessly, barking, jsut not my dog. I have a book called Good OLd Dog written by vets at Tufts Vet School. There is an entire chapter on this and going down the checklist, Leia sure seemed to have every box checked for potential CCD.

 

We skipped some of the diagnostics we should have done first and jumped right into supplements, including cholodin. Nothing helped. We even jumped right into that prescription med that is FDA approved for treating CCD. But nothing helped so I decided to go back to step one. Step one was a xray to see if something else coudl be causing her pain and making her act that way. Bottomline we did xrays, dozens of blood tests, saw an internist and did an ultrasound, saw a cardiologist and did an ultrasound then saw a neurologist. The neurologist saw nothing and said maybe this is how your dog will jsut be in old age,,,she was, after all, 10 and that means she was getting close to her "pull date" so to speak. He said,,if she walks into walls or gets stuck in corners,,come back. So 4000 dollars later we had nothing.

 

So we just accepted her weirdness. We had trouble with her appetite, her kidneys, getting her to eat anything. She was taking more pills then I do including pills to increase her appetite. She go to the point where should wouldn't settle at night unless I slept in the livingroom on the couch for half the night. Then about 2 am the switch would turn off and she was my dog again.

 

Then she turned 12 and the switch started going back the other way. She started sleeping all day again, appetite started coming back, spent a lot of evening hours outside but she seemed to be getting better.

 

Now, she is almost my 7 year old again. She takes no pills, she eats like a hog,,,I do not know why,,and as long as she can go in and out of the house from 5 to 11 at night she is fine.. BUT HERE IS THE PART FOR YOU.

 

I still had some leftover cholodin and since I ran out of doggy vitamins for her so I started giving her this again. She has even gotten better. I am not so sure the cholodin is helping her back to herself again, but I wouldn't rule it out. I don't have to sleep on the couch, she has no accidents in the house (she had a few night time dribbles in her beds) and she sleeps through the night all night every night again.

 

So as you said,,couldn't hurt.

[Guest giantsfan]

LOng story of my 12 1/2 year old. At about 10 she got weird. At 5 pm it was like a switch came on and she went into what people describe as the sundowner affect. Wandered aimlessly, barking, jsut not my dog. I have a book called Good OLd Dog written by vets at Tufts Vet School. There is an entire chapter on this and going down the checklist, Leia sure seemed to have every box checked for potential CCD.

 

We skipped some of the diagnostics we should have done first and jumped right into supplements, including cholodin. Nothing helped. We even jumped right into that prescription med that is FDA approved for treating CCD. But nothing helped so I decided to go back to step one. Step one was a xray to see if something else coudl be causing her pain and making her act that way. Bottomline we did xrays, dozens of blood tests, saw an internist and did an ultrasound, saw a cardiologist and did an ultrasound then saw a neurologist. The neurologist saw nothing and said maybe this is how your dog will jsut be in old age,,,she was, after all, 10 and that means she was getting close to her "pull date" so to speak. He said,,if she walks into walls or gets stuck in corners,,come back. So 4000 dollars later we had nothing.

 

So we just accepted her weirdness. We had trouble with her appetite, her kidneys, getting her to eat anything. She was taking more pills then I do including pills to increase her appetite. She go to the point where should wouldn't settle at night unless I slept in the livingroom on the couch for half the night. Then about 2 am the switch would turn off and she was my dog again.

 

Then she turned 12 and the switch started going back the other way. She started sleeping all day again, appetite started coming back, spent a lot of evening hours outside but she seemed to be getting better.

 

Now, she is almost my 7 year old again. She takes no pills, she eats like a hog,,,I do not know why,,and as long as she can go in and out of the house from 5 to 11 at night she is fine.. BUT HERE IS THE PART FOR YOU.

 

I still had some leftover cholodin and since I ran out of doggy vitamins for her so I started giving her this again. She has even gotten better. I am not so sure the cholodin is helping her back to herself again, but I wouldn't rule it out. I don't have to sleep on the couch, she has no accidents in the house (she had a few night time dribbles in her beds) and she sleeps through the night all night every night again.

 

So as you said,,couldn't hurt.

 

I appreciate the information and am glad to hear that your girl is better!

[Guest FordRacingRon]

The one thing I learned was there is no definitive test to actually prove CCD. It is one of those types of things that if you rule out every other possibility, you have your diagnosis. We started this with an xray, the vet said she thought (I was a substitute vet,,her regular vet had a vacation day) her heart looked a bit bigger then normal and that is how we ended up with an internist followed by the cardiologist. They gave me the DVD with the pictures,,I went home and put it in my computer and I found an image online of a grey's heart and I looked at my girl's and I could see one bit of difference. Now not being a vet, or sleeping at a Holiday Inn, I thought it best to take her to the specialists. Still paying them off.

 

When we went through the battery of tests the internist told us she had a bit of IBS,,a tiny bit of swelling in an intestine,,,,she then said it would cost a couple of thousand more to nail it down exactly,,or we could just accept it and give her a Pepcid AC. Neurologist said the same thing. Now she gets one Pepcid AC in the AM and Rymidal (sp?) for her hips. Other then that, no meds. The vet techs at my vet are amazed. They said none of them had seen a dog go from where she was to back to the way she is now.

[NeylasMom]

You could also look into a supplement called Senilife. Also check for a book by the author of the blog, Eileen & Dogs for more information about dealing with this issue. Please report back on what does and doesn't work for you.

 

ETA: Here's the link to the book:

Remember Me?: Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018224Y5Y/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_-UQEwbVAW3SM4

Edited December 23, 2015 by NeylasMom