My elderly dog has suddenly become anxious. Help!

PasturesNew

I was going to suggest dementia - not knowing the first thing about dogs, or if they could even get it!

But, I've seen how human dementia/elderly people can be - and they hallucinate and get paranoid. He might be seeing people that aren't there, looking at him.

Scottie_dog

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to respond. You have all been really helpful. We are back to the vets tomorrow. I will update tomorrow.

lindze

How did you get on at the vets? I hope he is okay x

jessica121202

I have just put a thread up for something similar with my dog. He is only 2 though and was castrated in July. He was slightly nervous but now is afraid of his own shadow at times. Bonfire night and Thunder and lightning scared him to death and after thunder last week, we found him under our daughters cot, shivering. He's a lovely, good natured dog so has never lashed out at us, even though he must be scared stiff. But recently he just stops in his tracks in the house and wont come past a certain point. He is shaking terribly and his ears are down and he whines like he wants us to move something out of his way. It was usually the cat that wouldn't let him go past on the stairs!! But its since his op in July that he has started this. Its on and off as some nights he just lays in his bed and growls at things that we cant hear.
The wife thinks it might be my 15 month daughter that scares him as she wont leave him alone!!

Scottie_dog

lindze wrote: »

How did you get on at the vets? I hope he is okay x

Hi
We had some bloods taken, awaiting results. This was really just to rule out any other issue but the vet is pretty certain his symptoms are matching up to a canine dementia diagnosis. I had taken some videos on my phone to show the vet when he was at his worst.
He has been on a natural remedy called zylkene for a week now and last night he had some natural valerian extract. He seems a lot calmer, still confused at night but not terrified like he has been.
He's had a great day today, he went to the beach with my dad then for a walk in the woods after I finished work
I'm hopeful he will be ok and we can manage his symptoms.

Scottie_dog

jessica121202 wrote: »

I have just put a thread up for something similar with my dog. He is only 2 though and was castrated in July. He was slightly nervous but now is afraid of his own shadow at times. Bonfire night and Thunder and lightning scared him to death and after thunder last week, we found him under our daughters cot, shivering. He's a lovely, good natured dog so has never lashed out at us, even though he must be scared stiff. But recently he just stops in his tracks in the house and wont come past a certain point. He is shaking terribly and his ears are down and he whines like he wants us to move something out of his way. It was usually the cat that wouldn't let him go past on the stairs!! But its since his op in July that he has started this. Its on and off as some nights he just lays in his bed and growls at things that we cant hear.
The wife thinks it might be my 15 month daughter that scares him as she wont leave him alone!!

Hi
My dog is elderly and the vet thinks it's the canine form of dementia. I wouldn't have thought that would be an option for your dog as he's just a baby;)
Maybe it could be your daughter scaring him? What kind of dog is he?
My dog has always been terrified of children, since he was a young dog.

lindze

Scottie_dog wrote: »

Hi
We had some bloods taken, awaiting results. This was really just to rule out any other issue but the vet is pretty certain his symptoms are matching up to a canine dementia diagnosis. I had taken some videos on my phone to show the vet when he was at his worst.
He has been on a natural remedy called zylkene for a week now and last night he had some natural valerian extract. He seems a lot calmer, still confused at night but not terrified like he has been.
He's had a great day today, he went to the beach with my dad then for a walk in the woods after I finished work
I'm hopeful he will be ok and we can manage his symptoms.

It sounds like he has had a good day, the beach and the woods in one day, he must have loved every minute of that! I hope he starts to feel more himself as his treatment starts to take effect x

DFW74

Just wonder if trying a thunder shirt may help. I'd not heard of these until a few months ago but a lady I know has had great success with them on a very nervous JRT. My sister, after speaking to a dog man at a local show, simply made her own out of a scarf, around the ribs and neck for her worrier, in less than twenty minutes she was asleep on the sofa, the dog not my sister!

They apparently work on pressure points, but they do work!

Hopefully something suggested will help to calm him.

Scottie_dog

DFW74 wrote: »

Just wonder if trying a thunder shirt may help. I'd not heard of these until a few months ago but a lady I know has had great success with them on a very nervous JRT. My sister, after speaking to a dog man at a local show, simply made her own out of a scarf, around the ribs and neck for her worrier, in less than twenty minutes she was asleep on the sofa, the dog not my sister!

They apparently work on pressure points, but they do work!

Hopefully something suggested will help to calm him.

Thanks for your post, it has been very helpful, I had never heard of a thundershirt before!
I am going to order one online today, I'm intrigued to see if it will work! He didn't have a good night last night I'm afraid, very anxious. He is fine this morning, back to his usual self.

jessica121202

Scottie_dog wrote: »

Thanks for your post, it has been very helpful, I had never heard of a thundershirt before!
I am going to order one online today, I'm intrigued to see if it will work! He didn't have a good night last night I'm afraid, very anxious. He is fine this morning, back to his usual self.

Hopefully something works for him. My dog is a Red Labrador. He puts up with a lot off my daughter but loves to sit with her and exchange toys. He pinches her toys, she takes them back, takes his etc. He also stays around her as she raids the biscuit box and they both sit there munching! He seems to lie in the utility room a lot too. Maybe the heat in the last few months has affected him as well. We're going to see how he gets on over the next few weeks when it cools down too.