Elderly dog

[Grace23]

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Hi, i was wondering if anyone can help me.

My cocker spaniel is 13 years old this year, she has become very deaf and blind. This has made her very anxious and she doesn't seem to know what to do with herself. She has also started to wake myself up during the night crying outside my bedroom door. it usually begins between 3-5 in the morning and she does not settle until she has her breakfast at 6. Can anyone please recommend anything we can try to help relieve her anxiousness so she can become more settled and content.

Thank you.

 

[dogmatize]

Hello. First of all I would like to say is it not possible for her to sleep in your bedroom? Even if in a crate, she would i'm sure feel more confident and settled if she knew you were nearby.

I give "Aktivait" to my old dog and feel it helps a lot with his brain function. For anxiety I would recommend Dorwest's Skullcap and Valerian tablets, and a dap collar.

 

[Grace23]

Hi, thank you for your reply.

We do let her in and have her on our bed, however she does not settle, she wants to get off the bed then on the bed and off again until we feed her at 6am.

Thank you for your suggestions we will definitely give them a go.

 

[gypsysmum2]

A vet check first, which might disclose a drop in her blood sugar levels perhaps?. If it is a food craving that is disturbing her could she have a late night snack? I know lots of people give a late night carbohydrate snack to dogs to help with unsettled tummies. Could she have access to food during the night or would she over eat? The vet might be able to suggest a change in diet that would help keep her feeling fuller and more comfortable until breakfast time.

You probably know to keep things as stable as possible for her around the home so that she knows where everything is. Scent is a good tool with deaf/blind dogs to mark steps and doorways etc. One kind of scent placed on steps, another on doorways and another on awkward objects often help to relieve anxiety.