Going to call the vets this morning for Mr Big paws I'm wondering if he has dementia.

[Duncanpup]

He is fifteen and he still gets around ok I mean he will have moments that we have to help him get up he’s on vetprofin. Yet we’ve all started to notice that he will wonder around the house especially in middle of the night he now is having the occasional accident in the house. He has accident then still goes to back slider to be left out then he stands looking like huh.

Fact is as long as we think he’s not hurting or in pain we would like for him to pass hopefully in his sleep here in his home and not at the vets. So I’m wondering is what I’ll ask his vet about maybe melatonin supplements to help him get back to sleeping at night.

He is such a majestic best guy and has given us so much. I remember the Saturday morning fifteen years ago. We were having breakfast out Liz and i and there was a flyer pure bred golden retriever pups no paperwork $200. Liz said let’s go look we called and this woman said they had two males left I stopped and got cash out ATM.

What a joke let’s go look at a Golden pup fooling each other we both enabled each other especially when it came to animals. Horses a donkey rescue all temporary yea sure.
I even bought a baby pig once yep to raise and slaughter our daughters named him and he started following me around when I’d take care of the horses. He actually followed us all around that hog passed of old age fat and happy.

[LatteLady]

1. Maybe a UTI?

I’m not a vet, but in human older adults a UTI can lead to accidents and confusion. So it may be a simple problem with an easy fix. Glad you’re taking that sweet boy to the vet.

[2naSalit]

9. +1

[Tetrachloride]

2. My dog used vetprofin too. If dog walks in partial circles, that's a sign.

As if he is lost.

[Duncanpup]

3. Oh wow thank you he does it breaks my heart.

[Tetrachloride]

5. My dog was 3-8 months after I noticed. Actually i was clueless and didn't know

Keep ice frozen and cold water. Dog might be overheated. And bags to put the ice in.

Check all of the skin and fur and eyes and between toes. Talk to vet as needed.

[Duncanpup]

7. Hugs over your pup and thank you for advice.

[mountain grammy]

4. Yes that's what mine did

Broke my heart. She was in perfect health for 14 years.

[Duncanpup]

6. Hugs mountain Grammy

[Walleye]

8. Best of luck to you Mr. big paws, and you, animal lovers are the very best people

[cate94]

10. I'm hoping it's a UTI

Never thought I’d say that.

[thatcrowwoman]

11. Sending love and sweet Shalom to Mr Big Paws

And to you and the rest of your family, too.
🥰🕊thatcrowwoman

[livetohike]

12. My sister's dog lived with doggy dementia for a

long time. Peabody was a beagle terrier mix and lived to be 19, but the last 6 years he had doggy dementia. Sometimes he would walk into a corner and just stand there staring at the wall. My sister or brother in law would turn him around and he would go on his way. He was losing his hearing, so calling him didn’t work. But he was healthy otherwise, even going on hikes with us.

[paleotn]

13. Our Treeing Walker is about the same age and had the same problem this Winter.

Wandering around aimlessly and scared like he didn't know where he was. Very much out of character for a houndie. Vet recommended Senilife. It worked wonders.

[Duncanpup]

14. Hey thank you I'll ask I called left message

[niyad]

15. Sending hugs and vibes for best possible outcome. Some excellent advice here.

You and your family bring such joy, DP. Know that we are here for all of you.

[RainCaster]

16. We had that with an elderly cat once

She lasted for 2 more years and went in her sleep. Never really thought about it until it happened to both my parents. Now I have a lot more sympsthy.

May you and Big Paws have many more happy memories.

[lark2]

17. We brought our elderly female rescue cat to the vet - thought she had dementia.

She was just stopping in the middle of the room and looking around confused. She had a UTI and is much better now. Still think she has a touch of dementia. Our previous female cat died of severe dementia when she was 21 and Coco isn't near as bad as Zoey was so hopefully we have some more years left.

[CommonHumanity]

18. on a related note

I hear ya about as long as he is not suffering you'd like him to stay alive, stay with you and stay at home. I'm all for that, but just wanted to make a point for when his time comes: Where I live, and where you live too I imagine, you can have the vet come to your house to put him down at home. If you're like me, it is something that hurts just to think about, but better than the alternative.

I think I've mentioned my Great Pyr, Coasta, in previous replies so, btw, she is feeling her age too. Just kills me to see her struggle up the steps. Funny thing about dogs, they are among the great gifts of life on earth, but force us to deal with mortality again and again. Ouch.....

[Duncanpup]

20. Hugs to Coasta and hugs to you.

[DBoon]

19. our elderly dog would bark all night long

an unsettling mechanical bark - no emotion behind it.

He had moments where he was lucid and responsive to us.

[irisblue]

21. Dunc, maybe put some type of tracker on his collar for when he is outside, in case he wanders

I came home from work one day & found Duke the Dapper asleep behind my couch, somehow he wandered there, got stuck & decided to take a nap.
Stuff happens

[Ziggysmom]

22. Definitely get him to the vet. Had a sweet Lab in the 1990s that started to urinate in his sleep

and have accidents during the day, at around age 9. It was diabetes. He lived several years with proper treatment and no more accidents.

Praying Mr. Big Paws will be alright.

[barbtries]

23. that's a great story.

I'm so sorry about Mr Big Paws.
When my little chihuahua started to fail, I took him to the vet and she said, "Old age is not a disease." She didn't say out loud it's time to let him go but the writing was on the wall. Two days later I sat with him all day long and when he looked at me I felt he was saying "I'm tired." He wasn't eating. When he walked his 2 front legs would splay out in front of him. I let him go that night. Best dog ever.

Did you go check out the puppies the other day? Chase was the dog who convinced me I never wanted to live without one again, and I got a puppy within days of his passing. But he is my forever "heart" dog.