can dog's get senile dementia?

[clairey-s]

i recently found one of my dogs, who is about 12 and deaf, sat at the bottom of the garden during a storm, lightning and everything. whats goin' on thur?

[wolf63]

Yes they do. My dog was a lab/GSD mix. First it was the cataracts then he went deaf. He started to get really confused when he was 13. He would wander around the house looking for me, passing me and not even noticing. He would walk into corners and not be able to reverse out, or know that he COULD reverse out.

Granted he wasn't exactly brain of Britain to start with. He started peeing blood and after a couple of months of tests and pills they found out he had a large tumour in his bladder. He was 14 by then. He was put to doggy heaven.

It is nothing to worry about as long as your dog isn't getting into dangerous situations. 12 years is not a bad age.

Good luck.

[clairey-s]

aw :( our Belle's not exactly of Lassie brains, but im worried 'cause she (and another one) live outside...
xx

[GypsyGSD]

Yes , my first gsd started sitting out in the rain for no reason when old age started creeping in she had always hated getting wet before , confision over little things , that again she was fine with before,spoke to our vet and she explained it was the onset of dementia she was given medication it helped for a while ,but im sorry to say she got a lot worse and started having fits each one it took her longer to come around from we decided it was the best for her to have her put to sleep she was 13 a good age for a shepherd even though i now have 3 other dogs i miss her terrible and that was 9 yrs ago

[clairey-s]

im worried (more) now.
js for info, belle's a springer
xx

[GypsyGSD]

Please try not to worry i didnt answer to upset you take her to a vet have her checked there could be other reasons for her behavioure please let me no how shes doing love gypsy x

[Roughquest]

Aw, its so sad, my lab is 13 and i was told by the vet recently that he was completely blind, he has also started pooing indoors even though he is let out several times - i always come down to find he has pooed in the hall. But thats old age, he is showing signs of confusion and often wanders into the lounge and stands and just stares at me as if Im a stranger in his house, i can sometimes call his name and his tail doesnt even wag. Which is upsetting.

[ruthann58]

our gsd cross who is 12 has started to show signs today she piled up a load of pea shingle in the garden with her nose then put a cooking apple on top my son said shes trying her hand at modern art

[clairey-s]

:o !! lordy, thats a new one... maybe your son's right, sounds like a resonable explanation.... did u take a picture?
xx

[lankeela]

My old girl is fourteen and a half. She sleeps on my bed a lot, and as she is deaf she doesn't always hear when its dinner time and the food bowls start clanging, so I turn the landing light on and off a couple of times and she appears as if by magic having noticed the light.

This morning she was under the bed and wouldn't come out, was a bit worried what I might find when I got home after going out for a couple of hours. She was downstairs with the others when I got home, and her nose was muddy where she had obviously been burying (or digging up) something in the garden. Ate her tea tonight as normal, then wandered off to bed for the evening. At that age, I let her do as she pleases, and if that means doing a poo where she shouldn't every now and then, well so be it.
I am sure she will let me know when the time comes to let her go.

[divegirl]

What a bunch of sweeties we are! My dane is an old boy and also a bit brainless, but he too has always been like this....lol He lives a happy life with me, the kids, 3 yorkies and a mad kitten etc..... His biggest vice is to have the odd poo where he shouldn't....but gone are the days of telling him off....Which always amuses me....the reason? I come down in the morning and one of the yorkies has had an accident....they get 'the look'....Floyd poo's and he gets a cuddle...along with....'awww baby.....Mummy loves you lots....'......I have 3 very confused yorkies....lol. I keep trying to explain to them [aged 3,4,5] their time will come...lol. So Clairey, my advice to you....just love him!

Lisa x

[shaneystar2]

Dogs can get what we may term as senile dementia.
My old boy has started to show signs of age .Staring at the wall and all sorts of odd things .Hiding at the back of trees ,sitting in the garden in the pouring rain.Not all the time but now and again.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art25417.a sp

[wolf63]

When I had to get my cat put to sleep a few months back I asked the vet about aging in animals. He said that they get old slowly, ie the eyesight going, arthritis, deafness, and we probably don't really pick up on it all as the animal compensates.

But he said that nearer the end the fact that the animal is not coping fully is more evident. In animals this final stage is probably only a few months

Both my cat and dog were like this until this final two or three months - eventually my cat started having epileptic fits and at his age (18) I knew that the situation would not get any better and had him sent to pussycat heaven.

It is always sad to see one of your little friends die, but they had a happy life with loving owners.