Pet dementia

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One of my Bichons passed away at 20+ y.o (born 4/13/1996) He has had dementia, deaf and blind for quite awhile but my decision as what to do and when was based on his eating, drinking, walking and wagging his tail....that just recently stopped. He was the only one that looked physically fit..My other dogs are overweight, lack exercise, and now, we feed them the same IAMs but a little less and mix with green beans. Thanks for the article. We need to do more!!!! BTW, the 20+ year wasnot from my litter. He was rescued from a family, whose daughter claimed they just called him "Bichon" and he lived outside his first six years of life(when we got him) because he was only used as a stud. MAYBE that six years of lifestyle helped him stay fit and allowed him such a long life?
 
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Same here with a Border Collie. All we could do was to keep her near us, Valium for thunder and fireworks. Lucky for us we had an educated vet, how could you make up a story like that? I once smacked a neighbor for having a fireworks display in his teensy tiny backyard. He moved.
 
My geriatric guy (coming onto 19yrs old in April) has some dementia now. He sleeps a lot more than he used to, has become very fussy about his food and seems to forget where it is sometimes so I end up serving him "breakfast in bed" some days...not to mention cooking for him as much as I do for me to make sure he gets enough food in him. There are days when he'll sit down somewhere and look around like he's not sure where he was headed or where he is and at times he will vocalize for no apparent reason. He's also had a few accidents lately which is uncharacteristic for him. I've noticed he's less nimble on his feet especially when he's navigating a lap but he has some arthritis in his back legs so that may be contributing although he doesn't seem to have any trouble jumping up on the bed or sofa for a snooze. It's sad to see them age when you remember them as spry feisty kittens or pups! But it's life and I will pamper this guy as much as he needs me to for as long as I have with him. :cat:
 
What a big softy you are! Wish you were here to snap a pic of my neighbors face. Don't know who was more surprised, him or me, but I do know when you get to my age you know who needs a good smack upside the head. What an idiot! Probably eats veal.
 
We had a beloved dog who developed dementia. He was probably about 16 at the time. He also went completely deaf, seemingly overnight, and that really changed his perspective on life. He was the best dog ever, and I have not been able to bring myself to get another dog since he passed seven years ago.
 
Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
I absolutely love that. Indoor cats always have you, there's something different with a dog and all their dog-buddies out for a walk in the grass. Ours was in a group of four that all grew up together; new house=get a puppy. One by one they all got older, very hard to think of another dog more than a year later.
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Had an 18 y/o cat who would forget...that he had eaten, what he came upstairs for (family in bed), etc. He would sit and stare at the wall then yowl at nothing. But right up till the end (he died sleeping in his basket) he stayed the same snuggler that he had always been. I now have a 12 y/o Dane who is starting to show some signs of memory loss...so sad to see her confusion at things she used to enjoy.
 
great article--love Dr Becker!
She has so much more insight and not just jump to a drug before finding the root cause.
Thank you for sharing :)
 
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