[Dailydrool] doggie dementia

[Valerie]

I have been reading on the Internet today about doggie dementia.

My husband and I are fairly sure that one of our hounds, 10 year old Bo (commander of the PBF) is becoming more and more demented. he now sometimes walks to a closet and stands there, stuck. he also gets lost in our totally fenced yard and calls out for assistance. t first we thought this is because he is nearly blind with cataracts, but it seems more than this. He is up on and off all night. He has slipped to maybe 50 per cent house trained--it is not unusual for him to walk to the doggie door, pause, then pee rather then going outside. sometimes he barks for no discernable reason. (today he is doing this). he does not appear to be in pain, though he is stoic. He still loves to eat, loves all people, likes belly rubs, but is not the dog he once was. (But then neither am I the person I was as a girl either).

My husband says Bo has three thoughts in his brain: Feed me. Where's mom? And Gotta pee/poop. today I have made the transition to putting diapers on Bo during the day too. It makes me sad to do so, but I think it's time. Bo's ulcerative colitis is under good medical control currently though I'm sure longtime use of steroids hasn't helped his cognitive acuity. (Better than the alternative nonetheless).

so, question--who else is dealing with this? aside from keeping a routine, always letting Bo know where I am, ramp to the yard, same love as always, is there anything else I can do to help him? has anyone used Anapril? Am I missing something? He had a physical in April before his hernia surgery and was deemed in good health other than his chronic IBD, which is under control. Val