[Dailydrool] Vanessa and Jimmy

[Donna Lindy via Dailydrool]

Vanessa,

First of all, I hope your vet has given Jimmy something for his dementia,
which should help with his always thinking he needs to eat.  As far as his 
other behaviors, this sounds just like my sister’s collie mix who is elderly 
and who has developed separation anxiety. Is Jimmy an only dog?  Do 
these behaviors happen while you’re not home? I can’t imagine he would  
be chewing the wall if you were home! In my sister’s case, not much helped 
with this so she  took her dog everywhere she went for a while as well as to 
doggie day care if the dog just couldn’t go with her.  In the end, she got a 
buddy for Roxanne.  After a week’s adjustment, things are much better at her
house - Roxanne is not alone any more when my sister is gone and 
she is not destructive. So I’m thinking that maybe Jimmy in his old age 
has developed some anxiety - several of my hounds did this in their
later years but their anxiety was with loud noises and storms, maybe
because we had several dogs at the time and they weren’t alone when
we were gone.  

Definitely talk to your vet about Jimmy's behavior - and if you have,
and the vet isn’t addressing this, I would try another vet. Jimmy  could hurt 
himself and he is certainly not doing your house any favors. Although 
neither my sister nor I had any luck with any medications helping with
anxiety in our dogs, it’s at least worth a try for Jimmy. 

Donna, drool fueler for Bosley, Sunny and Maggie