Discussion
Anyone been through this?
Had all the usual advice from vet, they have done full blood work, urine samples, eye tests, cushings test etc.
Bottom line is she is 95% blind and almost completely deaf. We already knew this as her eye sight has been getting worse the last couple of years. She has regular eye drops (accular) but just helps keep them moist really. Now starting to show a lot of the symptoms of CCD, she is 14.
Anyone got any advice or tips or tricks of how they made their dogs comfortable?
Other than the eyes and ears she is very fit and healthy. Bloods and urine were perfect. She is still lean and can jump and run (as crazy as that sounds).
Vet has put her on a months worth of diazepam to see how she goes on that. Does not seem to have done anything for her yet but only a small dose so might take a while to build up.
Had all the usual advice from vet, they have done full blood work, urine samples, eye tests, cushings test etc.
Bottom line is she is 95% blind and almost completely deaf. We already knew this as her eye sight has been getting worse the last couple of years. She has regular eye drops (accular) but just helps keep them moist really. Now starting to show a lot of the symptoms of CCD, she is 14.
Anyone got any advice or tips or tricks of how they made their dogs comfortable?
Other than the eyes and ears she is very fit and healthy. Bloods and urine were perfect. She is still lean and can jump and run (as crazy as that sounds).
Vet has put her on a months worth of diazepam to see how she goes on that. Does not seem to have done anything for her yet but only a small dose so might take a while to build up.
There are natural remedies and diets that may help.
Aktivait is one supplement that is designed to help with senility.
Hills do a diet food that can also provide supplementation it is called Hills B/D. Again some people feel it has helped but difficult to be sure.
There is a drug Propentofylline (vivitonin is a company name) that may be worth looking into as it improves oxygenation in blood flow but is more indicated for elderly dogs showing lack of energy etc. Actually here is a copy and paste for more info so you can see if it may be worth a try (check with your vet first obviously)
'Vivitonin 100mg tablets for dogs are designed to help treat Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome ('dementia') in older dogs, reducing the clinical signs of disorientation, confusion, and changes in sleep patterns. It can also improve willingness to exercise.
Vivitonin 100mg tablets contain the active ingredient Propentofylline which improves blood flow and oxygenation to the brain, increasing brain blood flow and improving brain function. It also reduces free radicals (which can otherwise cause damage to the brain, decreasing memory capacity), and improves blood flow to skeletal muscle, improving exercise tolerance.'
Obviously dealing with reduced sight and hearing and dementia is quite a lot so it does become a combination of quality of life, managment and your own expectations etc
Aktivait is one supplement that is designed to help with senility.
Hills do a diet food that can also provide supplementation it is called Hills B/D. Again some people feel it has helped but difficult to be sure.
There is a drug Propentofylline (vivitonin is a company name) that may be worth looking into as it improves oxygenation in blood flow but is more indicated for elderly dogs showing lack of energy etc. Actually here is a copy and paste for more info so you can see if it may be worth a try (check with your vet first obviously)
'Vivitonin 100mg tablets for dogs are designed to help treat Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome ('dementia') in older dogs, reducing the clinical signs of disorientation, confusion, and changes in sleep patterns. It can also improve willingness to exercise.
Vivitonin 100mg tablets contain the active ingredient Propentofylline which improves blood flow and oxygenation to the brain, increasing brain blood flow and improving brain function. It also reduces free radicals (which can otherwise cause damage to the brain, decreasing memory capacity), and improves blood flow to skeletal muscle, improving exercise tolerance.'
Obviously dealing with reduced sight and hearing and dementia is quite a lot so it does become a combination of quality of life, managment and your own expectations etc
we have a similar situation with our 13/14yr old King Charles Chav, 90% deaf, pretty blind, on heart pill's and pills for the side affects.
Just back a UK holiday where she had a new lease of life for a few days and was running and digging in the beach (then slept for the next 5days!)
Hard to know the point at which to say enough is enough, she just keeps on going bless her...but time is running out sadly..
Just back a UK holiday where she had a new lease of life for a few days and was running and digging in the beach (then slept for the next 5days!)
Hard to know the point at which to say enough is enough, she just keeps on going bless her...but time is running out sadly..
She is currently on Hills, kidney care I think it is.
Thanks for the rest of the info I will look into that.
She has memorised her walk route and the layout of our house so she is doing ok with the eye sight at the moment. She is ok in the garden as we cleared it out now so its just literally a giant square. We had another dog who passed away earlier this year and she has not been right since then tbh. They were together 24/7 for 13 years so difficult for her.
Thanks for the rest of the info I will look into that.
She has memorised her walk route and the layout of our house so she is doing ok with the eye sight at the moment. She is ok in the garden as we cleared it out now so its just literally a giant square. We had another dog who passed away earlier this year and she has not been right since then tbh. They were together 24/7 for 13 years so difficult for her.
familyguy1 said:
we have a similar situation with our 13/14yr old King Charles Chav, 90% deaf, pretty blind, on heart pill's and pills for the side affects.
Just back a UK holiday where she had a new lease of life for a few days and was running and digging in the beach (then slept for the next 5days!)
Hard to know the point at which to say enough is enough, she just keeps on going bless her...but time is running out sadly..
She goes through periods of 2-3 days of being really good then 2-3 days of really bad. She had me up at 5am this morning crying. Bank holiday Monday she slept in till 830am! (normally up at 645 like clockwork).Just back a UK holiday where she had a new lease of life for a few days and was running and digging in the beach (then slept for the next 5days!)
Hard to know the point at which to say enough is enough, she just keeps on going bless her...but time is running out sadly..
I feel your pain, as ours will bark randomly at stuff (at silly times of the day/night) that see can't see or hear, quite upsetting to see her like this. Equally at home she can't hear foot steps and when she's finally spooked by them has caused me to step on her or fall over by trying to predict which way she is going to do.
Ours is blind but she can still find her way onto the sofa just fine....
One thing we have learned is that if we pick her up we put her back down where we got her from. A while ago she kept running into walls after being picked up it was because she was confused. Also in the morning I get her out of bed and put her down in the same spot in the kitchen so she knows where she is starting from. Many a time she has gone for the back door for her morning pee and ran into the washing machine....
One thing we have learned is that if we pick her up we put her back down where we got her from. A while ago she kept running into walls after being picked up it was because she was confused. Also in the morning I get her out of bed and put her down in the same spot in the kitchen so she knows where she is starting from. Many a time she has gone for the back door for her morning pee and ran into the washing machine....
Just an update, we have had her on Aktivait for a couple of weeks. Not made any difference, maybe slightly worse even.
Her sleep is becoming worse. We are going to see the vet next week to see if there is anything he can do but honestly just starting to think the best thing to do is put her to sleep.
She is only sleeping for a couple of hours at night and then panting a lot.
We have tried sleeping her in her crate but she is going pretty much bat sh*t crazy.
We put her in at 10 and she sleeps till about 12 then goes mental. Then tires herself out around 2am then back awake at 4am. Tends to go back to sleep around 6am which is when I get up. She knocked 2 teeth out last week. I feed her and then 5 minutes later she is sound asleep...
She will take her self off in the day into her crate and sleep like a log, its the night time she is bad.
So now sleeping with me in our spare room so the mrs can get some sleep she suffers badly when her sleep is disturbed. She is sleeping better with me but still up at 2 and 4 but only for 5 minutes before she realises I am there and then back to sleep.
Not easy!
Her sleep is becoming worse. We are going to see the vet next week to see if there is anything he can do but honestly just starting to think the best thing to do is put her to sleep.
She is only sleeping for a couple of hours at night and then panting a lot.
We have tried sleeping her in her crate but she is going pretty much bat sh*t crazy.
We put her in at 10 and she sleeps till about 12 then goes mental. Then tires herself out around 2am then back awake at 4am. Tends to go back to sleep around 6am which is when I get up. She knocked 2 teeth out last week. I feed her and then 5 minutes later she is sound asleep...
She will take her self off in the day into her crate and sleep like a log, its the night time she is bad.
So now sleeping with me in our spare room so the mrs can get some sleep she suffers badly when her sleep is disturbed. She is sleeping better with me but still up at 2 and 4 but only for 5 minutes before she realises I am there and then back to sleep.
Not easy!
Aktivait can take a few weeks to have true affect being a natural remedy.
Did you ask the vet about Vivitonin?
That will have a more immediate effect within a few days. It would be worth a try and at least you know you have tried all.
However I can understand how difficult this can be. I had to say goodbye to my little cat Fitz a few yrs back due to senility. He had other issues but they were manageable however his senility became severe so with all combined it wasn't fair to him. His world became a very confusing one for him
Did you ask the vet about Vivitonin?
That will have a more immediate effect within a few days. It would be worth a try and at least you know you have tried all.
However I can understand how difficult this can be. I had to say goodbye to my little cat Fitz a few yrs back due to senility. He had other issues but they were manageable however his senility became severe so with all combined it wasn't fair to him. His world became a very confusing one for him
I will ask about that next week. I hope he can come up with something, because she is physically in terms of eating, drinking, toilet, mobility etc fine.
Its just mainly her sight and her marbles. We cant fix her sight, so if he can just get her settled we can probably manage with her but as she is at the moment we are both struggling. I spent the latter end of last year and the first part of this year caring for our other dog as he was on his last legs with kidney failure and that took it out of me and whilst she is physically in a lot better condition than he was he was mentally still sharp so was still able to do normal dog things, play with a ball, play with other dogs, chew a bone etc. She does none of that any more
Its just mainly her sight and her marbles. We cant fix her sight, so if he can just get her settled we can probably manage with her but as she is at the moment we are both struggling. I spent the latter end of last year and the first part of this year caring for our other dog as he was on his last legs with kidney failure and that took it out of me and whilst she is physically in a lot better condition than he was he was mentally still sharp so was still able to do normal dog things, play with a ball, play with other dogs, chew a bone etc. She does none of that any more
My old lad ,see my post about George, was like this in the last few months
We think he had a stroke in feb 16 and didnt quite get back the use of his back legs, But vett him on pills but over the last few years which help. The last few months saw him stagger bit more , back legs crossing each other. Standing and just 'looking' when he was out, as though he was in another world, going deaf, but still hearing his food being put in the bow. having a crap inthe house when lying down, but asking to go out for a piss. We said that when his legs went that would be it as his quality of lif waould be zero...that happened three hours ago.
I have seen blind and deaf dogs and if they are mobile then give them a chance. it is the lying there not moving all day today that finally made us realise he had had enough, and to be honest his looks said everything.
We think he had a stroke in feb 16 and didnt quite get back the use of his back legs, But vett him on pills but over the last few years which help. The last few months saw him stagger bit more , back legs crossing each other. Standing and just 'looking' when he was out, as though he was in another world, going deaf, but still hearing his food being put in the bow. having a crap inthe house when lying down, but asking to go out for a piss. We said that when his legs went that would be it as his quality of lif waould be zero...that happened three hours ago.
I have seen blind and deaf dogs and if they are mobile then give them a chance. it is the lying there not moving all day today that finally made us realise he had had enough, and to be honest his looks said everything.
Small update, she did well on Selgain so far her major problems have been really reduced. However she started with seizures yesterday. Vet says not much more he can do so not looking good. To make things worse my wifes gran died and its her funeral today so we are trying to manage both problems at once!
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