Older dog has developed seperation anxiety.

[Lighteninginabottle27]

I have a 9yr old staff bitch. Originals pup from a rescue and she has been fab all her life. In recent months she has started to develop anxiety. When we go to bed she goes in the kitchen. She trembles whilst we are turning nights off etc and when she goes out for a last wee she will just stand on the patio and has to be called in firmly. It's a similar story when we leave the house. I can be out 5hrs and no accidents or under 2hrs and she will have pooed everywhere. She likes to be in the lounge and we did try giving her access but they she began pooing on the carpet in the same way so it's back in the kitchen. She s broken teeth chewing the stair gate and rubbed her nose til it's raw. I took her to the vet who was a bit dismissive, told me get her a thunder jacket and gave diazepam for bonfire night. The thunder jacket hasn't really helped. I do work but I'm in and out of home and work at home quite a bit. There doesn't seem to be a pattern only that she's worse probably in the afternoon if I go back out after lunch. I've put the radio on, tried a crate (that made her more nervous, she gave it a wide berth) She is otherwise well and is physically very fit. Has a good life with stimulating walks and is walked daily and long walks at weekends. No other dogs and no change in our daily life. Has anyone experience and could help me help my old girl?

Dog walker?

Quite common in elderly dogs

pethelpful.com/dogs/Why-is-My-Elderly-Dog-Suffering-From-Sudden-Separation-Anxiety

I have a 12 year old cocker spaniel who has attachment issues, but only in relation to me. She is almost totally deaf, has poor eyesight and is probably starting to suffer from dementia.

She isn’t a problem at night (although she sometimes has accidents, so is restricted to hard floor areas then). She is also on her own during some weekdays, although we have a dog walker if she is going to be on her own for most of the day.

The issue is when the family is around and I go upstairs, or into the front garden or out without her. She charges around the house looking for me, with her nails clip-clipping on the floor. If she retires to her bed, she stays there for a few minutes before dashing around again. If i’m in the downstairs loo, I can hear her pacing up and down. She is driving DH in particular absolutely mad.

She whines quite a lot. She may have had a long walk, has been fed and has everything else she needs, but she’ll just sit and look at me and whine. It can be very stressful to deal with her when she’s like this.

I have no idea what to do about it.

Hi Fallen, thanks for the reply and I'm sorry to hear about your dog. Yesterday my dog ate the door of a wooden kitchen cupboard after 2hrs on her own. It needed the vet to remove a large splinter. On discussions this isn't a situation that is improving and she is chewing her paws, flicking her head, rubbing her nose and increasingly hurting herself.

She s also now hiding behind a door as we get ready for bed. Then she paces and pants when we've gone up.
She has a pre made appointment for Saturday to be put to sleep. It absolutely breaks my heart but we cannot all carry this on. She is poorly but not physically. She loves her long walks and is a very fit dog.

Sorry to read that Lightening. That is very sad. ☹️
How is she with other dogs? Would you consider a companion for her?

That's so sad. Dementia in a pet is so distressing for the pet and owner. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to elevate it. I'm so sorry.

Very sad but it’s unfair if her mind is suffering and causing her distress.

Posted too soon.

You are doing the right thing by her to end her suffering.

Thank you for your lovely replies. Unfortunately she is not great with other dogs. My boyfriend has a dog but she has been aggressive towards it. She can be jealous I.e if the cats are getting attention she will boss them away. It's not a situation to bring another dog into, potentially the second dog will pick up on the anxiety too or she will pick a fight. Also having the children means if she gets jealous, they may be in the equation if a fight breaks out. She s been stressed this morning as I did the school run which makes me anxious too. I'm preoccupied with worrying about what she's feeling and doing and it's exhausting.

So sorry, @Lighteninginabottle27 - it sounds very upsetting for you all. There are medications that can be tried for dementia in older dogs - Vivitonin and Aktivait are the two that spring to mind. Some dogs do really well on them.

She now has an appointment at a different vet practice for a second opinion. They are willing to consider anti anxiety medication. I would like to try this before I make a final decision.

Hopefully they'll have some suggestions. Ask them about the meds I mentioned above. Aktivait has really helped my friend's dog.

I'm so sorry, Lightening. It sounds as if your dog is a little further on than ours.

I had a small gathering of friends here last night and it was almost two hours before she settled. She paced from person to person and was slowly driving me to distraction. I tried to shut her in the room her bed is in, but she whined and eventually started to howl. Some of my friends thought this was all very cute - and she really is cute - but it feels relentless sometimes.

She sits in her bed in my office when I am working at home and licks her paws obsessively. She makes this awful guttural sound when she's doing it. If I get up, she gets up and follows me out - then follows me back in.

I'm sorry - now I'm whinging more than the dog! I hope the 2nd vet comes up with something to help. I worry that guilt might overcome you if you put her to sleep without exploring everything. I had to have my first cocker put to sleep about 20 years ago. I took the decision on the spot on the advice of the vet, rather than spending time to think about it, and I still feel the guilt of that.

Have you had the second opinion yet OP?

We are just waiting to go in now. I'm a bit early for a change.

Sorry it was a busy night last night. She has been prescribed a course of fluoxetine to try. Going to work with my partner didn't work, she was frantic and he felt she would be a hazard in the van. He does alot of motorway coverage and is on a taco and can't stop easily. She was wailing and pawing the dashboard.

We've mixed up her routine and morning walks are longer and more simulating.
I'm looking for a dog walker but unfortunately not having much luck.

Sounds like you're trying everything you can, hopefully the medication will help and switching her routines too.
Good luck.

Horsemad, I hope so. She seemed lethergic yesterday after her first dose of meds. The contraindications are for humans and cite 'feeling sleepy' as a side effect. I'm hoping she will be a bit more herself, I don't want her zonked out. We have been doing some great walks too so we'll see how it pans out. She has 2 capsules but maybe 1 will suffice. I'll give it time for it to get into her system and discuss with the new nice vet.
I'm appauled that the previous vet let me come that close to having her put to sleep without so much as a discussion about alternatives.

Fingers crossed it all works out ok for you both. I know what you mean about the first vet though - that's pretty bad.

They do develop anxieties as they get older, different breeds get "old" at different ages too. We tried calming tablets and anti anxiety meds is the next step, wondering if it's the same as the human drug, my daughter has packets in the cupboard because her dr switched her meds? Would be handy. Vets are very expensive though my local pharmacy can get pet meds to order with a prescription. Over half my household are on anti anxiety meds, why not the dog as well

I really hope they work. She'll be a bit zonked for the first few days - I always am when I take similar medication, but once she gets used to it she'll hopefully be much more herself.