If your dog has dementia what were the signs?

[stillwaitingonaring]

My 9 year old chihuahua has been behaving very weird these past 2 weeks. Doesn't want to sleep on his own downstairs so we brought him upstairs on the hallway. That was ok for a little while now that isn't good enough, he is now on the floor next to my side of the bed.

This morning he was yelping like he was in pain with his front leg I was planning on taking him to the vet. Then I come back home this evening and he is absolutely fine jumping up and greeting me and wanting his snacks yelping completely stopped.

He is constantly just pottering around can't keep still. Also his night routine has changed he normally sleeps through until about 11 in the morning. He is now waking twice is the night and up very early in the morning.

So I am just interested to find out the signs/symptoms.

My terrier had dementia, we had to let her go last summer.
Panting was the first sign, followed by aimless wandering about and an inability to settle.
She would get worse through the day, she’d be quite lucid in the morning but by the evening would be pacing up and down panting and unable to settle.
She also started to hate the car, she’d always loved the car and done hundreds of thousands of miles with me up and down the country.
She never went off her food and physically was fine, but she didn’t have any quality of life by the end so we let her go.

Aimless wandering, barking into corners, she would get lost sometimes behind a doorway or something and couldn't figure out how to get in a room. Aktivait helped a little for a while.

Nine is quite young for that though, especially in a small breed. It wouldn't be my first thought.

Could he have sore joints?

My Patterdale was pts in 2018 due to dementia. Her symptoms were

Barking at nothing
Skittish
Growling at nothing
Sudden bouts of affection and needing to be with me all the time (she'd always been very independent)
Increased aggression if she was disturbed ie sleeping and a loud noise happened

It was the aggressive turns that ultimately made the decision for me to have her pts. She nearly ripped the throat out of our other dog. He rolled over and startled her. She had me pinned to the sofa as she attacked him and tried to tear out his jugular. I couldn't take the risk that it could be one of the kids next time. The vet was the one that said all her symptoms were dementia and she had probably had it most of the time she'd been with us. (Rescue dog). It took virtually none of the meds to help her pass. The vet had barely started to push it before she passed on. She was very ready. But she went in my arms. I held her tight as the vet gave her the injection and she went safely and knowing she was adored.

My neighbours springer has dementia. He can not settle, stares blankly and paces a lot, howls and cries if left alone whereas he used to be totally fine. Feel sorry for him now!

9 is quite young to get dementia in a small dog - it may be, however I would want a vet check to rule out pain etc.

My old terrier had dementia. Random barks, staring into space, relentless pacing, getting trapped in corners/behind obstacles, total loss of personality (didn't know who we were etc), toileting in the house, just standing in one spot for hours. Very sad. Never went off food though, little greedyguts