Dog dementia advice needed

[Bassetlover]

I have an 11 year old dog who has Lafora Disease. She has had seizures for many years which are well controlled. She is completely deaf and she has dementia. It was pretty mild, she would occasionally have accidents in the house and had begun to struggle in unfamiliar environments but this was all manageable and her quality of life was pretty good.

However, recently I've noticed a rapid deterioration. She doesn't play with toys but does enjoy her food and treats. Over this weekend she has had several accidents around the house and this morning pooed then walked through it all through the house before I got up. Also over the weekend she's been really restless, wandering aimlessly around the house, staring into space and needing lots of reassurance. I did manage to settle her last night but plan to contact the vet on Monday. She just seems to have lost her spark and seems anxious.

Has anyone else had experience of doggy dementia? Is there anything that can help with her confusion or do you think I need to accept this is the end?

I just don't know what to do for the best.

Not ddog but dcat... She would walk past a litter tray and poo on the floor.. Not a way to live as a human manoeuvring feet and dc past accidents to get Clean Up Equipment.. And a poor ddog likely feels more 'guilt' at the mishaps.. Quality of life has imo declined enough to be making The Appointment op..

I’m really sorry to hear this.
My mums dog had dementia last year, he was ok, but not himself for a few months and then it really went downhill quickly over the course of a few weeks and he was really distressed and howling for hours at all times. He stopped wagging his tail and it was like he had given up. Sadly it was when this started happening that my mum made the awful decision to have him pts. There was nothing the vets could have done to help and he was just so far from the dog he had been previously. To add he had been checked over at the vets for any causes of pain etc, they concluded it was dementia or a neurological issue.
It’s really sad and probably not the story you wanted to hear, but I think that you’ll know when it’s the right time to say goodbye. Sending hugs.

We had our little dog PTS as soon as we realised the dementia was making her anxious. If only we could do the same for humans.

Oh God! Feeling very upset, it's time isn't it?

I think it could be. My little terrier bitch had dementia following a stroke. She couldn't go out alone because she'd wander into the garden and get lost. She'd walk into corners during the night and howl because she couldn't turn around and get out. It became sad, but I kept her going, until another stroke and her back end went - and I think I let her go on too long.

That's sad to hear, I'm sure you gave her a good life though. I'll definitely make a vet appointment for early next week.

Oh it's so painful to see our beloved pets' health and happiness decline, I'm sorry OP.

See what the vet says. I don't know much about dementia, and nothing about doggy dementia.

But I've had to make a decision, together with the vet, about when to put my cat to sleep, he had kidney disease. It was very hard to draw that line because he was still really enjoying some things, like food, but had become needy, anxious and clearly not happy, also lost a lot of weight. It was a hard decision but we opted to pts. I still sometimes wonder if I left it too late as maybe he was suffering more than we realised, but we did the best we could with the info we had.

It can be hard to tell how much quality of life they have. If your doggy continues to be anxious and disoriented I wouldn't want to extend her suffering, unless there's some treatment the vet can suggest.

Whatever happens, it's clear that you are a kind and thoughtful owner, and you can only do your best, and what you and the vet think is best.

Awww, bless you. One of our terriers had dementia and once he got to the stage where he was no longer enjoying or even understanding life, we let him go. Only you really know your dear doggie well enough to know if it is time. Ask yourself if they would they be relieved to go now? If yes, you can be their hero x

My dog had dementia. We tried some pills that apparently improve blood circulation to the brain, but they made no difference. Dementia only gets worse, and the longer you leave it, the more anxious your dog becomes. With hindsight, I would have had my dog PTS sooner, but it’s a hard call because they don’t have anything immediately life-threatening or causing physical pain. Mine still knew who I was and was eating fine at the end, but he was doubly incontinent, blind, deaf, feeble and confused in familiar surroundings when the vet came. Sending hugs, OP.