Old dog not sleeping at night

[MrAlyakhin]

My dog normally comes with me or my daughter to bed about 9pm and sleeps until 6-7am. Past few nights she cannot settle. She's been barking a lot, constantly changing her position. She eventually crashed out for a bit on the floor around 3am. Then up again but I cuddled her and she settled again in my arms until I got up about 7am. She's now perfectly happily settled sleeping under the coffee table. While I feel like a zombie. She is getting on, she's 13 with arthritis for which she's on metacam. Last time she was like this the vet discussed euthanasia which I'm really struggling with. Is it dementia? I've read about sundowning which is what it sounds like. Any advice?

I was going to say it sounds like my old dog who had dementia. I think you can get medication to help these days, but I haven't tried it.

Hello,yes, I am afraid it sounds like ccd..we had this with our last dog,a phalene. He seemed ok in the day. He had been following other people when off lead for a couple of years, but he had cataracts, so we thought it was because he couldn't see us..we tried supplements and then meds, they didn't work. Our vet of over 25 years said just because he was eating, enjoying walks,it didn't mean he had a good quality of life. It got worse and DH and I took turns to sit up with him at night for a year,he was just shy of 18(but a toy breed of course,) when she put him to sleep January 2023

I’m going through this with my 13 yr old dog too…. It’s not easy x

This happened to me when my dog got very old. Before then, she never barked or anything in the night.

My lab is 13 and has dementia, she is also on metcalf, she will whine in her sleep, bark, wander about aimlessly night and day...totally unlike her but other than that and lack of sleep occasionally she is still good for now

Sorry you're going through it too @Largestlegocollectionever have you tried medication? My vet didn't really suggest anything just waffled on about euthanasia. I'm pretty good at handling my emotions usually but even the thought of having her put to sleep has me crying my eyes out. I know I'll never have a dog like her again.

My dog has dementia. What has helped at night is having a piece of clothing smelling of us in his bed and also leaving a lamp on so he isn't disoriented when he wakes.

Id probably look to change vets if they went straight to talking euthanasia because it's an old dog rather than checking if it's anything else first, perhaps trailing the dementia medication or a pain med trial in case it's discomfort at end of day as the temperature tends to drop fair bit at that time in most people's houses.

I had this with both of my previous two dogs. One had doggy dementia and one had cancer, so I'd explore as many avenues as you can.

Have you asked you vet about Librella in case she has pain not controlled by Metacam Has been great for my thirteen year old Labrador.

My dog was restless at night thus yea whwb it was hot. An Adaptil diffuser seemed to help (or at least the behaviour lessened when we were using the diffuser)

My dear old girl was pts last month aged 14. She'd had slowly progressing dementia for about a year. She was never vocal, but very restless in the evenings, pacing, going in and outdoors for hours. Aktivait (supplement) az advised by vet, helped in early months I think.

In the end, she just lost her appetite, despite medication, and really wasn't enjoying life any longer. She rarely wagged her tail and eventually started having accidents overnight, which she hated.

I miss her dreadfully, but please let your DDog go when you see it's time. It's the very last gift of love.