[HELP] I think my dog has dementia, I'd need some advice.
She is a 14 YO Lab. She started getting some problems that come with age, since last year when someone touched her near her hip she'd freeze and show pain. One day she fell off my bed where she used to sleep at noon. She screamed in pain and I aided her to the garden. That night we noticed she would't sleep at night. She just walked around in circles, I noticed she did it always counter-clockwise. She would lay down, wait a bit and stand up and walk again, she did this for hours, I don't even know if she slept that night. She was also panting so I though she was really tired and wanted to rest, but somewhat could not.
We took her to the vet the next day and I explained that I though this was a neurological disease as this behaviour was strange, I also said she had these hip pains and she fell off the bed that day. They took some blood samples and gave us some meds that had to do with neurological or brain problems I think. I had to go to class, and while in class got some messages from my mother saying she was getting worse and could not rest. And that my father would take her to the vet again. They injected her with some strong painkiller and when she was back home she could sleep. I was really relieved that she was resting now. We also were told to not give her that other med we were given before and instead give her 2 other medicines. One to help for her hip and another painkiller. With these meds she went back to normal, but we didn't allow her to got up the stairs nor lay on the couch or bed in order for her not to fall and get hurt again.
The vet took some x-rays and apparently she has some pointy peaks forming between her vertebrae in her spine and it's painful.
Right now, some months later she is doing the same thing. She is under medication but tonight she isn't sleeping. I'm spying on her through a camera we got in the garage where she sleeps or is supposed to sleep and I see her standing up doing some circles around the furniture or in the air and laying down again for a few seconds. I've also noticed some times between her walks she stands still looking at chairs or something. I've read somewhere while looking for these symptoms that this might be canine dementia.
I think her hip problem is unrelated to this. She only circles counter-clockwise and that to me sounds like a brain problem. I should point out she always eat and loves the food. She has water at her disposal 24/7. My mom said we should take her tomorrow to the vet to get another painkiller injection.
This dog is my companion in life. I've been with her since I started primary school all the way to almost finishing college.
I'm taking her to the vet to get her injection, but also talk about this, I believe she has dementia. What do you think about these symptoms? Do you know any treatment?
Posted Feb 22, 2016, 5:27 AM UTC