16 year old pug with mental issues
- Thread starter sharilie
- Start date
Ask your vet about melatonin to help your dog sleep. Our dog had dementia prior to his death and it helped reduce his nighttime problems.
This stage of our dogs' lives is so heartbreaking. Much love to you. It sounds like you're doing everything possible for your precious dog.
This stage of our dogs' lives is so heartbreaking. Much love to you. It sounds like you're doing everything possible for your precious dog.
You say that Samo is mostly blind. Human beings who go blind lose the ability to have normal circadian rhythms, i.e., a normal sleep-wake cycle, because they can no longer see light. Maybe not immediately but eventually. This is a huge, huge problem with the blind. My DH is blind, and when we get together with others who are blind this is often a topic of discussion. The blind battle severe insomnia, night restlessness, forever out-of-whack sleep-wake cycles. Samo might be suffering the same. DH relies on melatonin supplements, but one must be careful of the brand purchased because many brands don't actually contain much melatonin. And melatonin has very different effects on different people. It makes some more restless, prone to nightmares, etc.
Boxermom & BigPurseSue, thanks for letting me know about melatonin. I will check if I can get it trough my vet or buy it through pharmacy. I didn‘t know this existed.
I don‘t want him to suffer but I am afraid that my love to him affects my desicions whenever it is time to let him go.
Either way, I‘m checking on melatonin and will let you know!
Thanks!
I don‘t want him to suffer but I am afraid that my love to him affects my desicions whenever it is time to let him go.
Either way, I‘m checking on melatonin and will let you know!
Thanks!
You bring up a really good point about when “it’s time”.
Many people say after that they “feel like maybe they waited too long”.
Talk to friends and your vet about this. Remember- we owe them a good life and we owe them a merciful and pain free nudge to the Rainbow Bridge when it’s time.
The vet said as soon as he stops eating it would be time.
I will try out the melatonin and staying with him at night. We‘ll se how it goes...
Interesting about the melatonin. My dog is in the beginning of this, she has recently started to whine and bark mostly loud whining at night. She does not sleep in our room because we have another female in there who hates her and it would not be possible. I need to try something. I am in the USA and there is a drug for dementia I forget the name I don't know if she is a candidate for it or not. Things are only going to get worse and so far otherwise her quality of life is good though she is a little weak in the hind legs (13 y o, about 60 lbs). I hate to put her down just due to the whining keeping us awake half the night I have to figure out something. OP best of luck with finding something for your pup and I am going to have a talk with my vet this week.
It sounds like your dog is experiencing the same as our dog. I‘m also not willing to put him down because of my lack of sleep. I hope that since you are in the US you can get better medication. We took every pill recommended by the vet for 6 weeks and the only thing who calms him in the night is me lying next to him.
Did you get melatonin and did it work? I checked our Pharmacys and I can‘t get it where I live.
Did you get melatonin and did it work? I checked our Pharmacys and I can‘t get it where I live.
My wonderful DH offered to sleep in another room with her so she will be quiet but she is not doing it every night so I don't think it is time for that. But so kind and loving to her for him to offer. Still haven't talked to the vet because she has been pretty good for a few days.
This is exactly what happened with our Boxer. It reminded me of my dad, who had Alzheimer's. He would be up at night, almost every night unless he ad medication. Maybe melatonin doesn't always work but it helped our dog most nights. In the end, it was his struggle to eat and drastic weight loss (cancer) that helped us decide when it was time.
I'm sending good thoughts to everyone trying to ease their animals' discomfort.
I wanted to update everyone who tried to help. So my husband or I stayed with our dog during the night. Beginning of january his behavior got worse. He would not stop barking\crying, would fall asleep from exhaustion and would not find comfort anywhere or near anyone. 2 weeks ago I came home and he was not hisself. We drove to the vet and left without him...
So thanks everyone who cared!
So thanks everyone who cared!
