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Interesting- I hadn't heard the term sundowning before to describe this behavior. Thank you!
Yes, it is weird but true. My husband worked in nursing homes and it was very common among those with dementia. My un-medical guess is that our body chemicals change according to the time of day. For some reason the brain malfunctions during these periods. I was in hospital with a senile room mate. She kept saying "Oh Mama mi" all night long until she fell into a quiet sleep. She woke up shortly after and in a perfectly rational voice asked me if I thought the room felt a bit too hot. She then went back to sleep.
I think senility can happen to all mammals. Outdoor creatures who develop dementia don't last very long in the wild, but we definitely see it in our domesticated pets.
She is a beagle, so her food drive is likely quite strong. I grew up with those dogs and, man, nothing could keep them from food.
Here are my best ideas:
1) Get yourself a cheap cloth tarp from Home Depot and put newspapers and an x-pen on top of it.
2) Then get yourself some peepee pads and stick one in the x-pen.
3) Get a Kong (or two). Put her wet food in it or wet down her kibble and mash it up, then stuff it in the kong. Seal it with peanut butter and freeze it. Then give it to her at night (shift her feeding times a bit). It should keep her occupied - my elderly border collie would expend all his effort getting the food out of the Kong and then just sleep.
4) If you can get a heated sleeping pad, that might also be helpful. She may be drawn to the warmth, and it could soothe her when she gets anxious.
5) Schedule her water intake. Some dogs just drink out of boredom, and if you put her drinking on a schedule, it will be able to know when she will need to pee.
We adopted Cookie many years ago. She was a hunting dog (we think) her whole life and never fully socialized with people. She has never been affectionate, very strong on leash etc. We were going to give her back to the shelter but thought they would euthanize her (I forgot about Penny's Angels Beagle Rescue. We have since found out that she would have been given over to them if we returned her).
We've lived with Cookie since 2005 and now she is 18 yrs. old. She has gotten a tiny bit affectionate in her old age. Although she has never growled or bitten, she isn't friendly either (think: Grumpy Cat). She is peeing all over the house and must be taken outside for long walks by my hubby, who is quite ill. She won't go with me any more. She also gets waves of senility--it comes and goes. Sleeps all day and is up almost all night, causing us to get very little sleep since she needs long walks around 2-3 am (not kidding).
The house smells of urine all the time. We use x-large pads on the porch but she also pees inside. She has ruined a wooden floor, the kitchen floor and the carpet. Tried the diapers and she refuses to wear them, tearing them off.
Our last vet visit was last year sometime when everything came back "normal"-yeah, right. Now we not only have no car but also our finances are in the dumps. Even so, we put her needs (food, pads etc.) before our necessities. We just can't afford a vet and tests.
I have had cancer and my hubby has heart disease, kidney problems and an arthritic knee. Cookie is getting worse and worse with the peeing. Although she is blind in one eye, has an enlarged spleen and possible heart problems, she still enjoys life. With old age she has become more needy and thus more affectionate towards us. She sleeps with me all the time (hubby has to sleep elsewhere for various health reasons). She is totally deaf.
Yet I cannot bring myself to have her euthanized. Though she has those conditions, she still enjoys life. Trots around outside, eats well and looks up at me with those big brown eyes. I do love her, though at times it has been hard. But our health is suffering badly with this peeing problem, up all night and needing long walks. I'm almost sure it is part of senility. Hubby is always exhausted and I fear it is really making him much worse. Yet Cookie is not all that sick, at least not yet. I could not "put her down" yet I also have to worry about my husband.
If only there were a nursing home for dogs! But we could never forgive ourselves if we had her euthanized now. It would feel like murder.
Guess this is more like a "getting it out" type of post. No one will take her in her present condition. Would like to know if anyone has been through this situation. So many say "put her down" but she isn't that sick (despite what I wrote above)! Perhaps someone may have some idea, or at least has gone through something like this. She is loudly snoring by my feet as I write this; not in any pain and dreaming of chasing turkeys, I'm sure. Thanks for reading this overly long post. Hubby and I are totally exhausted all the time because of her but so far we have survived in this awful situation. Just writing this has been somewhat of a relief for me.
Try rehoming with someone more physically capable of caring for a geriatric dog.
We are going to pursue the Popcorn Park option as soon as we can. Ironically it is about 15 miles from our home and we had no idea that it was anything other than a petting zoo. I am praying they will take her, as it is a solution that wouldn't cause any guilt and we know she will get decent care in her old age.
Last night she peed on my husband's socks and then shortly after did it on his foot (in the house). Yesterday I was on the phone with one of my doctors, Cookie woke up and because I couldn't take her out immediately she peed all around my feet on the wooden floor. I can't imagine an individual willing to take on an elderly dog with such a drastic problem. But if she could be kept in a kennel she can pee to her heart's content as they usually are always spraying the floor and keeping things tidy for the animals. She will also have other dogs to interact with, which may help some. We simply cannot go on with her as she is. Even a healthier person would be hard pressed to deal with a stubborn beagle!
Oh for goodness sakes- you should have guilt about what you're planning. Popcorn Park is not a sanctuary for old dogs. They try to adopt out their dogs.
Your dog is not adoptable at her age and with her conditions. Even if they agreed to take her, they would just take her out back and put her down when you left.
You surely don't think your dementia afflicted dog is going to adapt to kennel living. Can you imagine her fear and terror at changing her living situation. She's confused enough as it is. Going from people she knows to strangers and a kennel where she will be alone, to listening to the constant barking of other upset dogs.
If you want to do right by your dog, take her to the vet and have her put down. Be there with her. At least she will die in the arms of people she knows. Dogs live in the present, they don't know about tomorrow, they're not worried about tomorrow. Let her go peacefully with you.
At this point in time, it's about what is best for the dog if she is too much to care for anymore. Being abandoned to strangers, and that is what it is, is not in her best interests. It's about dumping her problems onto to someone else, making her last days miserable and kidding yourself that you're doing a good thing. You're not. You should have no guilt at putting her down. She's an old dog with a tangle of problems and her time has simply come. Between your two options, euthanizing is the better one for the dog.
Sorry you're going through this. It is never easy.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by willow wind
Oh for goodness sakes- you should have guilt about what you're planning. Popcorn Park is not a sanctuary for old dogs. They try to adopt out their dogs.
Your dog is not adoptable at her age and with her conditions. Even if they agreed to take her, they would just take her out back and put her down when you left.
You surely don't think your dementia afflicted dog is going to adapt to kennel living. Can you imagine her fear and terror at changing her living situation. She's confused enough as it is. Going from people she knows to strangers and a kennel where she will be alone, to listening to the constant barking of other upset dogs.
If you want to do right by your dog, take her to the vet and have her put down. Be there with her. At least she will die in the arms of people she knows. Dogs live in the present, they don't know about tomorrow, they're not worried about tomorrow. Let her go peacefully with you.
At this point in time, it's about what is best for the dog if she is too much to care for anymore. Being abandoned to strangers, and that is what it is, is not in her best interests. It's about dumping her problems onto to someone else, making her last days miserable and kidding yourself that you're doing a good thing. You're not. You should have no guilt at putting her down. She's an old dog with a tangle of problems and her time has simply come. Between your two options, euthanizing is the better one for the dog.
Sorry you're going through this. It is never easy.
Oh for goodness sakes- you should have guilt about what you're planning. Popcorn Park is not a sanctuary for old dogs. They try to adopt out their dogs.
Your dog is not adoptable at her age and with her conditions. Even if they agreed to take her, they would just take her out back and put her down when you left.
You surely don't think your dementia afflicted dog is going to adapt to kennel living. Can you imagine her fear and terror at changing her living situation. She's confused enough as it is. Going from people she knows to strangers and a kennel where she will be alone, to listening to the constant barking of other upset dogs.
If you want to do right by your dog, take her to the vet and have her put down. Be there with her. At least she will die in the arms of people she knows. Dogs live in the present, they don't know about tomorrow, they're not worried about tomorrow. Let her go peacefully with you.
At this point in time, it's about what is best for the dog if she is too much to care for anymore. Being abandoned to strangers, and that is what it is, is not in her best interests. It's about dumping her problems onto to someone else, making her last days miserable and kidding yourself that you're doing a good thing. You're not. You should have no guilt at putting her down. She's an old dog with a tangle of problems and her time has simply come. Between your two options, euthanizing is the better one for the dog.
Sorry you're going through this. It is never easy.
There is a "retirement home" option associated with Popcorn Park. Perhaps you missed it in my previous post.
"Many who have no children or other friends of family to take their family pet, contact us to discuss a retirement home for their pets. The Society may have openings for dogs or cats at our Forked River facility - the Animal Haven Farm for dogs, and Kitty City for cats."
"Located at our Forked River facility, the Animal Haven Farm offers special living conditions to dogs who for reasons of abuse, handicap, injury, abandonment or other unique circumstances need an extra special chance at a great life. These dogs are available for adoption or for sponsorship through the Share-A-Pet program, and enjoy the best of health and care for as long as they need to be with us. The dogs enjoy the care of just one caretaker who gets to know each dog well, and is tuned into their needs. They also have access to on-premises veterinary care 6 days a week, outdoor play yards with dog houses and toys, where they are matched up with dog buddies with whom they get along well."
I know about that-- it's still a kennel. A kennel is not a home. For a stray that has never had a home- for a dog that lives on a chain in a yard, maybe it's step up. For a house pet, it's misery.
The OP's dog has dementia in addition to possible other problems. Have you ever had a dog with dementia, lived with one ? I have- more than once.
Old Beagle is not looking for dog buddies. Move her from familiar surroundings and she'll be so beyond confused that it's a tragedy. This old Beagle sleeps in a bed with her owner. You want to take her from that and put her into a concrete floored kennel with a little bed in a corner- how is that a good thing ?
There are worse things than death for a pet. Breaking a dog's heart and and foisting it off on someone else at the end of its time is one of them. The dog knows, you do understand that- they know they've been kicked to the curb.
I do breed rescue for two different breeds. We get the real old timers in sometimes. The ones no one wants because they're loaded with cancer or have half a dozen old age problems that make them impossible to live with. Their owners really think someone is going to adopt them or is going to pour tens of thousands of dollars in cancer treatment into them. Blind to reality, they convince themselves that dumping their dog onto someone else is just wondrous. Abandonment just hastens the end of these old guys. They go downhill fast.
I know about that-- it's still a kennel. A kennel is not a home. For a stray that has never had a home- for a dog that lives on a chain in a yard, maybe it's step up. For a house pet, it's misery.
The OP's dog has dementia in addition to possible other problems. Have you ever had a dog with dementia, lived with one ? I have- more than once.
Old Beagle is not looking for dog buddies. Move her from familiar surroundings and she'll be so beyond confused that it's a tragedy. This old Beagle sleeps in a bed with her owner. You want to take her from that and put her into a concrete floored kennel with a little bed in a corner- how is that a good thing ?
There are worse things than death for a pet. Breaking a dog's heart and and foisting it off on someone else at the end of its time is one of them. The dog knows, you do understand that- they know they've been kicked to the curb.
I do breed rescue for two different breeds. We get the real old timers in sometimes. The ones no one wants because they're loaded with cancer or have half a dozen old age problems that make them impossible to live with. Their owners really think someone is going to adopt them or is going to pour tens of thousands of dollars in cancer treatment into them. Blind to reality, they convince themselves that dumping their dog onto someone else is just wondrous. Abandonment just hastens the end of these old guys. They go downhill fast.
Agree sending the poor dog to a retirement home isn't the answer. If the OP can no longer care for the dog, it's kinder to take it to the vet and have it put down. I say this as someone who had to put down my elderly corgi about 3 weeks ago so I'm well aware of how hard a decision it is.
It should be about what's best for the dog, not what's easiest for the owner.
I know about that-- it's still a kennel. A kennel is not a home. For a stray that has never had a home- for a dog that lives on a chain in a yard, maybe it's step up. For a house pet, it's misery.
The OP's dog has dementia in addition to possible other problems. Have you ever had a dog with dementia, lived with one ? I have- more than once.
Old Beagle is not looking for dog buddies. Move her from familiar surroundings and she'll be so beyond confused that it's a tragedy. This old Beagle sleeps in a bed with her owner. You want to take her from that and put her into a concrete floored kennel with a little bed in a corner- how is that a good thing ?
There are worse things than death for a pet. Breaking a dog's heart and and foisting it off on someone else at the end of its time is one of them. The dog knows, you do understand that- they know they've been kicked to the curb.
I do breed rescue for two different breeds. We get the real old timers in sometimes. The ones no one wants because they're loaded with cancer or have half a dozen old age problems that make them impossible to live with. Their owners really think someone is going to adopt them or is going to pour tens of thousands of dollars in cancer treatment into them. Blind to reality, they convince themselves that dumping their dog onto someone else is just wondrous. Abandonment just hastens the end of these old guys. They go downhill fast.
I agree completely. Sorry, I couldn't rep you yet. Dogs suffering from senile dementia can't handle change. It's an effort just to get through the day in familiar surroundings.
We (my other dog, my cat, and I) lost our old dog April 23rd. He was fifteen and he started having cognitive problems two years before. He had arthritis as well, but he had no problems with Rimadyl so he could get around although he really appreciated the ramp over the back steps and a boost up stairs. At some point, he forgot his house training. He became less and less active, but he always had a good appetite. He spent his days sleeping and wandering around the house, often with my other dog and cat following. The end came suddenly. He hadn't finished his food for two days and he was having a hard time moving around so I took him to my vet. He had a massive tumor on his spleen; it was ready to burst. She said that that he couldn't handle the recovery from surgery. I had him for eleven years and three months; I miss him. The last year with him was difficult as my hips both went out and I needed them both replaced. I don't care about the carpet; I don't care about the fact that I had to lift him on to the bed when I could barely stand up. I'd give anything just to see him sprawled out sleeping near me.
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