Old Age Behavior

Question
I have a doxie mix that is going on 16 yrs. young. She is still in fair health-eats good has control of funcions, she is very hard of hearing and her eye sight is not too good. During the day (and maybe the night too) she will get up and walk through the house around, and around and around maybe up to 10 times, then lays down for a while and sleeps then off she goes again. She dosen't appear to be in any pain. She does shake a lot. I do give her her daily dose of Glucosamine & Condriton. Any ideas why she does this?
Thanks
Joan

Answer
Hi Joan,

Two things come to mind regarding your dog's aimless wandering;

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) causes disorientation, confusion, memory loss and personality changes that are very similar to Alzheimer's disease in humans. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction is sometimes referred to as "old dog syndrome", "brain aging", "doggie dementia" or "senility".
The main symptoms of CDS are summarized by the acronym DISH... Disorientation - Interaction changes - Sleep changes - and House soiling. A dog doesn't have to have all the symptoms to have CDS, but some of the symptoms associated with this condition are:

* Paces or wanders aimlessly
* Compulsively walks in circles- around a table or from room to room
* May wander around instead of sleeping

Anipryl is the only prescription medication approved for use in dogs with CDS. It works by increasing the level of dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter. It has been shown to temporarily reverse some of the changes of CDS and improve behavior in about 75% of affected dogs in one month, although it can sometimes take up to sixty days to see improvement.

My other concern is that the pacing is a sign that she is in some discomfort. The shaking, or trembling can also be a sign of pain in dogs.

Given your dog's age, you should have your vet examine her sooner, rather than later.

I hope I've been a help.

Best of luck,

Patti