older dog acting strange

Hi, maybe someone here has had some experience & can give me some advice.
My dog, Springer, is 12, he has arthritis in 3 legs that we know of. He is usually happy enough, still loves going on walks etc. Soends the rest of the time sleeping on the couch!
Since last summer he has started acting weird every 6 or 8 weeks. He had injections for arthritis, they worked well. He also had painkillers the last few times we went to the vet.
But he gets very unsettled, won't sit down, up walking around & around, usually at night time. I was up all last night with him, went for a walk this morning, he was great, back home & restless again. Wants out the back, all the time, but with the door open. He is a total indoor dog.
I feel terrible for him, & also myself from lack of sleep. It usually happens every couple of months or so.

Also, at least 4 or 5 times since last summer his anal glands have been full & cleaned out by the vet. He obviously needs more checks, but has anything like his happened to anyone else?
Any advice? The painkillers dint seem to help, they just make him a bit disoriented I think.

DBB

Hi bubblypop,
Have a chat with your vet about this. I'd be thinking, given his age and what you're describing, there's a likelihood that this is Canine Cognitive Dementia (CCD). Initial signs include restlessness and agitation, clinginess and increased anxiety about being left alone, disturbed sleep patterns often typified by night-time wakefulness (with more sleep during the day to compensate), forgetfulness, depression.
The good news with CCD is that if you act quickly enough, and get it in the early stages, it can be halted. It can even be reversed, which is not possible with humans, that we know of.
First interventions are dietary, with a supplement called Aktivait, which increases antioxidants and various other nutrients to help counteract the ageing process. This should all happen alongside a number of behavioural interventions which aim to keep the brain active without over-stressing an ageing body. Things like several short walks instead of one longer one, activity feeding instead of feeding from a bowl, retraining some old exercises and maybe teaching some new ones. All of these also help tire the dog out by day, so he reverts to normal sleep patterns. However, sometimes the vet will prescribe mild sedatives on a temporary basis to help knock the sleep patterns back on track, if the activities during the day don't quite work on their own.
But, you do need to talk to your vet either way. I will say that there has been increasing awareness of CCD in recent years, as CCD was often cast off both by owners and vets until quite recently as the dog just getting old. But now we know that this is a process which, for dogs, we can give considerable help.
Best of luck with him now. I hope he's okay. I've an awful soft spot for the oldies

Thanks for the reply.... The vet did mention that dementia could be an issue..... I am going back but we will see how things go with everything else going on....
So long as he doesn't get any worse.....

DBB

I think, as a matter of course, I'd just assume that it's CCD, as it will do no harm anyway, assuming there's not another underlying condition, but I'm assuming your vet is on top of the physical stuff.
Immediate things you can do... feed him sardines. If he's dry fed, opt for a food aimed at older dogs. Order the Aktivait online as it may take a while to get to you. It's good stuff. And get going with the behavioural stuff too!

aonb

Yes, agree with DBB, sounds like it could be CCD - would definitely agree too that starting on some sort of meds early is worth doing.

Just because I had a very elderly dog with arthritis and CCD - would be worth considering whether its pain from his arthritis that can be causing the discomfort and restlessness. You say he is a couch dog - does he jump up/down on the couch - worth getting some sort of 'step' (I use a small footstool) that he can step onto to step on/off the couch - or anything else he jumps onto. Maybe walk him on grass if possible rather than hard pavements/roads? Does he sleep in a dogbed at night - there are 'sprung' trampoline like beds that might be better for his joints/pain.

On the subject of anal glands, a raw chicken-wing nearly every day, sorted one of my dogs anal gland problem - I buy trays of them, and keep out about 5 days worth, and free the rest - someone I know gives her dogs frozen chicken wings

He gets arthri aid everyday, he has been getting cartrophen injections, course of 4 last summer & a booster in January.
They seem to be working well, the vet gave me painkillers for him, but I think he may be getting some sort effects.

He is literally just sat on the couch now, after being awake all night & day.
I will look up ccd & chat to the vet more.
Thanks for the help

jccg

my dog has dementia ,we were told to leave a night light on in the room so he dosnt get disorientated, we now shut him in the front room with one or 2 of the cats to keep him company, he would wander up and down the stairs whining and moaning, he would stare at the wall for a few minutes as he has petit mal sometimes, the bottom line was if he is happy in his dementia leave him be, the time to consider anything else is when he is more unhappy than he is happy, not saying you are concidering anything else just this was our advice to us,luckily he is happy most of the time,

Cupatae

Very same thing happened our dog altho she was Abit older 15 I think , get up wondering around the house stuff like that her sight got bad aswell , which didn't help.. I think alot of it comes down to just plain old age , contact your vet though, they ll be able to give you the most accurate information.

Hope ur dog gets better