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  1. #1
    House Broken black_paws's Avatar
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    Dementia / Night Wandering

    Any suggestions on dealing with the night wandering?
    Ruby is 14.5 yo and in the last few weeks has developed the "night wandering".
    This is very frustrating (from a disrupted sleep standpoint) for DH and myself, but I have to imagine its as equally frustrating for her.
    At first we thought she might be uncomfortable or in pain so we increased her dose of Gabapentin, but the situation hasn't changed.
    She seems restless going from the bedroom, to the kitchen, to the living room, then repeat.
    She has always slept in the bedroom with us, but has now started sleeping in the living room or even as far as in her crate (very odd since her crate is her "safe zone" and we don't actively use them for any of our 3).
    And I know this is part of the "dementia" but it's only at night. During the day she'll sleep on the couch or living room floor just fine.
    I've thought about confining her to an area but 1. the house has an open floor plan, 2. it doesn't seem fair, 3. we have 3 dogs who all have free reign, 4. her eyesight isn't so good so I don't want to risk injury.

    thanks in advance!

  2. #2
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    Sounds like sundowning in humans, where dementia symptoms get worse at night. If you think she would fare better being confined, even crated at night, then I wouldn’t worry about whether it’s “fair”. She has special needs now and may need different treatment than the others, and being crated at night may make her feel more secure if she is confused and anxious, especially if she’s always seen it as her safe zone. If it would be more stressful on her though, that’s something else.

    Have you talked to your vet about this? I’ve never personally had a dog with dementia, but I know there is a medication that can be used to treat it (anipryl?). Also some people have seen success with Pro-Plan’s new Bright Minds formula, although again, I don’t have personal experience.
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  4. #3
    Senior Dog Doreen Davis's Avatar
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    Amy was wandering at night in her final years and we put a pen around her dog bed, at first to protect her from Anthony but also to protect her from herself. Our pups have a crate in our bedroom and that's wear they 'kennel up' at night.

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  6. #4
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Agree with Annette47. Sundowning is also seen in humans. What is best for her now may not be the same as the others nor the same as it has been in the past. You could try her crate where it is or try it in your room. Plus, since one side effect of gabapentin is loss of coordination and you've increased the dose, it might be safer for her to be more confined also. It can be very frustrating in general, and if your own sleep is being affected, that's a consideration as well.

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  8. #5
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    So sorry she is experiencing this. While Melody did show some signs of dementia, staring into space, facing a wall, she did not wander at night.

    Sending gentle hugs and prayers.
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  10. #6
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    You may want to look at the food by Pro Plan, Bright Minds. folks are reporting noticeable differences in their old dogs! There is also a supplement you can get online called Cholodin that may help.

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  12. #7
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    ^^^^ what JenC said. I've just started Scout on Cholodin, he's 10, so hoping it slows down that mental aging thing.
    My 2 seniors didn't wander, but they did have episodes of being confused, so keeping her crated in your bedroom (if her crate is her safe spot) may be a better thing to do for her
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  14. #8
    House Broken black_paws's Avatar
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    Thanks for the input.
    Next step is meeting with the vet, I just like to have some knowledge/options to discuss going into it.
    Ruby is our oldest and first experience (as adults) with the "senior" division. Its such an emotional rollercoaster, the good days then the bad days.

  15. #9
    . . . keep 'em moderated Calley's Family's Avatar
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    We saw this and other signs with our Sebastian in his later months. Good idea to chat with your vet. We used a baby gate in our room and that at least confined his wandering to one room where we were. Good luck and keep us posted.
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  16. #10
    House Broken Angela_WM's Avatar
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    I never realized this could have something to do with dementia, though it makes sense. Our field lab "secures the perimeter" all day and night, but for him, it's part of his training (he's trained to protect us, among other things) and something he's done his entire life. He is more active at night, but we know in his case that it is due to low light and his deteriorating vision (more possibility of a threat).

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