# Strange behaviour, please help



## JGH (Oct 23, 2012)

My dog, Paddy, is a 13 year old Jack Russell/Staffordshire cross. 

Recently, he has started to pace around the room and up and down the stairs when I go to bed. This starts immediately I get in bed. I have tried to ignore him, but he gets more and more frantic, his eyes are wide, his ears pricked, he is panting and looks stressed. He also holds his tail tightly between his legs while pacing.

After a few hours I have been taking him out to try to calm him down, and some nights he has has sickness and/or diarrhea. This has been going on now for about 15 nights. Everything I try seems to make him worse apart from sitting next to him on the settee (he normally sleeps on the settee). Unfortunately, even this no longer works, and I cannot sleep sitting upright.

I am lucky that I don't work (retired), and I catch up some sleep by going back to bed after breakfast until lunch. Now, however, he has started to pace during the morning and I am not getting any sleep at all. During the rest of the day he is normal, though a little tired, and there is no sickness.

Has anyone any ideas on how to change this behaviour. I am sure the night illness is stress related, and If he would sleep things would be normal again. He does suffer from seperation anxiety (could this behaviour be related)?


----------



## Lulus mum (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi 
I would suggest that you have the vet check him over as it sounds to me as he could have signs of dementia.

Our dog Buster was diagnosed 2 yrs ago-when he was 13 too.
The first signs were the pacing-especially at night.
One of us would get up with him,then he would pace constantly for 4 or 5 hours.
It was exhausting for him and for us and very distressing to watch.
He would also have his tail tucked between his legs.
Other symptoms-staring into space,not wanting to play any more etc etc

I had no idea that dogs or cats could suffer from this.
Our vet tried him on Vivitonin and then on Aktivait which helped so much
Aktivait isnt a medication -its a supplement with no side effects.
We bought it online from Viovet after getting some from the vets and finding that it helped so much.

If I can help in any way-just post on here.

You will find this Forum site full of people who can give good advice and support -so WELCOME

Maureen


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

JGH said:


> My dog, Paddy, is a 13 year old Jack Russell/Staffordshire cross.
> 
> Recently, he has started to pace around the room and up and down the stairs when I go to bed. This starts immediately I get in bed. I have tried to ignore him, but he gets more and more frantic, his eyes are wide, his ears pricked, he is panting and looks stressed. He also holds his tail tightly between his legs while pacing.
> 
> ...


Any signs of drinking and urinating more then he was? 
I agree with Lulus Mum that pacing and restless at night is often a first sign of cognitive dysfunction syndrome basically the start of doggie dementia which is purely due to reduced brain function, but often with this whilst they can have loss of house training and active at night, which they usually start when you want to go to bed by early hours they most often usually sleep soundly and more during the day, and it doesnt explain the diarrhoea and vomitting.

Especially if he is drinking and urinating more then normal and has diarrhoea and sickness intermittently. I would get him a through physical check up and also ask the vet if he doesnt suggest it to do full blood tests hemotology and biochemistry.

There are conditions that can come on in old age that can cause odd behaviour as well as the physical symptoms he has and I would be suspect especially if increased drinking and urination is accompanying them as well.

Is he fed morning and evening? as he is starting the behaviour in the mornings now too and if he is fed morning and evening and it starts an hour or two after eating that may explain it too, you often get diarrhoea and sickness and also if the liver isnt working as well as it not uncommon in older dogs, then toxins that should be removed and bile can build up in the blood this in turn can cause behavioural changes and disorientation and mental dullness too symptoms like CDS. Usually symptoms get worse after eating especially protein.

There other endocrine problems too like cushings and Addisons, One is caused by too much steroid production and the other not enough. Both these need a specific blood test, but if he has the normal hemotology and biochemistry done then there would be alerts to these and other problems, it would also check that kidneys, liver ect are working. Addisons which is not enough cortisol means that they cant cope with stress of any sort either and
you do get vomitting and diarrhoea. In all cases including liver you usually see drinking and urinating more a lot of the time as one of the symptoms.

Deffinately worth getting him checked out and blood tests to make sure there is no underlying medical cause especially because of his age. If they do prove clear then I would strongly suspect Cognitive dysfunction symdrome as a possibility otherwise.


----------



## JGH (Oct 23, 2012)

Thank you so much for your replys. I will try to see the vet tomorrow and get him tested. He has been very irritable today and has started barking at nothing (unusual for him). 

He is not drinking and urinating more than normal, but he does sometime just stare into space. I have also noticed today that he has lost some weight. He has plenty of energy and he is gulping down his food, which I have increased today.

Thanks once more, I will post any news.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

JGH said:


> Thank you so much for your replys. I will try to see the vet tomorrow and get him tested. He has been very irritable today and has started barking at nothing (unusual for him).
> 
> He is not drinking and urinating more than normal, but he does sometime just stare into space. I have also noticed today that he has lost some weight. He has plenty of energy and he is gulping down his food, which I have increased today.
> 
> Thanks once more, I will post any news.


Symptoms of cognitive dysfunction syndrome are, Getting night and day mixed up more active and pacing at night, sleeping more and soundly during the day, Loss of toilet training, some become unresponsive to their name and commands and owners, others can become clingy. Barking at seemingly nothing is also another sign, and general confusion, like wanting to go out in the garden and then standing there looking like they are wondering how they got there and why they are out there, standing and staring at seemingly nothing, walking into corners or dead ends and then not being able to figure out how to get out again.

It could well be cognitive dysfunction syndrome and as Lulus Mum said Aktivait
helped her dog and has helped many others, good thing is its just a neutraceutical that helps with optimum brain function so quite safe and no side effects. Its helped many dogs when veterinary medicines didnt. If you want to read more on it
http://www.vetplus.co.uk/PDF/LEAF/aktivait_leaflet.pdf

There are other veterinary medicines to only availble from vets and vet pharmacies with a prescription (aktivait you dont have to have one and can buy them on line cheaper then the vets) Vivitonins one that helps by increasing blood supply to the brain, there are newer veterinary type ones now too, but if he does be found to have CDS Aktivait is worth a go first off.

As said though being as he has had vomitting and diarrhoea and weight loss too and there are physical underlying problems that can cause these and behavioural changes and odd behaviour and considering his age deffinately worth a check up and blood tests to make sure.

Please let us know how you get on. I had an old dog with CDS so I know how hard it is when they start at night and how tiring and wearing it can be.


----------



## JGH (Oct 23, 2012)

Thank you Sled Dog Hotel, you have been very helpful. 

Your descripion of the symptoms of CDS very accurately reflects Paddy's behaviour. He does everything you describe. I even found him stood in the shower cubicle one night looking confused. Believe me, he does not normally go anywhere near the shower of his own volition.

I booked an appointment with the vets this morning but, unfortunately, my car would not start (when the wheels come off, etc). The starter motor has gone and I have booked it in for Tuesday next week. 

The good news however, is that Paddy had a night without any pacing for the first time in more than two weeks. I sat up with him all night and we went out every two hours. No sickness.

He had an extra half tin of food yesterday and will have the same today. I am going to take him for a long walk this afternoon, as he seems to have a lot of energy and we have missed our walks due to catching up on sleep during the day.

Thanks again for your kind help (both of you), I will post any news.

John.


----------

