What do you do? Dog has dementia but vet won't listen

ihatewinter

Right I have an elderly dog who is 15 years and is displaying signs of Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome or dementia for the past 6-8 weeks but has worsened in the last 2 weeks. I brought her to the vets about 3 weeks and the vet thought she had a stroke as she is gone very unsteady on her legs. So she was on medication for this. Then I brought her to the vet last Friday as she started staring into space and lost around the house. It was a different vet and he listened to her heart and said it was grand and that she didn't suffer a stroke previously. Then I started to discuss her dementia symptoms and he said it could be OLD AGE. She did have a temperature and bit of lung congestion so she's on medication. Now this medication is starting to worsen the dementia symptoms as she is pacing and getting very agitated.

My concern is that she has dementia and I have a very very tight time frame to slow it down as the vets will not listen. My vet previous has changed to a farm vet and I can't get hold of her as she is bogged down with lambing and calving. Has anyone any tips to try to convince the bloody vet to listen.

Psychosis

Video her behavior when shes like that and bring it along to the vet to show them.

Wesser

What is it that can be done to
slow dog dementia?

aonb

OP, if you have lost confidence in your vet, it is time to find a new one!


My dog was showing signs of dementia, which are really really horrible to watch, he was 16, and it turned out to be caused by an infection. Once he was sorted medically, the dementia symptoms went, he had a bit of incontinence (urine) too, but that was sorted too happily. we had a few more lovely months with him, before cancer in his liver and kidneys took over. (Absolutely not saying that your dog doesnt have dementia or has an infection by the way - just what happened with our dog) Find a vet you can TRUST - horrible to have your beloved elderly dog showing such horrible symptoms and you have to look at him and wonder if your vet is doing what should be done...

DBB

Op, as per your last thread, it is entirely possible that the symptoms your dog is displaying are not indicative of true dementia, rather a reaction to an underlying medical issue.
The symptoms you have discussed here and in your other thread are not really indicative, in my experience, of true dementia. It just doesn't happen as quickly as you've described. If I am wrong, and this is true dementia, and not an underlying medical problem, then you're looking at substantially advanced dementia. Once dementia has progressed beyond the early symptoms, treatment for the condition becomes significantly less effective. Once the dog has reached advanced dementia, it is unlikely that the treatment will work at all.
In any case, it is possible that the medication she's already on for pulmonary congestion is very similar to the meds used to treat dementia, in that both act to increase blood supply to and from the lungs/the brain.
If you doubt your vet, unfortunately you need to get a second opinion. I hope the current vet is wrong, but at the same time, this is a time for pragmatism, and to try to be as objective as possible.

DBB

Wesser wrote: »

What is it that can be done to
slow dog dementia?

If you do a forum search for Canine Cognitive Dementia or Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, you'll find quite a few threads on the topic.
Here's one that's more detailed, and hopefully answers your question!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84633814

ihatewinter

DBB just for comparison, in your opinion what are the true symptoms of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

DBB

It's not my opinion as such, but what's described in the veterinary and behavioural literature.
Early signs are very subtle, including reduced activity, loss of play, reduced social interaction, disturbed sleep, mild increases in anxiety.
It then progresses onto more serious confusion, staring into space, change of personality, loss of housetraining or sequences within the going-outside-to-toilet routine, lapsing into "naughty" behaviours in front of the owner, such as stealing food, increased anxiety and fear, depression, irritability, inability to process what the eyes and ears are telling them, loss of proprioception (sense of where they are and what their body is doing).
In more advanced cases, there are often severe neurological signs which mask the signs of the actual dementia itself.
It generally takes months for a dog to develop dementia to the point where it's obvious, because the early signs are subtle. Like humans, little things happen that make you think "hmmmm... I wonder what that was all about?"... But this happens over quite a few months, not in the space of weeks.
Walking into tight spaces, panting, shaking, to me are not signs of dementia, rather they're signs of physical distress.... She's got pulmonary congestion, and having lived with a dog who was mentally sharp but whose lungs were in a bad way, I can say that what your dog is doing sounds very similar to what he did when he was feeling really uncomfortable and panicky from not being able to get enough breath into his lungs.
Your vet prescribed a vasodilator to help the breathing. This medication is also a central nervous system stimulant, and in the initial days of treatment can cause symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, feelings of panic.
From what you've posted, there's a lot more going on with your dog... If there's dementia there, and it's possible that there is to some extent, it's only a small part of a bigger, physical problem that's actually causing the distressing behaviours you're seeing.
Sorry to be so negative op, but I don't like to see you pinning everything on this being dementia. I would think the vet is probably on the money trying to treat the more immediate problems

Billiethepup

OP I think you need to look at the bigger picture here. Is this all the same dog who has had the heart failure incident, possible stroke, pulmonary congestion and now dementia over a 3month period?

With the greatest of respect if it is all the same dog it may not be the time to start disagreeing with vets. There comes a difficult time for all us pet lovers that our animals suffering days outweighs the healthy days. Because we now have advanced pharmacology to 'treat' an illness (ie improve symptoms short term) it does not always mean it is the ethical thing to do for an aged animal with multi-morbid conditions.

Sincere apologies if I have misread the posts. I'm only giving you food for thought. Also like everyone has said, if it's a simple case of not liking your vets approach, seek a second opinion.