How to comfort a senior dog grieving an owner's death at night?

This could be anxiety as you suggest, or it could be canine cognitive dysfunction (doggy dementia). CCG often includes restless/wakeful behavior at night and sleeping during the day. It can also include loss of house-training, failure to recognize family members and confused or wandering behavior. Melatonin and/or Benadryl are considered generally safe medications to give before bed to help promote sleep. There are also medications and prescription diets made especially for CCD if that is what’s happening to Sherwood. Talk with your vet to see if s/he agrees and to discuss options and doses.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your father. I am sure it is very difficult to be going through this. Dogs are emotional and can become distressed / sad when a loved one passes away. Unfortunately, it just takes time. There are some things you can try to help ease the stress for Sadie. I would recommend the below products and see if these help. I would also take her out more for walks and socialize her and consider taking her to the dog park as well to interact with other dogs. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Adaptil collar 2. NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin 3. Plenty of toys to play with

There are medications for this condition (known as cognitive dysfunction) that can be very helpful. I recommend having a discussion with your vet about her current behavior, so they can help provide the appropriate meds. I would do try the medication first, before considering putting her down. There is a possibility that with medication, she could act less anxious and appear more happy. I hope that helps and she gets better soon.

With canine cognitive dysfunction (dimentia) night waking is really common. I have used an anti anxiety medication called alprazolam with varied success. Also melatonin can be helpful. It seems some patients respond nicely, while it doesn’t seem to affect others at all. However, it is worth a try. I would recommend calling your veterinarian and discussing if a prescription for these would be ok for Kimi. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

At Tommys age I would consider that he may have some type of cognitive dysfunction or senility issue causing increase in barking. I would recomend a veterinarian visit for a senior wellness check up and discuss his behavior as there are medications and diet that can help if it is cognitive. Medications and a neuro diet have helped my own senior dog to sleep through the night again as he was up at all hours barking, so I know your pain. ;). Good luck.

I'm sorry to hear that Seraph lost her friend last year. It's certainly possible that she's experiencing some loneliness, but I would have expected the behavior changes to start right after your other dog's passing. Given her age, the other thing to bear in mind is that she may be starting to develop some cognitive dysfunction, vision loss, or hearing loss. Any of these changes can manifest with some degree of separation anxiety and barking changes. If you're planning to get another dog, I doubt that it will make matters worse for Seraph, but there's certainly no guarantee that it will help her barking and anxiety either. These articles have a lot more information for you to consider: https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-signs-of-cognitive-dysfunction-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/aging-gracefully-6-things-to-know-about-canine-cognitive-dysfunct/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/is-my-dog-experiencing-hearing-loss/ https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/acquired-deafness-and-hearing-loss/ I hope this helps a bit and that everything goes well for Seraph!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry for the loss of your husband! I think animals mourn as well and they can pick up on our stress and anxiety. I would call your vet and ask for medications for Sophia. I would consider a long acting anti-anxiety medication like prozac and also a short acting medication to use in the beginning for when you leave her. I would hope with time you can wean her off these medications. I would provide something of your husbands for her to keep in her crate or bed that you can give her. If she doesn't have food allergies consider giving her a Kong filled with food (there are recipes online) and keep the radio or TV on for her. If she likes other dogs you can even sign her up for doggie day care and drop her off there for the day. I wish you all the best!