My senior dog is tripping. Is it dementia or medication side effects?

Poor Souza! With her extensive history and multiple medications, I am quite concerned about these symptoms. These could be secondary to being on the wrong dose of phenobarbital, having a problem with her heart disease and not getting enough oxygen, a condition called geriatric vestibular disease that cause instability, a stroke and much more. I would try to get in to see a vet soon. A vet will be able to check phenobarbital levels, blood work and even X-rays if needed. Your vet will be able to adjust her medicine if needed or give her additional medicine if it is something unrelated to her current problems. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon !

From the treatment your veterinarian has given, I can assume that he/she is suspecting your Lily is suffering from epilepsy. Phenobarbital is usually the treatment for it. On other hand a presentation with imbalance problems is more compatible with a geriatric-idiopathic vestibular syndrome, which has a good prognosis and rapid recovery even without treatment. The weakness Lily is experiencing is probably due to side effect of the drug itself and not to the actual disease. Another check up and physical examination are absolutely needed to have a better idea of underlying cause. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I'm sorry that Chewy is showing such changes. The signs you are describing are possibly dementia, but are not the most common signs that we will see with dementia which we typically call Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD). I am attaching a a handout about CCD below that discuss possible supplement and medication options for treatment. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2549 Since Chewy's symptoms are not typical of CCD and seem to be getting worse, I would have your veterinarian examine him again to see if there are any abnormalities on examination and consider consulting with a neurologist or behaviorist to assess the significant changes in behavior that you are noticing with Chewy. You can find a neurologist near you here who can assess for any abnormalities on neurological examination. http://find.vetspecialists.com/ A veterinary behaviorist is a veterinarian who has additional years of training in behavior. They can also prescribe medications if needed. Hopefully you can find one near you here. http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful and you can figure out how to help Chewy. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. Her signs are likely the result of her advanced age. However, they are pain medications that make her feel better. She likely has some degree of arthritis effecting her mobility. If some pain medication could increase her quality of life, I think that would be wonderful. In the meantime, be sure not to give any over-the-counter pain medication as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hello. Actually, we do see a type of sundowners in elderly dogs. We call the canine cognitive dysfunction. Some dogs do quite well on a medication called selegemine, others do well on Trazodone, while others need Xanax & melatonin. You will need to visit with your veterinarian who can recommend the best options for Cinnamon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I wish I had a little more information to help you with this question. IF she is just starting the medication and is on a loading dose then she could just be pretty drunk from the medication and may improve in time as her body adjusts. However, if she has been on the meds for a while and these are new changes then I would be concerned that this may be part of her underlying neurologic problem and not due to the meds. Regardless, I would encourage you to follow up with your veterinarian soon. In the meantime if you have other questions I would encourage you to request a consultation for more direct question and answer and “discussion” format. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend contacting his veterinarian. He will likely need to start another medication to control his seizures. Phenobarbital, potassium bromide and zonisamide are common choices. However, your veterinarian will know his medical history and which would be the best choice. Being able to have his seizures better controlled will improve his quality of life. I hope this information helps!