My senior dog with dementia won't sleep at night. What can I give?

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.

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.

If only Kimmy could talk! It's hard to know if Kimmy is not recognizing you or if this is simply her night time routine. Dogs can develop dementia (cognitive dysfunction) and the symptoms tend to be worse at night time: https://www.petcoach.co/article/cognitive-dysfunction-senility-in-dogs/ See if you notice any other symptoms and have Kimmy examined by the veterinarian to discuss the options. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

You will need to take puma to a veterinarian for an exam. He may not want to lie down due to arthritis pain. So this needs to be assessed and treated with pain medication. As for the dementia: Once dementia (canine cognitive disorder) is diagnosed, there are several possibilities to make him happier (and you too...): 1) leave a night light or small lamp on in the room where he spends most of the night. 2) Unless Puma is deaf, you can leave a radio on (quietly playing) 3) Ask your veterinarian about prescribing Selegiline, a drug which helps dogs, cats and humans with dementia. It does work very well relieving the signs of dementia (pacing, crying, not lying down, confusion, etc.)

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Coco. Canine cognitive dysfunction is common in older animals. It is somewhat similar to Alzheimer's disease in people. It is characterized by anxiety (especially at night), panting, pacing, becoming stuck in corners (due to disorientation) and accidents in the house. If these signs sound familiar, it would be best for her to see her veterinarian. There are prescription medications that can be used in some cases. At home though, you could transitioning her to Purina ProPlan Bright Minds. It really does seem to help these patients. I hope this information helps!

This could be canine cognitive dysfunction, which is like Alzheimer's in humans. I would have Mitch seen by a vet for this to see if he does have this. If he does, therapeutic foods, exercise during the day, and potentially a drug called Anipryl.

I'd have Gomez seen by a vet for this problem. It could be he is suffering from canine cognitive dysfunction, which can cause dogs to not sleep at night. If he does have it, the vet can diagnose it and can discuss things to do to help with it.