How Do You Know When To Put Your Dog Down With Dementia

If your grey-muzzled companion is in the end-stages of dementia in dogs, when to euthanize him or her may exist a question that weighs heavily on your listen. To assist give you some measure of peace and clarity, integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby invites Dr. Dawnetta Woodruff to the blog. Every bit a veterinarian who specializes in stop-of-life care, Dr. Woodruff is the perfect person to address this difficult decision with compassion and understanding.

Senior dog lying on bed with a tennis ball beside him, photo

Possibly you have a senior dog who is "only not himself" or "just not herself" lately. He or she paces the house, seems confused, pants a lot, barks at normal noises, and may even look at you equally if y'all are a stranger. Y'all may wonder what could perhaps exist incorrect, and how exercise you manage it?

In that location are a variety of conditions that could exist the culprit. However, the well-nigh likely explanation is that your domestic dog might be dealing with dementia, a condition which affects 68% of dogs by sixteen years of historic period. While it can't be cured, in that location are some things you tin do to aid your canis familiaris continue to have a good quality of life. However, somewhen the time may come when you need to consider when to euthanize a dog who has dementia.

What is dementia in dogs?

Very few diseases are equally frustrating and difficult to manage as canine dementia, which is also chosen canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD). When examined microscopically, the encephalon of a dog with dementia looks identical to the brain of a homo with Alzheimer's disease. And like Alzheimer'south patients, dogs with CCD suffer a reject in their cognitive part. Many advances are existence made in treating both diseases, but in that location is currently no cure.

The earlier the veterinarian and dog owner start treatment, the better the dog volition respond. Nonetheless, in lodge to commencement treatments early, a domestic dog must accept an early on diagnosis. There is no specific blood exam or other lab work that can give you an official "aye or no." Instead, your veterinarian will diagnose CCD based on the symptoms your dog is showing.

Signs of dementia

Information technology is important to consult with your vet if you think your domestic dog may exist starting to bear witness any of these signs of dementia:

Disorientation

Pacing
Appearing lost
Staring into space
Interim dislocated
Wandering room to room
Getting "stuck" in a corner

Interaction changes

No interest in seeing family unit
Doesn't play with other pets in the home anymore
Acting very aristocratic or very clingy
New aggression toward family members or other pets

Senior Terrier Mix lying in the dirt, photo — ^{Your veterinary will help diagnose dementia in your dog based of symptoms you observe at home.}

Sleep problems

Sleeping more or less than normal
Restless slumber
Pacing at dark
Days and nights mixed upwards
Senior dog anxiety at dark

House Soiling

Finding urine or feces in the home when your dog used to exist fully housetrained
Urinating or defecating in front of the owner within

Senior Terrier mix lying in the bed with eyes wide open and looking restless at night, which is common with dementia in dogs, photo — ^{Your canis familiaris with dementia may exist restless at nighttime and slumber more during the day.}

Altered Action

No longer interested in playing, taking walks, or beingness groomed
Doesn't recognize learned commands

For a more in-depth wait at how these signs present, please read my commodity that specifically covers the signs of dementia in dogs.

As well, to assist guide a chat with your canis familiaris'south veterinarian, yous tin print off a canine cerebral dysfunction checklist and take it with you to your dog's adjacent vet visit.

How can you help a dog with dementia?

If your veterinarian diagnoses your canis familiaris with dementia, there are many things you tin do to hopefully slow the progression of the illness and reduce the symptoms. Keeping the routine as predictable every bit possible can be very helpful for your canis familiaris. A regular feeding time, a regular sleep schedule, and predictable time for play can be stable anchors within your dog's disruptive solar day.

Rotating favorite toys in and out of the domestic dog's toy box, calculation puzzle toys, and spending extra time going on walks (or stroller rides) for mental stimulation can help your domestic dog feel more than like himself or herself. Interestingly, a study from the University of Washington titled Evaluation of Cognitive Function in the Dog Crumbling Project: Associations with Baseline Canine Characteristics indicated that dogs who were not active were 6.47 times more than likely to develop CCD than dogs who were very agile. And so regular activity may boost brain health!

Spending a few minutes each day reviewing familiar commands can too exist grounding for your canis familiaris. Reinforcing well-known behaviors (like sit down and stay) can increase healthy encephalon activity. Plus, information technology may assistance your domestic dog remember other things as well! As an extra bonus, those training sessions help to strengthen the bond y'all have with your canis familiaris. This is especially important with cognitive decline.

Senior Spaniel mixed breed dog on the beach getting mental stimulation, which is important with cognitive decline, photo — ^{Spending actress fourth dimension on walks can assist with mental stimulation. Make sure to let for plenty of sniff breaks!}

Additional handling options

In improver to these environmental modifications, your vet may recommend various supplements, foods, or medications. Supplements similar omega-3 fatty acids for dogs and Senilife® are bachelor without a prescription. They may help promote brain health and reduce behaviors associated with brain aging. Two prescription diets, Colina'southward® Prescription Diet® b/d Canine for "encephalon crumbling intendance" and Purina® Neuro Care, and one over-the-counter (OTC) dog food, Purina® Bright Minds, can also exist helpful.

As the disease progresses, you may need prescription medications to aid with some of the more bothersome symptoms.

Some dogs may do good from Selegiline (Anipryl®), a medication designed to help control some of the clinical signs of CCD.
At first, the OTC supplement melatonin for dogs might help a dog sleep at night. But when it is no longer effective, your vet may wish to prescribe a sedative to help your dog get appropriate remainder.
Supplements like Anxitane® or Zylkene® can help with mild feet. However, when the problem worsens, your canis familiaris may need prescription medications like Trazodone or Alprazolam to relax during the day.

What does the progression of CCD await like?

The most troublesome symptoms oft start with subtle changes. But as they progress in severity, a dog's quality of life (QOL) tin be greatly diminished. For example:

Getting stuck in the corner once every few days might be bothersome. Merely when it happens 5 to 10 times a day, the stress tin can be immeasurable.
An occasional puddle of urine or pile of stool might be piece of cake to clean up. Simply when your canis familiaris is soiling the carpet or the bed multiple times a solar day, it tin can be frustrating and upsetting to both of you lot.
When your dog occasionally paces the house for a few minutes at night, you can both go dorsum to sleep apace. But when the pacing lasts for hours, and neither of you is able to sleep, yous tin can both have increased stress and decreased overall wellness.

Senior Poodle mix panting, photo — ^{Endless pacing, urinary accidents, confusion, and panting will touch both you and your canis familiaris'due south quality of life.}

Not but does your canis familiaris's quality of life decline, only you are constantly worrying and running on an empty tank. Your stress level is high. And you don't experience like you have the energy or the patience to requite your canis familiaris the honey and care he or she needs, and you wish to provide. As the dementia worsens, the precious bond you share with your dog tin begin to intermission…and that is the last thing either of you lot wants to happen.

How volition you know if information technology's fourth dimension to euthanize your dog who is suffering from dementia?

Maintaining the human being-brute bail should the most important goal at the stop of whatever canis familiaris'south lifeastward. Dogs adore their human family unit more than anything else in their lives! Then when they are unable to recognize their loved ones, or when the bond has been broken due to mutual stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep, the time has come to set them free from their struggles. Whenever the deep bond between man and domestic dog is cleaved, there is no longer any quality of life. At that point, it may be the kindest decision to put down a dog.

It is incredibly hard to consider euthanasia for your canine family member. Just information technology is as well incredibly difficult to watch him or her struggle through each day, confused, anxious, and exhausted. Caring for whatsoever dog at the end of his or her life is difficult. Only possibly caring for a domestic dog with dementia is the most middle-wrenching.

You lot wish to be able to comfort your dog, only the erstwhile familiar comfort measures no longer piece of work. And when your domestic dog doesn't fifty-fifty recognize yous, your presence no longer brings the comfort it in one case did. You want to give your dog everything he or she needs, just your time and free energy is spread thin.

This is very normal, and frustration is an expected response to a very stressful situation. Simply it often causes caregivers to feel isolated, lonely, and guilty. Giving up sleep, cleaning upward after your dog many times every day, bathing him or her frequently, and having your beloved senior dog lash out at you in frustration and fear can get out you lot feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

Your precious quondam dog needs an abundance of patience, beloved, and nursing care. That can be difficult to provide, even for the most loving and devoted person.

Euthanasia is a beautiful and selfless decision

Because euthanasia tin can sometimes feel like a selfish decision. "I don't desire to euthanize her just because she's hard to care for!" is something that I hear often from distraught pet owners. Just every time I hear those words, I hear them coming from a family member who loves their dog deeply and is making a center-wrenching decision in order to end their dog's struggles. That is the opposite of selfish—information technology is selfless.

Senior Beagle sleeping on a blanket, photo — ^{Humane euthanasia is i terminal human action of kindness you can requite to a domestic dog who is suffering.}

I remind families that y'all're non choosing euthanasia because your sweet dog is hard to care for. Rather you realize that your dog'southward life has grown so difficult that he or she is no longer happy. You don't desire to see your dog get whatever worse. So, you are choosing to provide your dearest companion an escape from his or her mental and concrete pain. You are focusing on your dog'due south quality of life in a higher place all else, and (while it is incredibly difficult) that is a kind and beautiful decision.

Resources for navigating the end of your dog's life

Every bit you wrestle with this difficult decision of when to euthanize your precious dog with dementia, some of these articles may likewise help bring you some peace:

In-Dwelling house Dog Euthanasia: Heartfelt Answers to 12 FAQs
Preparing for Your Canis familiaris'due south Euthanasia: 10 Thoughts for Peace
Dog Euthanasia: Knowing When to Say Goodbye
How Will You Know When It'southward Time to Euthanize Your Dog? 5 Caring, Heartfelt Messages
Grieving the Loss of a Dog Afterwards Euthanasia (& Finding Peace)

How did you know information technology was fourth dimension to euthanize your dog with dementia?

Please share your experiences as a way to honour your dog's legacy and help other dog parents who are facing this heart-breaking decision.