Old dogs: why they go walking at night - Elwood vet

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Anxiety due to noises can cause night time walking. The noises may only occur at night (eg possums) or be more noticeable at night when everything else is quiet ... 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Nighttimewalkingiscommoninseniordogs.Butit'snotjustyourdogwhoishavingdisruptedsleep– thewholefamilycanbeaffected.Let'slookathoweveryonecangetagoodnight'ssleep.  Whyismyolddoghavingdifficultysleepingatnight?Interruptedsleepoccursformanydifferentreasons.Herearesomeofthemostcommoncauses. Cognitivedysfunction(dementia)Yes,dogscangetcognitivedysfunctionastheirbrainsage.Thisissimilartodementiainpeople,butlessunderstood.Thekeyfeaturesofdogdementiaare:progressiveconfusionreversalofday-nightwake-sleeppatternspooradaptabilitytonewsituations/changeofroutineThereisnotestfordementiaindogs(wecan'tgetthemtodothecognitivetests thatpeoplecando).Otherbraindiseases(egtumours,meningitis)canalsodisruptthesleep-wakecycle.It'salsopossiblefornighttimeseizurestobemistakenasjustconfusedpacing–bythetimeyougetwokenupandfindthedog,theseizureisoverandthepost-seizuredisorientationisallyousee.Wemaybeabletodiagnoseotherbraindiseasewithadvancedimagingand/orcerebrospinalfluid(CSF)testing,butweneedtoweighupthebenefitsandharmstoyourpetofdoingthesetests. PainSometypesofpainbecomeworse,oratleastmuchlessignorable,atnight.Sowhileyourdogmayseemtogetaroundokayduringtheday,it'sstillpossiblethathecanhavetroublesleepingduetodiscomfort. Nighttimepaincanresultin:restlessnesspacingpantingvocalisingSpinal,jointormusclepaincanusuallybeidentifiedonaphysicalexamination.However,sometimesitcanbedifficulttoidentifyapainsource(egheadache)orbesurewhatwehavefoundisthecauseofthenightwalking.Inthiscase,wemightdofurtherinvestigationorananalgesiatrial(orboth). NeedingtogotothetoiletDependingonwhatweeatanddrink,allofushaveoccasionalnighttimetoileturges.Asweandourpetsage,itbecomesmorecommonthatamedicalconditionmaybeincreasingtheneedtourinateordefecateordecreasingthecontrolofthesefunctions.Commonmedicationconditionsinclude:urinarytractinfectionskidneydiseasehormonaldisease(egCushing'sdisease,diabetes)gastro-intestinaldiseaseneuro-musculardiseaseMostmedicalconditionscanberuledinoroutduringaconsultationandpossiblyblood/urinetesting. AnxietyAnxietyduetonoisescancausenighttimewalking.Thenoisesmayonlyoccuratnight(egpossums)orbemorenoticeableatnightwheneverythingelseisquiet.It'salsopossiblethatdaytimepacingduetoanxietyisnotsoeasytorecognise.Thisonecanbetrickytodiagnoseifyourdogdoesn'thaveahistoryofanxiety.   HowcanIhelpmydogsleepthroughthenight?Thefirststepisidentifyingthecauseofthesleepproblem(ifpossible).Ifwearedealingwithpainoranothermedicalcondition,therewilloftenbeaneffectivetreatment. Non-drugoptionsSimplethingsyoucantryinclude:anorthopaedicbed–thisneedstobeeasytogetinandoutofandprovideadequatesupportforolderjointsabedtimeroutine–thismayincludealatetoilettrip,amassageandsomequiettimebeforesettlingintobedsomesoothingsounds–quietmusicmighthelpsomepetsanightlight–thismayhelpolderdogswithpoornightvisionyourcompany–somedogsjustsleepbetterwiththeirowners,soifthisworksforyoutoo,youcantrykeepingyourpetcloseatnightYoucanalsotrypheromonetherapy,whichdogsmakesomedogsfeelbetter.It'savailableasaplug-indiffuseryouuseinthedog'sbedareaorasacollarifyourdogisanxiousallthetime.SupplementsandneutraceuticalsTherearelotsofclaimsmadeaboutvarioussupplements(egvitaminE,gingkobilboa,selenium)slowingdownbrainageing.Atthisstage,thereisn'tmuchreallyhigh-qualityevidencetoprovetheywork.Ifyouwanttotrysomething,youmightconsiderS-adenosyl-1-methionine(SAMe).Thisismostcommonlyusedforliverdiseasebutispotentiallybeneficialforosteoarthritisandcognitivedysfunction.Thereare'pet'versions ofthis,butaspeopleuseittoo,it'sprettywidelyavailable.Itappearssafe,welltoleratedandtheirarenocontraindications.Thedoseis18mg/kgoncedailyonanemptystomach.Herearethedosagesroundedtothenearest'pet'tabletsizes:Dogsunder5.5kg–one90mgtabletperdayDogs5.6–11kg–two90mgtabletsperdayorone225mgtabletifeasierDogs11.1–16kg–one225mgtabletperdayDogs16.1–29.5kg–two225mgtabletsperdayDogs29.6–41kg–three225mgtabletsperdayDogsover41.1kg–four225mgtabletsperdayHill's®haveaprescriptiondietcalledb/d (akabraindiet),whichhasbeendevelopedtohelpwithage-relatedbehaviouralchangesinolderdogs.Wehavesomeclientswhoswearbythis.Youmayhearabouttheuseofmelatoninforsleepproblems.Whileit'struethatnaturalmelatoninlevelstendtodropaswe(humansanddogs)age,thereisn'tgreatevidencetoshowthatsupplementshelpallthatmuch.Whiletherearehumanproductsthatcanbeusedsafelyinpets,pleasedonotusehumanpainmedicationinpetswithoutseekingveterinaryadvice. PrescriptionmedicationsPrescriptionmedicationsshouldfirstbeusedtotreattheunderlyingcondition(egpain).Ifnounderlyingconditionisidentifiedorithasnospecifictreatment,sleepmedicationsmaybeused.Themostcommontypeofsleepmedicationgiventopetsisdiazepam(Valium®),althoughlongeractingbenzodiazepinesmaybeused(egtemazepam).Thesymptomsofcognitivedysfunctionaresometimestreatedwithadrugcalledselegiline.Thisisatypeofdrugcalledamono-amineoxidaseB(MAO-B)inhibitor.It'sanexpensivetreatmentandmayrequire2–6weeksofadministrationbeforeyouseeanyimprovement.Itdoeshavearangeofpossiblesideeffectssoweneedtocarefullyweighupbenefitsandharmsbeforeprescribingthisdrug.There'ssomethingveryspecialaboutolddogs,andwewantyourseniormatetohavealong,healthyandgoodlifeasmuchasyoudo.Ifyou'dlikea'seniorcheck',justgiveusacall. 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