Before the Anipryl, Ashley would pace, and it helped her a great deal. We started to notice some strange behaviors with Ashley, but we thought they were normal signs of aging that could not be stopped. We didn't know about Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, and the symptoms were subtle at first. Ashley had been to the doctor probably twelve times that year prior to diagnosing her with it. It was not my vet's fault because I wasn't mentioning these behaviors to him. My focus was making sure her heart and lungs were strong and helping her with gas pockets in her stomach from taking in too much air into her belly. She also had an infection in her tooth that we she needed to be pulled. We were treating her enlarged heart so that she would be strong enough to make it through surgery. She was 16.5 years old and she lived several more months after the surgery. My husband and I honestly thought that she was anxious because of the pain from the tooth and the gas pockets, and walking helped her a great deal. When she cried in the middle of the night, I walked her and then she came home and slept peacefully and soundly. The miles we walked each day eased her anxiety a great deal and she was more animated when she was walking. We discovered it was CCD in October of that year after my husband had been in the hospital. Ashley seemed so disoriented when I came home, and I figured it was because she normally was never left alone. She would collapse as soon as I got there because of all of the pacing, and I had to wake her up in the middle of the night just to get her to eat. When I told her doctor about the disorientation, he immediately told me that it wasn't just normal senility, and he put her on Anipryl. Ashley adored her dad, and he sat at her side each day to make sure she was safe and that she felt secure. There were still some days he didn't know what to do to help her, probably from the discomfort from the gas pockets that we were treating. Once I came home from work on most days, she did really well because both of us were at her side. It was obvious by her body language that she felt very safe and loved. As much as we adored our little girl, I believe we would have given her up if we felt we were keeping her alive for our sake. I asked two of her doctors to tell me what would be the kindest thing to do for Ashley. Fortunately, at separate times both of them said that she was so responsive to me and very happy, and told me not to worry about it. My husband and I feel secure knowing in our hearts that we did the right thing for Ashley, especially because we saw how Anipryl helped her. It wasn't a dramatic change, but for us, it was still like a miracle because we believe our baby wasn't suffering. If you want to talk or if you have any questions, call me anytime. I don't know if I can help you but I care and understand. I didn't think it was possible because Ashley had always been our heart and the center of our lives, but we grew to love her even more than we already had. I will continue to pray for more good days than bad and for peace, contentment, and good health for your baby and the rest of your family. Try to get rest yourself. It will help you to physically and emotionally cope with the demands of caring for Tina. I hope her heart gets better, too, and that she is able to breathe more freely. You are both definitely in my heart and thoughts.
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