Hi everyone, I need help with my poor max. He is old around 14 and we have notice a big change in him in the last month. He is usually very active, playful, happy, loving, but now he seems to not recognize us. He has his good days when I come home from work he's jumping and shaking his tail and glad to see me but mostly when i get home he just looks at me and walks away. With my husband they were best friends now Max doesn't even acknowledge him at all. He also won't let us pet him..
He paces all night, he leaves when you enter the room he's in. He usually sleeps with us and sleeps long periods of time. Now he when i do see him sleeping it's in unusual places like the hard basement floor. Sometimes i wake up and check on him and he's just sitting there in our living room sitting and staring at the wall. Also at night while he is pacing he insist all the doors are open. He runs and pushes them open all night. Oh and he startles easily over nothing. He shakes a lot, but that he always kinda did.
His appetite has not changed. The living space hasn't changed. Same people in the house. We still give him a snack pretty much everyday now like a hard boil egg or cottage cheese. No accidents in the house. He still tells us when he wants to go outside. He's still barking at the mailman, but everything else has changed..It's so sad it's like he's looking for something....(I'm not sure if this is important but he was a rescue, but that was 11 years ago)
He's like a walking shell. Could this be dementia? Is there something I can give him for the anxiety without going to the vet an over-the-counter med? Please if anyone can help me or relate to this I really want to help him.