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04-05-2021, 12:32 PM | #1 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,504
| Strange Behaviors in Older Yorkie This is about my daughter's yorkie Maddie. She's 13, weighs about 3.8 lbs and over the the last two years she has been demonstrating increasingly strange behaviors. She was a good traveller now she screams when she rides in the car even if she is held. She used to be very happy in her carrier bag but no longer. I have always done her grooming but now she is uncontrollable on the table. It takes two of us to hold her while I trim her hair down. For brief moments she will calm down but then begin to thrash about again. She no longer sits on your lap, she prefers to just cuddle up in her bed. She will interact if she wants to eat, follow you around or bark at you. Eating is a chore since she eats a pate dog food about 4 times a day because she doesn't have any teeth. We add bone broth to her food to be sure she's hydrated because she refuses to drink any water. We put her in a pen when eating because she gets the food all over. After eating her mouth is a mess from the food so we try to pat off the residue and she thrashes about because she doesn't want you to do that. (If we don't clean her after eating it get's caked around her mouth and she smells awful) She rarely or no longer signals when she has to potty outside. She has regressed in going to the potty outside even if you take her out multiple times she will come back in and pee on the floor. Sometimes she will potty outside since we keep a 3 hour schedule. And yes sometimes she appears confused even in a familiar place. She has been to the Vet and is physically healthy. The vet did suggest Bright Mind food and it did seem to perk her up a bit but these behaviors just seem to be worsening. Occasionally she will let you handle her and she seems to be content. The only saving grace is that my daughter now works from home and can care for her. Anyone experience these behaviors with an aging Yorkie? Can she be given something safely when riding in the car or for grooming purposes? I get a bit emotional seeing her like this. I think I have a few pics of her in my YT album. I love her so!
__________________ Mary & Deuce |
Welcome Guest! | |
04-05-2021, 12:54 PM | #2 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,451
| I have a couple of seniors here where I had to be creative with feeding time. I stopped putting water in their food. One of them I make tiny meat balls for so that there is less mess. The other one I am hand feeding. Both of them were making a mess and didn't like face washing either so that was my solution. I use baby wipes after, but definitely way less mess. If dogs are eating canned food, they usually don't drink a lot of water. I would just keep it out for her but not force it. I have heard that sometimes they use Anipryl for dogs with cognitive issues but I have not used it. You might ask the vet about it. I am so sorry...I hope you can find a way to keep her happy and relaxed. Oh...and yes there are meds they can use for grooming but speak with your vet about it. It is so hard to see them age
__________________ Last edited by ladyjane; 04-05-2021 at 12:55 PM. |
04-05-2021, 06:41 PM | #3 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,504
| I'll make those suggestions to her. I want to see our little girl happy. Thanks.
__________________ Mary & Deuce |
04-06-2021, 05:21 AM | #4 |
YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: North Carolina, USA
Posts: 370
| My 14 year old Havanese has been having “senior moments” when she seems to forget why she’s outside (she just stands and looks around like she’s lost or confused) and then has accidents in the house. She will use a puppy pad, though, so I leave one down for her if she hasn’t been potty for a while. |
04-07-2021, 09:49 AM | #5 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,504
| Yep. Maddie will do the same here too. Just looks around sniffing. Comes in the house and will "pop a squat" looking right at you. But sometimes she knows why she's outside and does all her business.
__________________ Mary & Deuce |
04-08-2021, 10:13 AM | #6 |
Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md
Posts: 23,247
| It sounds like doggy dementia. I'm so sorry. Callie as she got older went from wanting lots of cuddling to not wanting to be held or cuddled. Callie started to get a little more confused as we got closer to when we had to say goodbye and I'm not really sure if it wasn't age thing, her health causing the issues or something else going on. It is very hard to watch them age especially when they start having issues.
__________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart! |
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