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How Vet Behaviorists Help Dogs with Dementia & Their People

Many people don’t know about the existence of veterinary behaviorists, much less how they can help us. I didn’t until I got deep into the dog training world. Vet behaviorists can help dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction and many other problems, and they can help the dogs’ owners a lot as well. Veterinary Behaviorists Are […]

Easy Enrichment for a Senior Dog and a Senior Person

Here’s why a lot of us dog folks collect toilet paper and paper towel rolls. These cardboard tubes are a popular choice for lots of enrichment activities. You can use them in many different ways, so long as your dog doesn’t eat cardboard. I fold them up in little packets when playing “find it” games […]

Nosework: Teach Your Senior Dog Step by Step

This is an easy nosework game that senior dogs can learn, even those who have mild dementia. Finding food is pretty hard-wired into dogs and most animals. Dogs with moderate to severe dementia can’t learn much, if anything, but some may still enjoy using their noses in a simpler version. See the last photo of […]

My Name Is Moses

tiny yorkshire terrier peeking out of a wastebasketA guest post by Cathy Hester, as told by Moses My Old Life My name is Moses. For the first 16 years of my life, I had no name. I had no person. I had no life. I lived at an Amish farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I lived in a dirty hutch in a dark [...]

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction: What You Need To Know

small black dog with canine cognitive dysfunction facing wallJoseph's husky sits and stares into space a lot. Shameka's Russell terrier paces for several hours each night. Emilia's small mixed breed has lost his house training. He comes in the doggie door and eliminates in the house right in front of her. And Teri's dachshund suddenly gets scared of Teri's son, even though the [...]

Six Fun Enrichment Activities for a Dog with Dementia

Sniffing as enrichment activity. Senior rat terrier sniffing a tire.

My rat terrier Cricket lived to be about 17 and had dementia since she was 14 or 15. As her cognitive abilities decreased, I was still able to find things she enjoyed. Enrichment activities are important at any age. Our activities just got simpler and simpler as we went along. I had taken Cricket on a […]

6 Reasons NOT to Give CBD Oil to Your Dog with Dementia

green fluid in six flasks in a row

The plant cannabis, which provides both hemp and marijuana, has a complex chemical makeup. Besides providing many practical products in the hemp form, it contains more than 100 “cannabinoids.” These are psychoactive chemical compounds, i.e., they affect the brain.  A major compound is cannabidiol, or CBD. Some people recommend CBD oil for senior dogs. This […]

Stages of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

rat terrier with dementia sitting awkwardly under a chair

Canine cognitive dysfunction is a disease that is caused by brain changes in aging dogs. It’s similar to Alzheimer’s. A recent study identified three stages in canine cognitive dysfunction. Stage 1, MILD: Changes in sleep patterns and slight changes in social interactions with owners. Stage 2, MODERATE: Hyperactivity at night, starting to lose house training, and […]

Poop in My Pocket: Life With an Old, Old Dog

tri-color rat terrier sleeping surrounded by pillows to keep her from rolling off bed

This story is from 2012 when Cricket was still with me, previously published on eileenanddogs.com. The very first thing I do every morning when I wake up is turn over and take a careful look at my very old dog Cricket. She has a special place on the bed surrounded by pillows on three sides […]