# Sudden onset separation anxiety/ dementia?



## forpetssake (Apr 3, 2017)

Our almost 10 1/2 year old female has suddenly become anxious as we have left the house. We have a 6mth old GSD puppy and a 6 year old mixed breed dog. Puppy is crated downstairs, 2 older dogs upstairs in our bedroom (in the A/C). That room has been kept dark with room darkening shades. Over the past couple of weeks, our old girl has been whining more when we leave for work. Also, early in the mornings, she has begun waking up early, pacing around the foot of the bed for a few minutes (almost like checking in with everyone). I think she's been more clingy with me lately, too.

Then a week ago, she had a big poop accident in her crate, we were gone for about 6 hours and she was a mess. All bedding was washed and of course she needed a bath. The next time we crated her, we were gone for a few hours and she broke a rod on her metal crate and chipped her upper canines. We tried a treat filled kong the next time we had to crate her and that eliminated the stress at our departure, (we set up a game cam to watch what she was doing) but after a couple of hours, she started banging at the crate, moving it around and breaking the drywall behind it.

She has never had a problem staying in her crate, has always had a sensitive GI system, has never been a fan of other dogs, but does like and play with the puppy. 

I ordered cholodin for dogs on Amazon. Any other suggestions? Does this sound like the start of dementia? Have you experienced anything similar?


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Just wondering - Did this start around the same time you got the puppy?


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

I agree with Stevenzachsmum that her behavior change may have something to do with the puppy. Since your post mentioned that she likes and plays with the puppy but that the puppy is crated downstairs, maybe if the puppy's crate could be in the same room? Also maybe the lack of daylight in the room has started bother her - perhaps if the shades were left up? It seems to me also that she could be having panic attacks, my Sting had something like that but he wasn't crated. It would happen at night - he suddenly would wake up and cry and be afraid - first I thought he had to potty - but no, when I took him outside, he didn't need to and then calmed down. It also happened twice in the car during the day and again I thought he was getting carsick which he never had been, but when I stopped and let him out, he was fine. The cholodin did work for him - it took about a week to work, but I also for a time closed the bedroom door (where he slept) at night and then after a month, I didn't need to do that. If it possible not to crate your senior, that may also help her. As they age, I think they can get cramped more easily and the confinement of the crate could be adding to her distress.


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