# Is she senile ?



## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I don't know about senile - but it looks like Merlin didn't mind her sitting on him a bit - a more relaxed Merlin?


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Asta's Mom said:


> I don't know about senile - but it looks like Merlin didn't mind her sitting on him a bit - a more relaxed Merlin?


He was concerned about me filming. Sometimes he snaps at her, for example when she steps on his head and face...

He's not really more relaxed, but he's happy !


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Her moves are very tentative, like she doesn't want to move because it's painful maybe? 
Merlin is being a good sport about it! Does she have arthritis? Neck or back pain? Sometimes an animal rather than crying out will just 'stop' when something hurts!
But yeah, she seems to be losing her train of thought in that video!


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I don't know, Dechi, but what MollyMuiMa said makes sense. My little Zooey is kind of the same way. You just wish you could ask them if they're in pain or what is wrong!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Aww that is sad to watch. When the last of my cats was about 15 she would do similar kinds of things that I know have happened with Tamara. She would have periods of absence (blankness) and when she fell apart on her litter box habits we knew it was her time to go. She had been living with my mom (who didn't have her dog yet and had more time). We went together to the vet for the euthanasia appointment. His comment when he looked at her was that her brain was already gone and that it was a good time to let her body leave too.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

MollyMuiMa said:


> Her moves are very tentative, like she doesn't want to move because it's painful maybe?
> Merlin is being a good sport about it! Does she have arthritis? Neck or back pain? Sometimes an animal rather than crying out will just 'stop' when something hurts!
> But yeah, she seems to be losing her train of thought in that video!


It makes sense but she still runs like a mad woman in the house when she's particularly happy. In the morning when she gets up, for example.

She has trouble going up and down the stairs, she has started falling down the stairs a few months ago. I don't know if it's from pain or her brain just miscalculating. She would be crouching, as if to be ready to spring, but instead of falling on the first step, she misses and sometimes tumbles down. Poor thing :-(. There are only 3 steps, but she needs to climb to get to the kitchen area from the living room.

I started helping her but I can't do it every time, she doesn't necessarily wait for me.

As for outside, I wish I had someone to build me a cheap dog ramp. My dad is getting old. And there are 2 outside set of stairs, so I would need two of them. I started treating her more like an old lady. She's more fragile than more. It saddens me.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> I don't know, Dechi, but what MollyMuiMa said makes sense. My little Zooey is kind of the same way. You just wish you could ask them if they're in pain or what is wrong!



Did you find anything helpful for Zooey ?


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> Aww that is sad to watch. When the last of my cats was about 15 she would do similar kinds of things that I know have happened with Tamara. She would have periods of absence (blankness) and when she fell apart on her litter box habits we knew it was her time to go. She had been living with my mom (who didn't have her dog yet and had more time). We went together to the vet for the euthanasia appointment. His comment when he looked at her was that her brain was already gone and that it was a good time to let her body leave too.


Those are very hard times. When it's time, I will have a vet come to our home. She hates going to the vet and I want her to go peacefully. And I want Merlin to say good-bye.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I don't know if it senility or not. My tpoo was 18 yo when I put her to sleep - she had really bad arthritis. She slept a lot and had trouble moving around, especially getting up from laying down. But she didn't stare at the wall or make what appears to be purposely steps.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

It does sound as if she may be showing some of the signs - there s helpful information on how to cope and to maintain quality of life here: https://dogdementia.com/


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

fjm said:


> It does sound as if she may be showing some of the signs - there s helpful information on how to cope and to maintain quality of life here: https://dogdementia.com/


Thank you ! I had read this a while ago and I can tell that she now has more symptoms that she had before. So sad. Now I feel like I am losing her a little bit each day and I try to be thankful that I still have her instead of being angry when she soils the house.

She has become more dependent on me lately. Especially since I took her to the hospital for the emergency removal of the chicken strip caught in her trachea. She has almost no interest in my daughter anymore, which of course saddens her because she was her little baby for so long ! I guess she is taking to me more because I try to make her life easier and she feels my empathy. Or maybe something else, I don't know.


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