Elderly Dogs

Suddenly my poor old dog is doing some strange things. Lately she does not like laying on the carpet so I put a folded sheet down - sometimes she likes to lay on newspaper but since we no longer get the newspaper I have had a poster board that she sometimes lays on as well. She will go for days laying on the poster board and then not want it anymore. Her new thing seems to be the sheet - but then sometimes she just spends 30 minutes to nearly an hour rearranging it - can't figure out what she wants when she does this - she will bark and whine while doing it. I don't know whether to laugh or not during these times.

The other thing she is doing is suddenly, after a decade of sleeping on my bed, deciding to sleep with my daughter. She starts out on my bed, then cries when my daughter gets home and goes to sleep with her.

She is 12 years old, mostly blind, arthritic, and mostly a lap dog - but now a slightly crazy dog.

I would be interested in any thoughts anyone might have, as I watch her 'play' with her sheet yet again!

She has been to the vet - this is a new behavior since her last visit though. Two months ago she was attacked by a rabid raccoon and we are just finishing up a 45 day quarantine period. But I don't think this is related to the attack. She was up to date on her rabies shots, had always gotten her rabies shots so the vet said it was very unlikely there would be a problem there - and she had another rabies booster the day of the attack.

Guess it's time for another trip to the vet - just really can't afford it right now as I just paid the airfare for my son to come home from college for Thanksgiving and for my daughters prescription - she is uninsured. Hate to say it but with this economy my children's medical care takes priority right now. Just wish there was more money to spread around.

Hi Justjane2009! I'm sorry to hear your old girl is doing strange things. I agree with Gaye and Rebecca that it may be senility. My older aussie started getting up in the middle of the night and wanting to go outside and then just laying there in the yard when I took her out. This was a long time ago and I didn't know about doggie senility then. I probably should have had her put on the medication for it but I wasn't aware there was medicine for it. I thought my aussie was just too warm.

I understand about priorities money-wise. This is a tough time and you have to make tough decisions. Fortunately my vet recommended care credit for me when I had to have an expensive procedure done on one of my pets. Maybe you could check care credit out? http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/ Or you could ask your vet if he or she will take payments instead of paying for the whole visit at one time?

What's your dogs name? What breed or mix is she? I'd love to see a picture if you have one handy.

I have a 9 year old sheltie named Bud and a 7 year old sheltie named Gracie. Their pics are in my siggie.