[katy]

Have you tried liquid melatonin under the tongue? I really, really think that might work. Wish I had thought about it when Charlotte was still here.

[katy]

Christine, I had a dog like that. Have you tried Anipryl? Or liquid melatonin under the tongue? Anipryl does take several weeks to kick in.

My biggest piece of advice, though, is to not let anybody make decisions for you about Tia – on this site or otherwise. You will know when it’s time to help her along to the other side, if you need to. Nobody else is there with you. Go with your heart when she’s ready and when you’re ready.

Hang in there.

[katy]

Lena –

Re: My thoughts on melatonin a couple months back. I discovered it does come in liquid form. For those whose dogs don’t seem to respond – maybe try putting the liquid form under their tongue.

I know I could have dropped it under my dog’s tongue, if I had known it existed. It did not take affect in my dog’s digestive track.

My thoughts go out to all of you going through this with your dog.

[katy]

Lena –

I am still following these posts even though my little girl is gone. I think of Charlotte often and wonder what I could have done differently. I pose this question to help others now dealing with this.

I am wondering what you think of the sublingual type of melatonin for dogs. It occurred to me that since older dogs digestive systems don’t absorb nutrients and drugs very well, perhaps if one could spray the melatonin under the tongue as a sublingual – people might have better success with it working for their dogs. I’ve never used the spray (only sublingual tablets) on myself, but know that it gets in the system faster. I imagine it’s the same for dogs? Might be worth trying for those who are running out of options.

My other question is… Can people be given valium shots/syringes to take home to inject their dogs so they all have a restful night? Or can the injectible valium only be given by a vet or vet tech?

I my heart goes out to all of you who are struggling with doggie dementia.

[katy]

One of the things I was told when I was looking for a solution to my dog Charlotte’s pacing all night and distress was that her body could not absorb the valium or the melatonin. And there seems to be a pattern of these dogs not being affected by sedatives. It had something to do with their digestion. I was told something like that. Perhaps you can shed light on this problem, Lena? I would have kept my little dog going if I could have soothed her but it all stopped being absorbed/metabolized or something.

My heart goes out to all of you dealing with this. It’s very emotionally and physically draining from the lack of sleep.

[katy]

Lena – I had my sweet little dog put to sleep this morning. Thank you again for your thoughts on the matter. The decision was easier and the guilt greatly lessened with your experience in the mix of the advice I was getting. The odds of her bouncing back were so miniscule and she was suffering greatly. I know it now especially since the house is so quiet without her here. I had gotten so used to the sounds of her distress. I did right by her.

Thank you again for your honesty.

Katy

[katy]

Lena – Thank you for your speedy and thoughtful response.

My little one has been eating raw rabbit. And I did have her on metacam until her anipryl dose was raised then I took her off it. Perhaps the metacam was calming her. Our vet suggested benadryl instead of valium for sedation. I think I should have gone straight to the valium. At this point, concern over drug interaction isn’t really a issue for me, unless it makes her more anxious.

I gave her melatonin tonight, no anipryl today, and added back the metacam. She’s sleeping sound for the moment. But that can change at 3 in the morning.

I am grateful for your input. You have confirmed what I know in my heart – that whatever progress she makes, if any, will be fleeting.

Aside from the unbearable, awful stuff, it’s the few seconds of the wag of her tail and her hearty appetite that tricks my mind into thinking she’s still in there. But the reality is, those bits of her left, are just bits. Most of my sweet little dog is gone. I already miss her terribly even though her heart is still beating.

I wish she’d go on her own. The guilt of euthanizing is just another layer of awful.

Thank you for this blog. I did take comfort in reading other posts. Certainly, I am not the first, nor will be the last to go through this.

Wish I were stronger for her.

Katy

[katy]

(Sorry I realized I started a new topic without meaning to. I guess the following should go here as it’s on the dementia topic.)

I have an old girl whom I adopted as an old girl. Only been with me 5 years. She has horrible dementia now. Spins in circles until she falls. I haven’t seen her walk straight in weeks. She cries- or should I say screams – at night. She’s starting to do so during the day now. On the positive, she does have a voracious appetite. But I have to hold her in place so she can eat. She is about 25 pounds. She was on 5 mg of selegeline (anipryl). When her dose was doubled the symptoms seemed to have gotten worse. The anxiety, the spinning, the screaming… It’s heart-wrenching.

I guess I’m looking for a miracle. Is there something I’ve missed? She wears a sweater and harness. I’ve not tried the ginko, the fish oil in a while, and all the other things.

I feel like I screwed her up with doubling the dose of selegeline. But her life wasn’t that great before that either.

Am I being selfish holding on to her? What more can I do? Dr. McCullough, have you ever seen a dog – not recover – but improve to better quality of life after living like this for several weeks?

I’d appreciate any advice.

I know it’s inevitable, her death. But I’d like to give her every opportunity to bounce back to a bit of her old self. But most truthfully, I don’t want to feel the excruciating pain of her passing.

Thank you.

[Author]

Posts