[paul l]

Our 13 yo pug Bella is deaf/almost blind. Won’t sleep at night. Has had bloodwork done and urinealysis. all is great. still has great appetite but is always begging for food. Her food is Solid Gold Hunerflocken with Lamb. Is there a better food for senior dogs that may quench her appetite.

[Anonymous]

I have a 15 year old small breed dog that is constantly hungry too. I took him to the vet for a senior workup and his blood work came back better than mine.
Anyhow, I suspect he has a little dementia going on, he sometimes gets up at night and goes to the kitchen, barks at the fridge.
The vet told me these small dogs often have some spinal degeneration issues which can cause them pain/discomfort. He does have these episodes of agitation…..but often he just needs to go out. The vet prescribed something for his discomfort that he gets twice a day and this has helped. He is calmer now.

I feed him 4 small meals per day, a mix of wet food, kibble soaked overnight in water in the fridge doubles in size so he thinks he’s getting more, maybe a bite of cooked chicken.
I add a little water too, as I rarely see him go to his water dish.
He did well on Wysong Senior, but is getting Nutrisca now (wet and dry)

The other thing I give him is a combination low dose of a supplement and otc med at bedtime (approved by his vet).
I am reluctant to tell you what I use, I would prefer that you talk to your vet and have him prescribe something that will help keep your dog comfortable. Your dog just had a physical that ruled out medical, so it shouldn’t be a big deal if you leave a message for your vet to call you back to discuss options.

Some dogs tend to get confused and agitated as they age.

[Susan]

Hi Paul, can you add in a extra meal like wet tin food as a meal or a cooked meal like chicken & rice or chicken & mashed potato is filling & feed 4 smaller meals thru the day… I feed at 7am 1 cup kibble, 10am he has a treat Canidae life stages biscuit, then 12pm sometimes 1/2 cup of soaked kibble or 1/2 can of wet tin food, if I haven’t had time to soak the kibble…. 5pm 1 cup of kibble that I soak in water till kibble is soft then I drain all the water very well & put thru a blender & 7.30pm 1/2 can wet tin or 1/2 cup soaked kibble again, then 9pm another Canidae biscuit… this seems to keep Patch content, I found when I feed more smaller meals on time & I soak his kibble, he stopped whinging & wanting food….
Have you tried Canidae Lamb & Rice it has 457Kcals/cup… where the Solid Gold Hunerflocken has only 365Kcals/cup…Canidae also has their wet tin foods but watch the fat % as some wet tins are high at 7.50% fat…. there’s their wet tin “Platinum” 4.5% fat for seniors also the Platinum kibble but only has 342Kcals/cup
http://www.canidae.com.au/dog-food/canidae-lamb-rice

[Anonymous]

PS: If she is doing well on her current food, I wouldn’t change it. Just soak it overnight in water and mix with a little wet food. Smaller and more frequent meals should help.

Her reasons for wanting to eat all the time may be related to boredom or confusion. Don’t forget to ask your vet about medication to keep her comfortable. Good luck.

[DogFoodie]

I think it’s possible that the insomnia could be the result of the blindness.

[paul l]

Thanks to all who responded. Bella and us have been sleep deprived for many months. She is excellent during the day. Only at night does she have heavy panting and whimpering. She sleeps with us which adds to the problem. She is on a mild sedative prescribed by our vet as we are running out of ideas. But that is not helping either. She doesn’t appear to be in pain but who knows. Feeling very frustrated for our beautiful Bella.

[Anonymous]

Heavy panting, whimpering could indicate pain or anxiety. Does she have difficulty walking? A lot of older dogs have arthritis. Various aches and pains.
My dog now sleeps about 4 hours at night, the good thing about a prescribed dog pain med is the side effect of sedation. See if your vet thinks it would help? The goal is to keep her comfortable.

[Anonymous]

This article is 5 years old, but I thought it might help http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=3189 See excerpts (out of context) below

Waking at night may occur for reasons other than cognitive dysfunction, such as pain or discomfort. Dogs who are feeling discomfort may pace, pant, vocalize or be restless at night but may not show any physical limitations during the day. The effects of pain or sore muscles may be more noticeable to the dog at night.

Melatonin may help create a normal nighttime sleeping cycle. This supplement should be given at bed time on a regular basis. Combined with a predictable nighttime routine, it can help create a normal sleep pattern.

Pharmacological Treatments

Sometimes medications may be helpful to induce sleep. Benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety medications) such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), or oxazepam (Serax) may be given. These medications are relatively quick acting but don’t last long so administration must be timed carefully. Medication should be combined with other recommendations described above.

Generalized anxiety may be reduced with medications such as SSRI’s or TCA’s but these medications require many weeks before positive effects are seen. Cognitive dysfunction symptoms may be reduced with selegiline (Anipryl), which when given in the morning may help to keep the dog more alert and active during the daytime. Old age onset of anxiety may reflect the additive effect of lifelong learning or be a sign of progressive decline from cognitive dysfunction.

Expected Outcome

Nighttime waking may be caused by medical or behavioral changes common in senior dogs. Often these problems may be managed and good sleeping patterns can be re-established, though many of the underlying conditions may be persistent and worsen with age. Quick intervention is important since undesirable habits may form quickly and people may become frustrated when they sleep deprived.

[Author]

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