Any EFFECTIVE treatment for older dog anxiety??

[Lusoluv]

My friend and I each have older dogs going through similar anxiety episodes - mostly at night. Her dog is a 15 yr old 14 lb terrier male, and I have a 20lb, 13 year old female spitz-type dog. We’re going through similar episodes at night: pacing, whining, digging under the couch, shaking and restlessness. Neither of us are getting much sleep these days.

Everything we’ve read about Sundowner’s/dementia/general elder dog anxiety doesn’t offer much promise. We’ve both had our dogs to the vet recently and they tell us the same thing as we’ve read online. We’ve tried:

• Thundershirts
• Regular exercise
• Melatonin
• L-Theonine
• Omega 3 fish oil
• CBD oil
• Benedryl
• Crating (both dogs grew up crated as young dogs, both now panic at the sight of it)

Friend’s vet suggested Anipryl, though side effects to liver are a concern. Is there really nothing else we can do but try prescription meds like this or Xanex with significant side effects, not to mention the doping/tranq effects?? Trying to keep my sanity and patience with my poor doggy - I know it’s not her fault! Daytime behavior is essentially normal. HELP!!!

[Lazy_Palomino_Hunter]

Selegiline (Anipryl) was going to be my suggestion; it has a good track record of helping dogs with age-related confusion/anxiety.

You might consider pairing the Selegiline with liver supplement like Denamarin to offset the additional load it puts on the liver.

[Chall]

How about night lights? Maybe inability to see clearly is contributing to her anxiety.

[Lusoluv]

Thanks for your suggestion, Chall. We do have a nightlight in our bedroom because I usually get up once to answer Nature’s call Guess I could install another one, but here’s why I don’t think that is the answer. My dog’s 2 favorite places to sleep:

Night time: she sleeps under our king size bed on her fuzzy blanket. Not sure if she’d even see if we added another nightlight unless we put something under the bed near her.

Daytime: under our living room couch. It’s an older couch with skirting, so underneath is dark. Couch sits on hardwood floor so dog crawls under couch to sleep/wait if we go out during the day to run errands, etc. She’s done this since puppyhood.

At night she will get up and follow me to the bathroom. I do turn on a light there. She doesn’t seem to respond pos/negatively to it and quickly follows me back to the bedroom. So not like she’s trying to hang out in bathroom where it’s brighter.

I do appreciate folks’ ideas! Keep 'em coming.

[Saskatoonian]

Nothing to add other than handing you a virtual cocktail. Went through this last fall. Valium helped my little old lady to relax, but then she was unsteady. It was such a balancing act.

[Lusoluv]

Thanks, Sask. I assumed that the lack of responses was due to what I found while searching the topic online: there is nothing new or more effective out there than what I’ve already read about My dog still has more good nights than bad. So hopefully we can all keep our sanity and rest at a manageable level for not. My friend’s dog…not so much. At some point quality of life will be the deciding factor - which it is tough. Thank you.