CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Oldies (Over 9s) => Topic started by: mezzamo on October 05, 2017, 11:57:26 PM
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Sorry bit of a long post! Romeo is nearly 12 still full of beans and very active but he has been displaying some weird behaviours. When out on walks he will spend ages neurotically removing debris ( sticks, rubbish etc) from puddles and streams, literally submerging his whole head to get to them. He has always been my shadow and suffered from separation anxiety but if I'm not giving him attention he will now literally cry none stop and frets if I go out if the room for a minute even though he's with the rest of the family and his obsession with food has gone to the extreme, he will steal anything he can get hold off,scavenges constantly and if there is food on the side he will sit staring and crying at it. His behaviour in the last 12 months just seems to have intensified and not sure what the cause is as in general he's a very fit and happy dog just getting more strange as time goes by.
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Sorry to hear this, it must be distressing for you. Older dogs can suffer from dementia even when they're still physically fit, my first GSD used to get very confused in his old age and there have been several threads on here recently on the subject. Perhaps a word with your vet might shed more light? As long as Romeo's still physically fit, he can still enjoy a good life, with a few adjustments, but I'd advise a medical check up first of all, to try and pinpoint the cause.
All the best!
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My last girl, Rosie, had issues when she reached approx 14 y/o - the first sign I realised something wasn't quite right was when she would stand at the hinge side of a door waiting for it to be opened, apparently that is quite a common sign of 'canine cognitive dysfunction'. There are a lot of really helpful articles online about this and there is also medication that can help if needed.
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It's weird he's doesn't appear confused more like he's got OCD. Once he's emptied the puddle of debris he's happy to carry on playing or if we move the food or he gets it he just gets on with things. Maybe he's just going to be eccentric in his older years bless him.