My elderly dog is losing weight and pacing. Could it be dementia?

Question

My dog is over 15 years old. She’s become quite thin in last few months and continually paces throughout the house. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 15 years and 4 months old | 15 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

It is great that Penny has lived to be 15 years old! It does however sound like she is having some major aging issues going on. I always recommend having geriatric dogs examined by your veterinarian to make sure there are no medical issues that need to be addressed. It may just be that Penny is getting older and slowing down but there may be something else underlying going on. Dogs can also develop canine cognitive dysfunction, which is a lot like Alzheimer’s in older people, where they become confused and restless especially at night. There are medications that can help with this as well. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck with Penny!

My elderly dog is losing weight and pacing. Could it be dementia?

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