Our 11-year-old labrador, Wendy, has started to do some odd things. She barks at night and has started howling. She sleeps a lot during the day, but is up most of the night. She even went to the toilet in the house, which she’s never done before. What can we can do?
Mark, Armidale, NSW.
Answer: Wendy may have doggy dementia (or Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome). In fact, 50 per cent of dogs over eight show some signs of this condition. It’s caused by free radical molecules produced in the brain, which over time begin to cause damage.
There is a new food available, which has nutrients to help limit free radical damage and has been shown to reverse some of these ageing effects. Even so, first consult your vet about Wendy’s condition.
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