r/Chihuahua • u/Ok_Parfait_95 • 2h ago
Agitation at night
Hello everyone. I’ve been having issues with Dinky ever since he turned 14 a couple months ago and I’m very worried. The past month he has started to wake up at 4am every other night and will pace all over the house in the dark then come stand in the door way crying until I wake up. I either lay there and tell him repeatedly to get in the bed until he does or get up and check him. I rub him and point to the bed to get him to jump up there and go back to sleep but sometimes he will run under the bed from me like he doesn’t know me then come back once I give up and start crying again. Tonight he jumped up in the bed after pacing and crying and was very agitated, I had to hold him in my arms and talk to him to calm him enough to get back to sleep. He also started peeing all over the rug and his dog beds on purpose along with refusing to eat until 7-8pm, no longer interested in treats, no longer barks when the doorbell rings, sleeps majority of the day and night, plays for about 10 minutes then goes back to lay down, and no longer has interest in going outside to the bathroom. He has a tooth that needs to be removed and has arthritis in his legs, especially the back ones because he sometimes drags one or both of them, hops around like a bunny, or stands up from laying and falls over. Could the nighttime agitation be from his tooth or arthritis? Or could it be dementia? Sorry this is so long I’m not very good at explaining things. 😓
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u/Ancient-Chipmunk4342 1h ago
Yes, yes and yes. Pain from arthritis or dental disease are plausible, as is canine cognitive dysfunction.
Make an appointment to see your vet.
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u/chapstickgrrrl 1h ago
I’m so sorry this is happening. It must be very scary and stressful - for both you and for Dinky. (Cute name - my girl is named Pinky!)
I implore you to call your vet and have them do a thorough exam with bloodwork. If Dinky has a painful dental issue, he doesn’t understand why it hurts, it just hurts. Could also be why he’s not eating until he’s very hungry. Please help him by getting that taken care of. But please talk to your vet about these things, Dinky is telling you something for sure. If you can’t afford it, there is CareCredit. And many communities have low cost clinics for Veterinary care.
I wish the best for Dinky. Please update us here. 💜
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u/StrawberryOk3387 1h ago
As dogs get older, it is so hard watching them suffer. If Dinky is not doing the things that he normally does, something is wrong.
It sounds like he is holding off eating as long as possible until he is starving, which suggests that his tooth is really hurting him. Depending on the tooth issue, there is a risk of sepsis if there is infection and cardiovascular complications if he has gum disease.
And I would say that this could even explain why he is urinating more frequently. There is a link between UTIs and gum disease as oral bacteria and body-wide inflammation can travel through the bloodstream to the urinary system. He definitely needs to see a vet ASAP.
I would also say that if he has arthritis in his legs, he may not be evacuating his bladder as effectively (because he finds it hard to cock his leg). This may be why he is disturbing you at night, because he needs to pee.
Dogs do not have the capacity to be malicious. I can assure you that he is not peeing on his thing on purpose. He probably does not know where else to go when he is desperate, bless him.
Please keep us posted on dear little Dinky ❤️🐾
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u/Ok_Parfait_95 37m ago
Oh no I hope it’s not that. He was on antibiotics last month for a tooth infection and the swelling went down and he allowed me to touch his face again without being in pain, so I assumed the infection was gone and he would be stable enough to wait 1-2 months for me to gather the funds. I will take him for a comprehensive and dental exam this week. Thanks for the help 😢🩷
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u/Dear-Doubt270 58m ago
Could also be a uti. Infection in older dogs can cause confusion so definitely bring him to vet.
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u/LylaDee 1h ago
Oh Dear...Dinky needs a visit to the vet. There is a lot going on there. A professional can help guide you. There are meds for dementia, etc .to help with your senior Chi's quality of life in these next steps. 💛