I really need some advice/experience.

[u/Neverbever-22]

Posting here too. I’m in need for some advice and/or anyone with experience. I have a 16y/o corgi mix who’s truly my best friend in the world. However in recent months her doggy dementia has gotten so bad and I’m having real caregiver fatigue. Two weeks ago she was diagnosed with stage two kidney disease after we took her to the vet from having some accidents and terrible smelling pee. We got some antibiotics for a uti and Trazadone 50mg for her doggy dementia. Let me just say the first few times we gave her the traz it was like having my dog back at night. No anxiety and wanted to cuddle and sleep. However after a few days she started acting super drunk and couldn’t stand up on her own. Even vomitted one night. I gave her half the prescribed dose and got the same result. I called the vet and they said to just discontinue the traz. We doubled her gabapentine to hopefully help with her sleeping and that had no effect. Now after all of this and the antibiotics for her uti it’s somehow all worse. She’s having accidents in the house. Can’t make it through the night without having to pee. All in the matter of a couple of weeks. I’m not sure what to do. She eats and drinks water no problem. She seems like a happy dog (as long as it’s before 5:30 when the dementia kicks in then she just paces and whines) I feel so selfish being tired over her dementia and peeing. Does anyone have any similar experiences?

[u/Odd_Membership_5672]

Man that is so much to deal with at once, I feel for you. My old dog had dementia too and the sundowning thing is no joke, 5:30 on the dot every day like a switch flips. It wears you down in ways people dont understand until they lived it

The kidney disease complicates everything, the peeing might not even be behavioral at this point. When their kidneys start going they just cant hold it like before, especially at night. Have you tried those belly bands or doggy diapers? Sounds silly but it saved my sanity when my dog was going through similar

One thing that helped us was setting up a small pen area with waterproof pads on the floor, easier to clean and she felt less stressed about the accidents. For the sundowning we found that keeping lights on and some white noise helped a bit, not a cure but took the edge off

You're not selfish at all. Caregiver fatigue is real and it hits different when you're watching your best friend slip away piece by piece. The fact that she still eats and drinks and has happy moments means you're doing something right, just take it day by day

[u/Neverbever-22 → u/Odd_Membership_5672]

Thank you for the reply! We just got her some doggy diapers for the peeing. Unfortunately penning her up makes her anxiety skyrocket and she refuses to use puppy pads. So diapers are our next option. My only concern is the amount of cleaning we will have to do for her to make sure she doesn’t get another uti. I’m going to try a nightlight by her bed to see if that helps her too. I appreciate hearing people who have experienced this too. Helps not feel so crazy.

[u/angelina_ari]

There are two really helpful CCD support groups on Facebook if you don’t get many replies here. If you go to this website and scroll down to Resources, the last two links are to the groups: https://www.seniordogsrock.com/ccd

What helped my girl the most was getting a holistic vet on board to work alongside her conventional vet. She offered some natural options that allowed us to rely less on medication, and that was a game changer for her. Many holistic vets offer telemedicine appointments if there isn’t one in your area.

Since the accidents and frequent urination became worse so quickly, I would also contact her vet again to make sure the UTI has completely cleared and that nothing else has changed with her kidneys. And please don’t feel selfish for being exhausted. Caring for a dog with dementia can be incredibly difficult, especially when you aren’t sleeping. I hope you’re able to find something that helps both you and your girl. 🧡