How can you tell if a dog is senile?

My cockerspaniel is 16 years old. Sometimes if I go out to the garage and return, she sees me come in but yet will stand at the door and bark. I go to her, pet her and talk to her, she stops and follows me. There are times she barks while I am putting her food in the bowl, put it on the floor she stands there and looks at back. Again, I talk to her and guide her to the bowl, than she will eat it. One night she was standing at her food bowl barking and hitting her head on the cupboard door, and another times she just stands in the middle of the floor and barks for no reason. There are also times she looks at me as if she is saying "who are you?" Is she going senile or is this normal?

there is a condition called canine cognitive disorder and there is medication available.

one edit: see your vet.

have you asked your vet?

as my dog aged, and then went into what turned out to be kidney failure, he was pretty out of it. I'm not sure he recognized me, and looked kind of dazed sometimes. Lost his appetite, and just napped a lot.

Best thing is to check with your vet.

Thanks

and I would say she has lived long enough to have earned her senility. Does she see OK? I have been through this many times as we always have 3 dogs around and they have all died of old age. This sounds like senility to me. Sweet girl. She will need a little more help these days and some orienting on occasion. Check to see if she sees OK, she might have some cataracts and will need extra help there too. I had a lab who was senile for quite a long time before she finally died and I spent a lot of time just showing her around so she wouldn't get stuck in the corners of the house. Good luck, just spend a little extra time and go a little slower. Awwww, old sweetie.

I help her all the time, sometimes guide her to the food bowl, help her on the couch and bed and give her lots of hugs and kisses. When I open the door for her to go outside, I pet her and say it is okay you can go out there, she goes outside. She is still my baby and always will be, I love her. She doesn't have cataracts but a little hard of hearing.

When I take her for a walk, she walks half a block and I end up carrying her home because she just stops walking and doesn't or can't go any further. Poor baby.

The sad thing my other cockerspaniel is 17 years old, he reminds me of Mr. Magoo. He is funny, he doesn't bark at people or cars, just at airplanes and helicopters.

None of my other dogs did that----glad to hear she wasn't the only "air raid warden" dog in history.

afraid you might have thought I was being a little silly and maybe dismissive when I said she had earned it but I can see that is not the case. They are so sweet no matter what age or what the problem. Yes, it is so good to have them and we become every bit as devoted to them as they are to us so when they need help nothing is too much to have to do. The way you described her was so sweet. I love the Mr.Magoo story. They are lucky to have you.

My first lived to 17 1/2. I am not sure if it is senility or a loss of sense. Yes they lose sight and hearing, but as long as they are still enjoying life, take the chance to spoil them before it's too late.

My rescued cat will be 17 next month. She's got a thyroid condition (meds 2 X day) a heart murmur and doesn't always poop in the litter boxc, but she still sleeps on the bed and gets skritchies whenever she wants them.

(Golden Retriever/Lab mix so he's old for his breed) and he will stand and bark at nothing. Sometimes it is beause he hasn't bothered to check to see if there is food in his bowl (or he knows there is, but he wants something else. And he's on a strict diet for his diabetes which frustrates him.) Other times he'll do it when he has gotton disoriented - though that usually happens if he's in the backyard and has gotton "lost". When he first went blind, he would bang into things repeatedly, but his gait also changed, he became very timid while trying to find his way around. Since he's adjusted he does get around the house fairly normally and has learned to go around something if he bangs into it.

According to the vet, blind dogs usually cope pretty well as long as their sense of smell is still okay. And I will have to say, the dog does seem to recognize us by voice and scent.

Mine is aging (13) and it breaks my heart to see her slowing down but I adore her so all will be done to help her.