Do dogs go senile?

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foxy1

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My elderly staffy has been behaving very oddly lately almost like an old lady with dementia.

She has very uncharacteristicly been messing in the house, randomly ripping bags apart (not bags containing food) ripping up books and newspapers, been very snappy and grumpy with my other dogs and stealing things which she has never ever done.

It's like she is completely different dog.

Any ideas?
 
Could well be something similar to dimentia. Forget what its called but my uncles elderly JRT has been diagosed by the vet with something similar. He is physically fit and healthy but gone in the head. Wanders about the house looking lost, will sit and stare at things for hours, toilets in house and just looses the plot, spent an hour barking at the sideboard the other day, could not be distracted even with food.
 
Yes they can my lurcher did she went right back to being a puppy. But she was also starting to be dangerous to herself even after the medication to slow it down, so even at 13 she was physically healthy but mentally shot away. She was getting really distressed so we had to have her put down. Sad day but it was the right thing for her. She was cutting open her paws scrapping at the floor, and trying to get into spaces a hamster would have problems with.

Not nice to see. Get her to a vet asap, they can give meds to slow it all down.
 
Sadly they do - Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) or 'Old Dog Syndrome'. It sounds similar to what you're describing, but it is only diagnosed when a vet has ruled out other causes of your girl's signs. There are drugs available, but their effectiveness really depends on the individual. Good luck, hopefully you find something that works for her.
 
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