. . . . and what’s more, be kind to me.

guarding Mum’s sandals

Did you know that dogs can have dementia? It came as a huge surprise to me the last time I took Millie to the Vet. She has been behaving very strangely recently; although she is as sweet-natured as ever, she has developed unusual quirks and at times she is hard to live with.

I think I’ve mentioned before that she has been suffering TIAs, in full: " transient ischaemic attacks”, or mini strokes. She usually recovers completely within a couple of hours. I first notice that something is wrong because she starts scrabbling about without being able to move from the spot where she’s lying. She becomes agitated, her head turns first this way then the other over her shoulder, left and right , left and right. She tries her legs, wanting to get up, maybe to escape? Her hind legs simply won’t work, they tremble and twitch and after a while she gives up. By then I am usually on the floor beside her, stroking her, calming her, reassuring her. Acc. to the Vet there’s nothing else I can do, just wait for the attack to abate and see what happens afterwards. Twice I’ve called a fireman out to carry her downstairs when the attacks happened upstairs.

Being Millie, a greedy labrador, she usually wants food and drink within a few hours, and she also totters outside for a pee, still none too certain of her legs. These attacks happen maybe every two to three weeks.

As in humans, TIAs eventually bring on dementia. Millie is 14 years old now, a very good age indeed and I must prepare myself for a serious decline fairly soon. In the meantime there are these strange behaviour patterns. Again, as in humans, the dog with dementia is often confused, not entirely certain of her surroundings. The other day, while we were out for a very truncated walk, she greeted complete strangers like long-lost friends and followed them into a house. I can call her until I am hoarse, being as deaf as a post, she does not react at all and I’ve got to run to catch her by the collar. Going to the village shop yesterday she suddenly decided in the middle of the busy road that she wasn’t going to cross over and just stopped dead. As we had just reached the part where the road abruptly changes direction we were not visible from either side and in genuine danger of being run over by anyone coming round the sharp bend. I asked a lady passing by for help, by pretending to hold a treat out to Millie and walking backwards towards the pavement, while I shoved from behind. Millie was utterly put out when she realised we had played a trick on her and refused to let me tie her to the post outside the shop for ages. I had to drag on her lead until she almost choked. It is really quite distressing. I shan’t take her into the village again, she has the castle grounds right outside several of our garden gates; there she can dawdle and sniff and pester visitors to her heart’s content. Most of them stroke and cuddle her. “Aw Bless”, they say, and “how old is she?” and “isn’t she friendly?"

Changing circadian rhythms is another symptom of dementia. A dog may have been the most peaceful and amenable creature up to the onset of dementia - again exactly the same as in human sufferers - they will now decide that nighttime is for exercise, not sleep. At least once in the night, sometimes twice, Millie will wake me and ask to be let out. I have to get up and open the back door because I don’t want to risk “accidents”, which have actually happened several times. Luckily (eh?) she decides to use the kitchen and scullery for her nighttime toilet habits, here I can pick up after her easily (you know the thing where you stick your hand in a poo bag and grab) and washing and disinfecting the floor is no big deal. Sometimes I think she is deliberately being obstreperous, she may have been for her last outing at midnight - I go to bed late - having had every opportunity to empty herself then, but, no, she waits until I am fast asleep.

And yet. She is as affectionate and sweet as ever, she loves her food, her little walks, meeting her special friends (she can smell treats in another dog walker’s pocket from a long way away) and is usually calm and peaceful. I cannot possibly have her “put to sleep” while she appears to be happy and contented. It’ll happen soon enough.