Go to your vet and get some modern pain medication would be my first advice.

Pain, aching pain that you can't get away from, can make you crazy. Sometimes the dog is moving trying to get to a different place, a place where it doesn't hurt.

You can't fix dementia, but you can really modify pain with these new drugs.

Lori, thanks for the link, I will have a look at that tonight...

Sheila, I know you are right, the girl would run through fire to get to the scent, rather like me, she can't accept she is knocking on a bit, and can't do everything as easily as she did a few years back, but I am going to have to save her from herself, and find different ways of burning off that endless energy. I can't bear the thought of her in pain, so will suck it up and get some solutions to the problem.

Betty, I will make an appointment with the vet this week, if she recommends non steroidal meds, I am thinking I am going to need some gut protection too?

Thanks everyone.

I don't know much about the new NSAIDS, just that they really really really work. Powerful.

My experience with old dogs is that they don't "like" any sort of "mind bending" medications. IE oldsters are often made more nervous by tranquilizers, sort of a paradox, as if the dog fears a loss of control.

I'll be really interested to see what your vet comes up with.

Keep us posted, Tracey. Sounds like your dog is going through the same things we experienced in our previous dog's, Tasha's, final years. It also appeared to be a combination of arthritic joints and dementia. That, combined with her declining vision and hearing made her a lot more jumpy as well. Hope you are able to find some meds that will ease her pain and help her relax some. Such a tough thing to watch. We found it helpful to not give up on the exercise but just made it more gentle. Hope she gets to experience a nice easy retirement for a few years.

Thank you Greg

It is really hard to watch BonBon get old, of all my dogs, she is the one with the most independent spirit, and complete joy for life, she has a great big smile on her face the whole time she is coursing the fields, but I am restricting her for her own good with the field work, and doing some hide and seek round the house too, of course the other blunderbusses are joining in with that, so that brings it's own problems

I am off all next week, and have got her in with the vet on Monday, do we will see what's what then.

The vet has confirmed Bon has arthritis in both hips and her front left paw, and after the consult and observing her in the clinic, she agrees that thee is a good chance of onset senility, the blood panels have so far ruled out any liver/kidney anomalies, and the other results for electrolyte and potassium levels etc will follow in the next few days.

She is on http://www.norbrook.com/products/loxicom-15mg-ml-oral-suspension-for-dogs
and I will continue with Yumove; I have done a search for contraindications with Loxicom, and it doesn't suggest I can't use them side by side.

The vet doesn't have any concerns about the various lumps and bumps, the small ones on her back legs are fatty tissue, and the large lypoma on her ribs hasn't got any bigger, so I am very relieved about that.

Pretty much old dog issues, which makes me sad for myself as much as her, but I am happy that with pain relief, she has got a good few years in her yet!

I got her a new, cosy bed today, and put it in front of the heater, she is struggling with getting on the sofa, and when I put this down, she got straight in and crashed out, this is the most relaxed I have seen her in weeks!

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I'm glad to hear the vet doesn't think it's anything too serious other than some of the common "old dog issues." It can be hard to watch our wild young pups grow old, but I know Bon will be loved and pampered by you, Tracey!

I had to laugh at the photo of her snuggled up in her new bed. I looked at that for a couple moments before I realized there was a dog in there! All I thought I was seeing at first was a big pile of fluffy blankets. That is definitely a happy, comfortable dog!

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

I had to laugh at the photo of her snuggled up in her new bed. I looked at that for a couple moments before I realized there was a dog in there! All I thought I was seeing at first was a big pile of fluffy blankets. That is definitely a happy, comfortable dog!

LOL! I had the exact same thought. Looks like that big, fluffy, new bed was just the ticket for the old girl. Bless her heart, and yours also, Tracey. It sure is tough watching them age right before our eyes.

 Quote: Greg Meyer

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

I had to laugh at the photo of her snuggled up in her new bed. I looked at that for a couple moments before I realized there was a dog in there! All I thought I was seeing at first was a big pile of fluffy blankets. That is definitely a happy, comfortable dog!

LOL! I had the exact same thought. Looks like that big, fluffy, new bed was just the ticket for the old girl. Bless her heart, and yours also, Tracey. It sure is tough watching them age right before our eyes.

I know, she blends in with her surroundings doesn't she? The pain meds have certainly kicked in, and she is like a bean doll instead of a roach backed bag of bones for the first time in weeks, such a relief

Thanks both