My pup is 14 years old and, overall, pretty healthy. She’s always been quiet, well-behaved, and peaceful.
But about two years ago, she started acting restless. She stopped sitting with us, started waking up during the night, and began barking randomly. The vet thinks it’s likely CCD (doggy dementia), and we’ve been managing it mostly with gabapentin.
Lately, she’s been waking up super early and barking nonstop until I feed her. I know I’ve probably contributed to this behavior, but I’m not sure how to stop it now. I’d let her bark it out, but I live in an apartment, and I don’t think my neighbors would appreciate that.
Any tips on how to get her to sleep a little later?
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Even at her age, “barking it out” would not teach her anything new. When will she eat dinner? She is likely truly hungry. If she has an earlier dinner hour, you might divide it and serve part at her regular time and some right before bed. Another alternative is to use a timed feeder with a tiny bit to keep her going until her regular breakfast hour.
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I attempted a later dinner, but it didn’t seem to impact me.
She’s been doing this portion and timing for years and has never had an issue. Often slept far later. Now, she’s like clockwork at 5 a.m.
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It is most likely due to dementia. If you had the funds, a timed feeder would spare you the hassle. I don’t enjoy making assumptions on the internet.
Oh, and another reason could be excess acid in the stomach or excessive bile production. I’m not sure what it’s called, but contacting your veterinarian about acid reducer would help if that’s the issue.