I have to admit that old age is affecting me at last. I am no longer the youthfl dog who would play tag with Mum and Dad up till a year ago. Maybe the house moves have affected me badly, but over the past month I have been getting very agitated and confused at night, and I started barking as soon as Mum and Dad were getting ready for bed. This would sometimes go on for hours as Mum tried to comfort me and get me to settle for the night. I would mention that my bark is normally rarely heard, and I save it for times when I am excited about going for a walk. I was already taking Diazepam to help me sleep but it was obvious that something else was needed. Mum and Dad spoke to our vet, and he agreed that the symptoms are from Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, similar to Alzheiner’s disease in elderly people. He has prescribed me a two week course of Selegiline, this is the generic replacement for Anipryl. The active ingredient is L-Depreny, which works in the body to help prolong productive activity of the neurotransmitter Dopamine. This is intended to help restore my highly intelligent characteristics and give me an enjoyable old age.You cannot buy memory but you can help keep it sharp. I will report back in two weeks.

“Kevin, stop it”, “Put your T-shirt on, Kevin”. These have been the conversations in our house for the past months since my allergy got worse in the warm weather. You might remember that Mum decided to try out a new supplement of omega fatty acids, which are essential for healthy skin in dogs. I have now been taking one spoonful of the supplement with my meals for just over two weeks. This weekend Mum realised that I haven’t been itching - and I have not had to wear that stupid t-shirt during the day. Early days still, but we are hopeful that the supplement is beneficial for atopy in dogs.

The latest idea for helping my allergy is a supplement of linoleic acid, which really means Omega6 Fatty Acid). This is an essential fatty acid for a dog but we cannot make it ourselves.
The symptoms of a fatty acid deficiency are pretty much the problems I have been suffering. They include dry, flaky skin, greasy dull coat and inflamed skin patches after the dog has worried at them. The solution we are trying is a blend of Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils that Mum bought at the local health food shop, I take a spoonful with my food each day. I gave been taking the supplement for ten days now, I will report on progress.