We have a new addition. She’s sweet and loving and spent the last few weeks living alone in her former owner’s house after the owner’s daughter had to move her into a spare bedroom. The daughter didn’t have room for poor Casey and left her behind. She was let out once a day for a few minutes, but she was very upset and anxious to go from having a constant companion to noone at all.
When the daughter mentioned that Casey was on her way to the SPCA, I brought her home. It made me think - what do we need to do about pets of people with Alzheimer’s? What benefits do they offer? What are the drawbacks? Over the next few weeks, I’ll be talking about pets and Alzheimer’s patients. If you have a story or tip, please share it with us.
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My mother has alzheimer’s and has always been a pet lover. One of her pets was a yorkie. This pet had displayed signs of Cushing’s disease. Her vet had told her this several times as well as explaining the need for a proper diet and medication. Mom would forget before she even got home. This dog died. The next one is a chiuaua mix. Every time the dog even looks at her she wants to feed it. This small dog, which should weigh less than ten pounds, now weighs in at more than twenty pounds. It is fed ice cream, chocolate, candy bars, and just about anything but dog food. We have kidnapped her dog and it is now recovering. We are now the hated persons who took her dog. Strangely the Mom who cannot remember a single thing for more than a minute, cannot forget who took her dog.
Comment by James McCormick - February 1, 2007 9:53 pm
Hi James,
It sounds like you really didn’t have a choice-it was a matter of saving the dog’s life. Maybe if your Mom can visit with the dog frequently she’ll feel less angry. It is so frustrating to have all the good memories forgotten and it is somehow so much worse when an Alzheimer’s victim can remember the one point that makes them upset.
Katelyn
Comment by Anonymous - February 5, 2007 11:52 am