Wispa’s waking in the night

A bit of a saga! Wispa had her annual booster and check-up a couple of weeks ago and I mentioned to the vet that she had been waking in the night for several weeks. She’s done it occasionally before, but now it’s every night - and I’m not good at having my sleep disturbed!

For several weeks I’ve left my grandson to let the dogs out before he goes to bed, as they go into the dining room to snooze near his computer when I go to bed and keep him company until he too goes to bed in the wee small hours. So I know they will have been let out about 1.30-2am (he keeps adolescents’ hours!) and yet Wispa barks at about 2.30-3am and sometimes again about 5.30am. Last week Tuppence decided she wanted to go out too, but soon came in again. After a couple of nights I didn’t let Tuppy out with Wispa but just told her to go back to bed and she hasn’t asked again.

Maybe the foxes disturb Wispa. She doesn’t rush out with any urgency, but has a good sniff around. However, when I went down to her a couple of nights ago and tried to break the habit by telling her to go back to sleep she was barking again as soon as I got back upstairs, so I gave in and let her out.

The vet suggested taking her back for blood tests and another check, which I did on Friday. Once again, although she barked when she got out of the car and in the waiting room, she greeted the vet with a very waggy tail and licks and trotted off happily to have her blood test and apparently co-operated really well.

The vet phoned today and said that the results were fine, but he wanted to put her on Vivitonin for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. Apparently it doesn’t have any side effects. He thinks it’s worth a try, as it may be a sign of a bit of senility...

Does anyone else have any experience of this? She seems well and the vet can’t find anything obvious, although I know she’s not as fit as she was.
 
One of my previous springers went a little senile in her later years and was prescribed Vivitonin. It helped her a lot. Barking and restlessness in the middle of the night was one of the symptoms. I think it’s called canine cognitive dysfunction these days.
Thanks, that’s helpful. The vet asked if there’s a light on at night - there isn’t once the dogs are in bed, as I hadn’t thought that they might need night lights!
 
How old is Wispa? You may remember that I struggled with Xena's middle of the night poops several months ago. On the advice of the forum I changed several things - dinner at 5 pm, followed by a short walk (weather permitting) after 7 pm. She now also sleeps in our room with the door closed. Occasionally she'll jump off the bed and whine and I just tell her to get back on. And she does.

Our situation is probably different to yours, but as somebody who had weeks of middle of the night wakings, I sympathise.
 
How old is Wispa?
She’ll be ten in November, so not quite an old lady yet but older than Xena. I’m trying to avoid having her upstairs at night, as it became a problem with our first dog many years ago when he was old. Wispa has never liked being touched when she’s asleep (she growls slightly, but that’s all), so that’s been another reason for giving her space too. I don’t relish sleeping on the floor so I don’t disturb her!
 
How did things go overnight Carol @Granca ?
No change yet, but she had only had one tablet and she’s on one twice a day. I suppose it may take a few days for the Vivitonin to take effect.
maybe Wispa has got into the habit of waking and barking and getting your attention?
That’s what I’d thought, although she probably knows that I’m not best pleased about being disturbed as, although she greets me enthusiastically, I ignore her and just let her out. I make a fuss of her when she greets me at the ‘right’ time!
 

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Just :hug: for both of you as the nightly getting up ritual can't be too good for either of you. Hopefully the meds will help.

I had no idea Wispa was 10 by the way - I figured they were both not that far from Carbon's age! So well done on the 'ageing like fine wine', Señorita Wispa!
 
Homer has woken me in the middle of the night on and off for years. Usually just to sniff the air, there are quite a lot of foxes and cats which like to use our back wall as a thoroughfare at night. I have become a really light sleeper so any noise we often get up to investigate. Hubby sleeps through it all.
 
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