Let me just say, these supplements are AMAZING.
A few short weeks ago, I thought I would have to put my beloved Annie down.
She was having accidents in the house...sometimes 5 or more times/day.
I crocheted her a diaper, lined it with a pad, and tried to adapt that way, but it was difficult to see her like that.
She was having what I call "foggy" days...increasingly more "foggy" days than clear days. On foggy days, she'd walk into a corner and stare at the wall, unmoving, for ages. Or she'd get lost in the house or yard. She'd be unable to find the door to come in, or, when she did find the door, would stand on the wrong side, near the hinges.
She didn't appear to hear me when I called, and she didn't make eye contact with me. Sometimes she'd fall over...almost like she'd just forgotten that she was standing.
She would either not eat at all, or want to eat repeatedly...almost like she'd forgotten that she just ate.
She slept all day and wanted to pace through the house all night.
I googled these symptoms and discovered that she may have canine dementia. I googled "pills for canine dementia" and found a drug company, but the pills were way out of my price range. WAY out. So then I googled "nutritional supplements for canine dementia" and found out about choline.
I learned that choline helps with the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine...if you want to read about it try this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choline .
From there I found Cholodin tablets; supplements for dogs that contain choline and other minerals. They were only 10 dollars for 50 chewable tablets, so I figured I'd give it a try. It couldn't hurt, and maybe it would help.
I waited with bated breath for the tablets to come in the mail. They arrived within a few days; very quick delivery. I read the instructions; Annie is a small dog; she'd only need half a tab a day. I cut a tab in half, gave it to her. She spit it out. I tried again. She spit it out again. So I tucked the (by now soggy) tab into a lump of wet dog food, buried it, and gave it to her again. She ate it.
I did this every day for a week, and I started noticing changes.
Annie was no longer having accidents. In fact, she was asking to go outside...something she hadn't done for awhile.
Annie was no longer staring at walls, or getting "stuck" in corners.
I would have been happy with just that improvement, but now, a week later, there are more improvements.
Annie is more energetic. She wants to run, and play. She still has a slight limp, but she no longer topples over.
She wants to stay outside, even in the snow, and she wants to run in the yard. When I call her to come in, she responds...she RUNS to the door. Runs.
Her appetite has improved.
She is no longer pacing all night long.
Seriously, Cholodin has been a God-send to me and my little furbaby.
It was her birthday yesterday and she's either 19 or 20...I can't remember if she was born on Jan. 13, 1990, or 1991. Either way, she's acting years younger than she was only a few weeks ago; it's like I have my little friend back again.
I highly recommend this supplement for dogs. They make them for cats too.
I'm so happy with these tablets that I think I'm going to look for a human version. Perhaps if I add choline to my diet, I'll remember if my Annie was born in 1990 or 1991, lol.
If you do try this supplement on your elderly dog, please leave me a note to let me know how it worked for you. Just give it a few weeks first.
Good luck!
Here's Annie opening her Birthday Gift. Happy Birthday Annie!
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