Older chihuahua barking all night - tried everything!

[Karen]

Hi everyone. We have a 13 year old chihuahua that is crate trained and has slept just fine up until a few weeks ago. Last week we put him on heart meds because his congestive heart failure was becoming more of an issue (common in older dogs, from what our vet tells us). All he does is whine and bark until my wife or I sleeps on the couch with him, or we let him sleep in our bed with us (which we would rather him not do because he's on diuretics and might have an accident). We try not to give in, but this goes on for hours and he is keeping our neighbors up and we are getting zero sleep. I'm also afraid he's agitated or going senile and I'm not sure what to do. We've gone back to the vet about this and he suggested we try Benadryl and Xanax. Neither worked. We've also increased his exercise, but because of his age and health, he doesn't like to go on long walks we push him about as far as he can go. We also have one other chihuahua that is his companion, so we've also tried taking them out of the crates and having them lay together but that doesn't help either. Is there anything else we can do?

What time of day does get his heart meds, and when does he eat?

[ben]

What time of day does get his heart meds, and when does he eat?

Morning (7am) and evening (6-7pm) for both the meds and food.

Also, the whining/barking at night was happening before he went on the meds. We were hoping they would help alleviate some of the poor little guy's issues and help him sleep better. He's been on the medicine for about a week and a half and while his bpm and energy is a bit better, the barking at night seems to only be getting worse.

[Karen]

Morning (7am) and evening (6-7pm) for both the meds and food.

Also, the whining/barking at night was happening before he went on the meds. We were hoping they would help alleviate some of the poor little guy's issues and help him sleep better. He's been on the medicine for about a week and a half and while his bpm and energy is a bit better, the barking at night seems to only be getting worse.

Can you tell what he is barking at, or what triggers it? Sorry so many questions, but this is one of those puzzles that can have different solutions!

[ben]

Can you tell what he is barking at, or what triggers it? Sorry so many questions, but this is one of those puzzles that can have different solutions!

No, thank you for your time! It seems to be at nothing in particular. He'll be laying in his crate for 30-60 minutes and then he starts whimpering. That quickly turns into a bark. We've tried ignoring it and it escalates into hours of barking, just the same as if we are stern and consistently tell him "no".

[Karen]

No, thank you for your time! It seems to be at nothing in particular. He'll be laying in his crate for 30-60 minutes and then he starts whimpering. That quickly turns into a bark. We've tried ignoring it and it escalates into hours of barking, just the same as if we are stern and consistently tell him "no".

Oh, dear, it sounds like it may be neurological, can you ask you vet about the possibility of a mild sedative at bedtime? (For everyone's sake!)

[Taz_Zoee]

You say he stops when you sleep on the couch with him or let him in your bed.
I would get him a belly band (like a doggie diaper) and let him sleep with you.
Given his illness and his age, I would make him as comfortable as possible.

Good luck!

[Karen]

Hmm, thanks, Cindy - that brought something else to mind - maybe a "thunder shirt" or its equivalent will help with his anxiety? Might be worth a shot, even if it is just a made-do version of a snug-fitting t-shirt put on at bed time - with his size, you might as a friend with a baby if they have a spare one you could try.