Bulldogs World

Our sweet, recent addition to our family is an 11-year-old bulldog.   I was going to give a ton
of background FIRST---but---LOL----if you're like me, sometimes ya just don't wanna read a REALLLLY long post----so I'm
gonna start by just asking---what have YOU done for an elderly doggie who doesn't seem to have  a MEDICAL reason
to bark (on & off) ALL. NIGHT. LONG.   It is getting MUCH worse, too!  Tonight, my nerves are shot & my head hurts SO badly, I'm afraid it's about to explode.  He is barking SO
loudly, about every 5 minutes or so.  SOMEtimes, he'll go outside, look around, bark at nothing, come back in...

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Many times, he does need to potty, which is fine---of COURSE an 11-year-old is going to bark to go potty more at night...
no problem!  (by the way---he has NEVER gone in the house---WOW!  I wish I could say that about our naughty personal doggies!!!)   
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But tonight, he'll just stand there and BARK and after seeing if he wants water or to go outside, I just pet him and talk
to him a few seconds, then gently escort him back to his comfy bed.  Five minutes later----BARKING again!  We are
getting NO sleep. 

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We try to relax him with massage, which he loves--and he was also recently started on Rimadyl for arthritis.  I also rub his ears at the same time, in a circle (as I do to our other doggies),
which he loves, too. I read a while back that simultaneous ear rubbing releases relaxing hormones.....so he loves it and is quiet, but
five minutes laterrrrrrrrr......BARK BARK BARK!  ( I need someone to rub MY ears now!!! ROFL!!)    

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Poor fella......I'm no expert, but as I said, I assume it's just dementia??? We would LOVE some sleep, but tonight it's not
happening!  

I also gently took him to the guestroom and put his extra-thick, cozy bed & blankie in there with him, pet him a bit, gave him a treat
and a toy, and HOPED he'd sleep.  I hated doing that to him, because I know he wants to be in our room with the
other 2, but.....we have to sleep sometime!!!      
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Well, he was quiet in the guestroom for a little while, but then the barking became MORE frequent and LOUDER! 
 I had to let him out, poor guy!  
I also thought maybe he's hungry and offered him food--many nights, that calms him and puts him to sleep.....nope, not tonight! 
(P.S...he was underweight when he rescued us a couple months ago, so we feed him whenever he wants, and are SO happy
he's gained a little wieght!) 

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Then he barked at the door for the millionth time to go
out, which he ALWAYS does-----but this time, he looked frightened and wouldn't go out.  It was SO sad to see him
so afraid of nothing   .......Please tell me
ANYthing you know about this!  His vet visit was just last week, if you wanna see the results of that below. 

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We recently took him to our personal vet a week ago,
because our main worry is that he's in PAIN.....not only from just being 11, but he does limp.  The rescue has a sketchy background on
him, but they think it's an old ACL injury that was never corrected????  Our wonder-bull vet, who we trust COMPLETELY, says he does
NOT think he's in constant pain (thank Goodness!), but started him on Rimadyl, plus I asked him if he thought some chondroiton/
glucosamine tablets might help, as I've seen it help other peoples' elderly doggies.  Vet said "sure", but didn't seem to have a lot
of confidence in those. 

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Vet said his heart and lungs sound good, no lumps or bumps, and his CBC looked good.....sooo, not medical issues.....

HELLLLP!!!  I appreciate ANYthing y'all can tell me!!