What is sundowning in dogs?
Cheyanne Schimmel
2025-07-15 16:38:37
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A senior dog might have Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome — also referred to as “sundowner syndrome,” “old dog senility,” or dementia in dogs — a common syndrome that is categorized as a slow, degenerative and progressive disorder in aging pets. If your senior dog seems confused, restless, or irritable after dark, they may have sundowners syndrome. As a dog succumbs to the process, they may experience changes in their awareness, decreased responsiveness to normal surroundings, and increased signs of anxiety that usually worsen in the night hours. Many behavior changes seen in senior dogs like confusion, wandering, getting stuck, barking, and obsessive licking are symptoms of this disorder. That said, the symptoms of sundowner syndrome can be lumped into a few general categories: Disorientation, Anxious Interactions, Alterations in Their Sleep-Wake Cycles, and Behavior Changes. The exact reason for sundowners in dogs is unknown, but it is thought that the body’s normal degenerative and age-related changes contribute to the cognitive dysfunction.
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