Zeus is a big boy and his Mom lived in a little house

Published: Sat, 09/27/25

Updated: Sat, 09/27/25

ZEUS

+Zeus had sundowner's syndrome

Zeus is 12-1/2 years old now.

He's a Great Pyrenees that came to live with our family when he was 2- years old. He came from a shelter and journeyed from Colorado to Texas and then to New York over a 3-day period. He only weighed 61 lbs when we arrived. Now, 10 years later, he is a 100 pound loving, devoted and communicative addition to our home.

Zeus never had any serious medical issues until April of this year. At that time I noticed that every night between 12:30AM and 2:00AM he would start pacing, panting and breathing heavily. It was also evident that he wanted me to help him. He was very anxious and would paw at my leg to get my attention and look at me for help. This occurrence lasted approximately 3 to 4 hours.

This was every night.

And once it started between those hours it went on for 3-4 hours.

Every single night.

You get the picture.

I visited the local Veterinary Clinic. He was diagnosed with sundowner's disease.

“Sundowners syndrome in dogs is part of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), also known as "doggie dementia." It's a recognized medical condition, not just a normal part of aging. As dogs live longer, this condition is becoming more prevalent, with studies showing a significant percentage of older dogs experiencing some degree of cognitive dysfunction.

Symptoms often include changes in activity levels, personality, and sleep-wake cycles. Dogs may sleep more, play less, become reserved or fearful, and struggle to sleep through the night, leading to pacing during odd hours. This nighttime confusion is why it's often referred to as sundowners syndrome, similar to how it presents in humans.”

READ DR. KHALSA'S ARTICLE ON CDS HERE

+ I was not interested in drugging Zeus.

The doctor recommended medication to calm the dog and allow him to sleep at night. I sought information from the Internet regarding the prescribed medication and found that it could have serious side effects on Zeus especially on his organs. I provide Zeus with vitamins and home cooked meals as I was not happy with the suggested drugs. I wanted an alternative to this medication.

I contacted the company where I get some of his his herbal therapies. They recommended consulting with Dr. Deva Khalsa.

Dr. Khalsa recommended Vitamin D, along with the homeopathic remedy Arsenicum Album for Zeus.

At first the episodes lessened with more lapsed time between them, then totally disappeared.

We lowered the dosage schedule of the homeopathic remedy over time.

Zeus now sleeps comfortably through the night without any symptoms. His awareness and ability to communicate has improved in a way I never expected. Zeus taps me on the leg when he wants me to do something. All I have to do is follow where he is going. It may be to go out, or he's too hot and wants the fan turned on. Zeus barks if he wants to get into the bed at night, telling me that I should move over to give him room to jump up. His tail is back to wagging in the air and he is a happy, well balanced and even smarter dog.

Who would have thought that it would be that easy with some vitamin D and the correctly chosen homeopathic remedy. Dr. Khalsa knew just what to do!

Sleep is a wonderful thing and now I am getting plenty of it!

Note from Dr. Khalsa: Many older dogs ARE deficient in vitamin D [actually D is a hormone and not a vitamin!] and you can read my article on vitamin D below. Arsencum album is not a generalized homeopathic remedy for Doggy Dementia. When you choose a remedy one of the things the homeopath notes is time of aggravation. In other words, if there is a specific time that a problem sets in during the day there is often a remedy that correlates with that time. And the symptoms of restlessness and anxiety also 'fit' the picture of the remedy Arsenicum album.

Dr. Khalsa's article on Vitamin D deficiency

THE MOST EXPERT ADVICE IN HOLISTIC HEALTH FOR DOGS AND CATS

www.doctordeva.com

Deva Khalsa VMD

DeservingPets, 1560 S Myrtle Ave, Clearwater, FL 33756, USA

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