Canine Cognitive Dysfunction sometimes referred to as Canine Cognitive Syndrome is effectively dementia in dogs.
Yes, our dear companions, often best friends and members of our family are dogs. Our canine buddies offer unconditional love, are never judgmental of us, notice none of our flaws but offer affection and camaraderie to our lives. Even on our worst days, our canine friends don't notice but are there to lift us up. Rather, they remind us that we are special and bring sunshine amidst darkness. In fact, perhaps they know us more than most.
But what if we begin to notice changes in them? Could it be Canine Cognitive Dysfunction or doggy dementia?
It is real, Canine Cognitive Dysfunction/Syndrome or what I refer to as doggy dementia can occur as dogs age. Dogs can exhibit similar characteristics to those dementia symptoms of humans. However, it is easy for us to overlook their cognitive decline because there are no obvious verbal cues in speech or forgetfulness as with humans.
In fact, doggy dementia can begin slowly with only mild symptoms that very gradually, worsen and expand. Also as with humans, there is no cure for the disease but prevention of CCD and slowing of CCD is possible with good habits and healthy living.
But, let's back up and understand why doggy dementia can easily go unnoticed.
Because dogs don't communicate with us in words there is no association with speech errors or evident forgetfulness. However, dogs who are experiencing cognitive dysfunction may begin to act in strange ways, such as forgetting where they are, or getting "trapped in places", like behind a couch, and are seemingly unable to find their way out. They might also forget where the door is to go outside.
Their behavior may become more clingy or they may become more aloof, a behavior that is a departure from their usual behavior. How they interact with you may become increasingly different from their usual behavior and the differences more pronounced as time passes.
They may begin to soil around the house rather than indicating their need to go outside.
One might notice changes in their sleep patterns, like waking during the night or becoming irritated and anxious as night falls, equivalent to human sundowning symptoms.
In fact an acronym for canine Alzheimer's symptoms is DISHA and is a helpful checklist used to diagnose the disease. DISHA stands for, Disorientation, Interactions, Sleep/Wake Cycles, House Soiling and Activity and Anxiety. Read more in this article from the Cornell Canine Health Center.
They good news is that though dogs can and do develop dementia, they can still live content and happy life. Like humans, a healthy diet, lots of activity, games and exercise are excellent ways to help prevent the onset of the disease but also ways to cope with the disease if you see evidence of cognitive decline. Keep in mind that keeping a routine that your dog knows is helpful and comforting.
Naturally, if you have concerns about cognitive decline in your pet, take your dog to the vet for a check-up. There could be other reasons clinical reasons for changes in behavior which your medical professional can assess. If your beloved canine has dementia, your vet will be able to discuss more strategies and ways to cope and ways for you to to support your dog and make them comfortable.
The great news is that through advances in veterinary care and dog nutrition, our pets are living longer but with that comes some of the inevitable challenges of the aging process and also cognitive decline.
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Domenico Praticò, MD, holds the position of the Scott Richards North Star Charitable Foundation Chair for Alzheimer’s Research and serves as a Professor and the Founding Director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple, as well as a Professor of Neural Sciences at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
For more information on the research conducted by Dr. Domenico Pratico, please visit this link.
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Stay updated with the work happening at Dr. Domenico Pratico's lab by visiting the Pratico Lab website.
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