Can dogs get dementia?

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, also known as dog dementia, affects 50% of dogs 11 and older.

We all wish our dogs could stay as active and healthy as when they were puppies, but the truth is that just like humans, dog age. Just as older people develop illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, old dogs also are susceptible to diseases like Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD).

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, also called senior dog dementia, canine dementia, or canine Alzheimer’s disease, is a disease that can change your dog’s awareness, memory, and ability to learn. Physical changes in an aging dog’s brain cause behavioral changes.  The illness usually afflicts dog in their senior years. Research has revealed that 50% of dogs that are 11 and older are susceptible to dementia.

Recognizing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction warning signs

Many people discount changes in behavior as signs of aging, so how do dogs act when they have dementia?

Use this canine cognitive dysfunction checklist to monitor your dog’s symptoms. 

1. Your dog loses interest in you and his surroundings. 
2. Sometimes the dog’s sleep and wake cycles become unsettled. He has trouble sleeping at night and sleeps more during the day. 
3. Your dog finds it difficult to navigate familiar environments and can get lost on the same property where he grew up.
4. Sometimes the dog has difficulty hearing, and either doesn’t respond to your commands or takes longer than usual to respond.  
5. Nervous behavior. Your dog becomes unnecessarily anxious and apprehensive. He often is found panting, moaning, shivering, barking at nothing, or pacing.
6. Your dog appears disoriented and sits in a corner staring into space or at a wall. Sometimes, he even seems confused and stops while completing a task.
7. Changing affections. Your dog becomes overly attached or becomes less affectionate. Some dogs even become irritable and isolated.
8. Your dog begins to forget his house training and can no longer perform tasks that previously were easy.
9. Some dogs become lethargic and are unwilling to do anything, including playing with you, your other dogs, or your children.

Before you decide that your dog has CCD, take your dog to the veterinarian for a check-up and diagnosis. Other diseases can present similar symptoms. You need to determine whether mental or physical conditions cause your dog’s behavior.

Treatment options for managing dog dementia

Although CCD has no cure, there are still several things you can do to slow your dog’s mental decline and extend his life if he has dog dementia. Consider these canine cognitive dysfunction treatment options. 

1. Brain training for old dogs

Instead of allowing your dog to enjoy its old age lying around the house and become lax in disciplining your old dog, you can try doing regular brain training for your dog. Lifelong learning is beneficial for dogs as well as people. Cognitive biologists from a research institute in Vienna have proposed the use of simple tasks on the computer to do brain training for your dog. They recommend using touchscreen interactions combined with treats to motivate your dog. Challenging your dog with puzzles and interactive toys to slow down the mental decline associated with dog dementia.

2. Reorient your dog with a strict schedule

Stick to schedule time for everything from feeding, walking your dog, toilet time to bedtime. Keeping a tight schedule helps to reorient your confused dog.

3. Learn to manage your dog’s anxiety

If your dog is pacing or restless and can’t sleep at night, then as the pet owner, you should be able to know how to manage your dog’s anxiety either with aromatherapy, a walk to the park, the sound of the television or even soothing music. Another option, consider giving your dog CBD-infused treats to help him relax and sleep.

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4. Give your dog cognitive-enhancing diets

You can design a new diet for your dog with supplements like antioxidants, vitamins E and C, flavonoids, CDB oil, Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), Omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients that can boost your dog’s brain power. Talk to your vet about supplement choices. You can also buy food formulated for senior dogs that designed to help them with mobility and memory issues.

5. Selegiline

Selegiline or Anipryl is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) primarily used to treat CCD because it helps to improve brain chemistry and reduces the breakdown of a dog’s neurotransmitters and dopamine. You can try giving this drug to your dog under the strict observation of a certified vet.

Keep your dog sharp

1. Give your dog a balanced meal appropriate for his breed and age. Follow a diet plan that helps your dog strengthen his health.
2. Give your dog supplements like antioxidants that destroy free radicals that can damage your dog’s healthy cells.
3. Make sure your dog gets regular physical and mental exercise. 
4. Ensure that your dog socializes with other pets and people.
5. Keep your dog at a healthy weight. When dogs are obese or overweight, they become more susceptible to illnesses and diseases as they age.
6. Visit your veterinarian at least twice per year, regardless of whether your dog is healthy. A twice-yearly visit to the vet allows you to monitor your dog’s physical and mental changes as he ages.

Be prepared for dementia in senior dogs

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction is a severe dog disease, but if you observe the signs of dementia in dogs early, you can take steps to slow down your dog’s mental decline. Maintaining a strict treatment program and lifestyle can help extend your dog’s life.

Becky Holton is a journalist and a blogger at Mymathdone.com, UK assignment writing service. She is interested in education technologies, bestessays.com.au reviews, college-paper.org review, ukessays.com review, top essay writing services review, academized review, and is always ready to support informative speaking. Follow her on Twitter.

*DogsBestLife.com participates in the Chewy Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to let our site earn fees by linking to Chewy.com. 

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