Dementia, or Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDDS) is a condition that can develop in dogs as they age. Their memory, learning and awareness may be affected. While we still don’t fully understand why it happens or how to treat it, there are many ways we can support affected pets.
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How can I tell if my dog has dementia?
Common symptoms associated with CDS can be put into several general categories:
Disorientation
Affected dogs may seem confused, get lost in familiar areas or fail to recognise familiar people. Some owners describe their dog often staring into space or at the wall. They may also forget learnt commands and struggle to learn new ones
Social interaction
How a dog interacts with people and other animals may change. This may be disinterest or could manifest as increased aggression, including barking and snapping
Sleep-wake cycles
CCDS can affect normal sleep-wake cycles, meaning affected dogs may spend more time in the day sleeping and get up frequently in the night. They may pace, pant and vocalise.
House-training
As house-training is a learned behaviour, they may start to forget this and urinate/defecate inside the house, or ask less frequently to go outside to eliminate
Activity
Some pets may wander aimlessly or appear to be pacing, be slower to obey commands and may perform repetitive behaviours that they haven’t previously
Anxiety
Dogs may be more fearful, and develop new phobias. Owners may notice they are more clingy and have trouble being separated from them
It is important to remember that similar signs could be caused by other issues. This means underlying organ changes, endocrine issues and neurological issues may also be looked into.
When should I go to the vet?
Get in touch with your vet if your dog’s behaviour becomes distressing for themselves or you. As mentioned above, some of the symptoms owners may see could be due to another underlying cause. The vet may want to run some tests (like urine and blood tests) to rule out anything else.
What can be done?
While we currently cannot treat CCDS, there are things we can do to help.
Home changes
- Having a regular routine can help with anxiety
- Allow dogs more opportunities to go outside to toilet
- Make sure all exercise happens during the day, and keep stimulation in the evening to a minimum (particularly in dogs with an affected sleep-wake cycle)
- Provide opportunities for mental stimulation, like playing with them regularly or feeding them in a puzzle feeder
Relearning
As some dogs will forget learnt behaviour, it may be useful to teach them things they’ve forgotten. Teaching a dog with CCDS requires time and patience, and lots of high quality, very tasty rewards!
Supplements
There are supplements available that aim to support brain function. They are likely to contain anti-oxidants and medium-chain triglycerides (a type of fat known to help with cognitive function).
Medication
While medication is unlikely to be the first port of call for most cases, down the line they could be useful in managing some of the symptoms associated with CCDS. Propentofylline can help to increase blood flow to the brain. Selegiline can help remove harmful biochemicals from the brain, as well as to prolong dopamine activity in the brain. Dopamine depletion has been associated with cognitive dysfunction.
What is the prognosis like?
There is no cure for CCDS but the earlier the dog is seen, the better the outcome is likely to be. Ultimately, if quality of life is affected beyond available treatment options, euthanasia may be recommended.If you are concerned your dog may be affected, do get in touch with your vet. Also, check out this useful evaluation tool developed by Purina.
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