The other day it became painfully clear that my 12-year-old black lab, Vida, has cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), or a cluster of symptoms that can indicate dementia.
I took both Vida and Moses to be photographed by Mark Bolles at his Geyser Road photo studio. My husband Steve gave me a gift certificate at Christmas for Mark to make a portrait of the two dogs together. Setting up for the shoot was hard because Vida seemed to forget the most basic commands like sit, stay, and down. These are all commands that she has known for years, and yet she just looked at Mark and me with confusion.
In the past year I have noticed some other strange behaviors from Vida. She stands by the back door until I let her out into our fenced yard. I watch her from our kitchen window as she slowly makes her way to my wheelchair ramp that takes her off the deck and into the yard. There are steps too, but she stopped using them several months ago. Once out in the yard, Vida seems to be in a daze, unsure of what to do next. Sometimes she simply wanders, looks disoriented and then makes her way back to the door and stands there waiting to get back into the house. When I open the door to let her in, she hesitates and then runs in as if she is not sure she will make it without the door closing on her. Some of my readers might remember how a couple of months ago, I wrote that Vida was acting nervous about getting into my van or getting through open doors. At the time, I thought she was simply picking up my nervousness about getting my wheelchair into the van or through automatic doors, but now I think these behaviors were all probably tied to canine dementia.
Dogs, cats, and their humans are all, on average, living longer. This longevity in dogs and cats is due to improved nutrition, veterinary care and better-educated owners. With longer lives dogs, cats, and humans are getting more old age diseases such as dementia, arthritis and hypertension. This column begins a three-part series on the aging process in our pets. This first installment focuses on dementia in senior canines and senior felines. What is dementia and is it common for pets to have it? What are some signs that your pet might have dementia? At what age can dementia be discovered? Finally, what can an owner do for a pet with dementia?
Dementia is mental deterioration in the elderly. It involves a progressive deterioration of memory, spatial orientation and temporal recognition. Dementia is sometimes referred to as "senility" or "Alzheimer's disease." Millions of dogs and cats have dementia in their senior years. There are some warning signs for dementia:
• Spatial disorientation or confusion--A cat might forget where the litter box is or a dog might feel trapped in a corner of a room. Some dogs with dementia will face a wall and stare into space.
• Altered relationships with their human or other animals in the house--A pet might not recognize his owner or the other animals in the house.
• Increased anxiety--a cat might
suddenly become anxious about
another cat he used to play with
or a dog with which he used to
sleep.
• Changes in sleeping patterns
The time of day or the length of
a nap may be altered so the
animal can sleep longer or more
frequently.
• Inappropriate vocalizations--A
dog may suddenly bark in the
middle of the night for no
apparent reason.
• Loss of memory--the pet may
forget commands or even
toileting rules.
• Changes in activity--a cat may
lose interest in playing with a
favorite toy.
• Lack of interest in food--A dog
or cat might turn up their noses
at food that previously had been
enthusiastically eaten.
• Decrease in grooming-- A cat
no longer grooms himself.
• Confusion about the passage
of time--A dog forgets he was
already walked.
If your dog or cat displays several of these behaviors, he might have dementia and you should consult your vet.
Determining when your pet could be considered a senior depends on his size and breed. For dogs, the smaller breeds generally live longer than the large breeds. In addition, on average mixed breeds live longer than purebred dogs. For cats, they can be considered geriatric between 8 and 12 years old. Siamese cats tend to live longer and Persians have shorter life spans. Aging is not a disease. It is a natural process, but it can pave the way for cognition diseases like dementia.
Understanding the normal aging process in dogs and cats can help to identify any unusual illnesses. The normal aging process involves a general slowing down, graying around the face and muzzle, hearing loss, muscle atrophy, and cloudy or bluish eyes. This change in the eyes can occur in geriatric dogs or cats. It is not the same as cataracts that can adversely affect vision. The cloudy or bluish eyes do not affect the animal's ability to see.
Dogs and cats with dementia can still enjoy life. Treatment might include food rich in antioxidants and vitamins, a stimulating environment with plenty of human/pet interactive playtime, and there are medications that you might consider in consultation with your veterinarian. It may also be helpful for a pet with dementia to have a quiet place somewhere in the house that promises peace and safety. Next week I will continue exploring the aging process in pets with a closer look at arthritis in senior dogs and cats.
In the past year I have noticed some other strange behaviors from Vida. She stands by the back door until I let her out into our fenced yard. I watch her from our kitchen window as she slowly makes her way to my wheelchair ramp that takes her off the deck and into the yard. There are steps too, but she stopped using them several months ago. Once out in the yard, Vida seems to be in a daze, unsure of what to do next. Sometimes she simply wanders, looks disoriented and then makes her way back to the door and stands there waiting to get back into the house. When I open the door to let her in, she hesitates and then runs in as if she is not sure she will make it without the door closing on her. Some of my readers might remember how a couple of months ago, I wrote that Vida was acting nervous about getting into my van or getting through open doors. At the time, I thought she was simply picking up my nervousness about getting my wheelchair into the van or through automatic doors, but now I think these behaviors were all probably tied to canine dementia.
Dogs, cats, and their humans are all, on average, living longer. This longevity in dogs and cats is due to improved nutrition, veterinary care and better-educated owners. With longer lives dogs, cats, and humans are getting more old age diseases such as dementia, arthritis and hypertension. This column begins a three-part series on the aging process in our pets. This first installment focuses on dementia in senior canines and senior felines. What is dementia and is it common for pets to have it? What are some signs that your pet might have dementia? At what age can dementia be discovered? Finally, what can an owner do for a pet with dementia?
Dementia is mental deterioration in the elderly. It involves a progressive deterioration of memory, spatial orientation and temporal recognition. Dementia is sometimes referred to as "senility" or "Alzheimer's disease." Millions of dogs and cats have dementia in their senior years. There are some warning signs for dementia:
• Spatial disorientation or confusion--A cat might forget where the litter box is or a dog might feel trapped in a corner of a room. Some dogs with dementia will face a wall and stare into space.
• Altered relationships with their human or other animals in the house--A pet might not recognize his owner or the other animals in the house.
• Increased anxiety--a cat might
suddenly become anxious about
another cat he used to play with
or a dog with which he used to
sleep.
• Changes in sleeping patterns
The time of day or the length of
a nap may be altered so the
animal can sleep longer or more
frequently.
• Inappropriate vocalizations--A
dog may suddenly bark in the
middle of the night for no
apparent reason.
• Loss of memory--the pet may
forget commands or even
toileting rules.
• Changes in activity--a cat may
lose interest in playing with a
favorite toy.
• Lack of interest in food--A dog
or cat might turn up their noses
at food that previously had been
enthusiastically eaten.
• Decrease in grooming-- A cat
no longer grooms himself.
• Confusion about the passage
of time--A dog forgets he was
already walked.
If your dog or cat displays several of these behaviors, he might have dementia and you should consult your vet.
Determining when your pet could be considered a senior depends on his size and breed. For dogs, the smaller breeds generally live longer than the large breeds. In addition, on average mixed breeds live longer than purebred dogs. For cats, they can be considered geriatric between 8 and 12 years old. Siamese cats tend to live longer and Persians have shorter life spans. Aging is not a disease. It is a natural process, but it can pave the way for cognition diseases like dementia.
Understanding the normal aging process in dogs and cats can help to identify any unusual illnesses. The normal aging process involves a general slowing down, graying around the face and muzzle, hearing loss, muscle atrophy, and cloudy or bluish eyes. This change in the eyes can occur in geriatric dogs or cats. It is not the same as cataracts that can adversely affect vision. The cloudy or bluish eyes do not affect the animal's ability to see.
Dogs and cats with dementia can still enjoy life. Treatment might include food rich in antioxidants and vitamins, a stimulating environment with plenty of human/pet interactive playtime, and there are medications that you might consider in consultation with your veterinarian. It may also be helpful for a pet with dementia to have a quiet place somewhere in the house that promises peace and safety. Next week I will continue exploring the aging process in pets with a closer look at arthritis in senior dogs and cats.
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