Wednesday, September 9, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Dementia
in dogs
After a lifetime of excited
tail-wags, devoted compan-
ionship, and playing ball,
it’s no wonder your senior
dog is beginning to show his
age. Maybe his hearing has
declined and his muzzle has
grayed. Maybe his coat has
begun to thin or maybe he is
slow to rise and not as spry
as his younger days.
Natural aging can change
appearance, decrease mobil-
ity or dull the senses. If your
older dog’s personality has
changed, he may be expe-
riencing something much
more serious than the usual
signs of aging. If Fido seems
confused, distant, or lost,
he may be showing signs
of Cognitive Dysfunction
Syndrome (CDS).
More and more dogs
are living into their senior
years and, just like elderly
humans, pets can suffer
from a type of dementia.
With neurological signs
similar to Alzheimer’s dis-
ease in humans, CDS in
dogs is caused by physical
changes in the brain and its
chemicals. And according
to Donna Solomon, DVM at
the Animal Medical Center
of Chicago, it is a disease
that involves the degenera-
tion and loss of nerve cells
within the brain of older
pets resulting in behavioral
changes.
Does Fido wake up in the
middle of the night and pace
back and forth? Or does he
sometimes seem disoriented
when trying to find the dog-
gie door?
Due to the changes in
your dog’s brain you’ll
notice a deterioration of
how your dog thinks, learns,
and remembers, which may
cause behavioral changes
that can disturb the lives
of both you and your furry
family member.
According to the book
Decoding Your Dog, by
Steve Dale, the signs of
CDS can be remembered is
by the acronym DISHA.
Disorientation —
Such as being confused
or getting lost in familiar
environments.
Interactions with humans
and other pets have changed
— such as changes in affec-
tion, or irritability.
Sleep-wake cycle
changes such as increased
sleep during the day or wak-
ing during the night.
Ho u s e t rai n i n g an d
learned behaviors may
deteriorate.
Activity levels alter and
even include aimless wan-
dering or even compulsive
disorders such as excessive
licking.
If you suspect that your
furry friend has CDS, make
an appointment with your
veterinarian. Many people
don’t mention their dog’s
changes to their vets, believ-
ing it is just “old age,” but a
combination of a number of
the above symptoms are not
normal to the aging process
and options are available to
help treat or control CDS.
There are also many CDS
symptoms shared with other
serious medical conditions.
For instance, decreased
activity could be a sign of
advanced arthritis, and if
your dog isn’t paying atten-
tion as he once did, it could
be a result of hearing or
vision loss, and incontinence
could be from a serious uri-
nary infection or kidney dis-
ease. So it is important to
let your veterinarian elimi-
nate other conditions before
9
photo by Jodi schneider McnaMee
That strange behavior may be more than just a sign of old age.
making a diagnosis of CDS.
Although there is no cure
for CDS, there are multiple
treatment methods to try to
improve your dog’s quality
of life. Helping your furry
friend cope with CDS and
considering his needs when
it comes to your home, its
surroundings, and the envi-
ronment, are the key.
Try to keep your dog
awake during the day as
much as possible so he can
sleep easier at night. Try
exercising Fido for 30 min-
utes a day. Try not to change
or rearrange furniture.
Increase mental stimulation,
which might include food
puzzles, interactive toys,
extra grooming, doing tricks
and encourage learning new
ones.
Eliminate clutter to cre-
ate wide pathways through-
out the house. Encourage
gentle and involved short
play sessions.
And please remember
to have a daily routine for
feeding and walking. Dogs
thrive on routine.
Keep your patience and
compassion. Your furry
family member’s world has
changed, but every effort
should be made to show him
that your love, respect, and
pride of his past and present
abilities have not changed
and never will.