Canine Cognitive Dysfunction of the Elderly Dog
Posted By Nancy Houser on March 21, 2009
“Dog Dementia is simply another state of mind for the elderly dog. We have a choice to become part of their world or remain as a willing outsider until the very end.” – Nancy L. Young-Houser
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The more we are around the old dogs here at Rainbow’s End, the more we see similar characteristics between human and dog dementia, a field I personally have been involved with throughout my entire life. The very first job I had was at a care-home in Lexington, Nebraska, when I was 16-years old. That was before they had fancy names like “retirement homes” or “assisted living homes” to make something of the same quality sound just a tad’ bit fancier. We had an old pulley elevator which required us to pull on a chain beside the door, allowing us to haul things from one floor to another. Difficult at best with all the laundry done and the meals cooked in the basement. Sigh. Memories of caring and respect for well-deserved people of dignity.
I remember walking a tall elderly lady down the hall while holding onto her hand. She had dementia and would see in her mind imaginary holes in front of her, leaping across them unsuspectingly as we meandered up and down the halls, nearly tearing my arm off every time she would take off. Now I look back with humorous remembrance at the situation that probably was not as funny as I remember it now. Here at the farm, we have elderly dogs who exhibit this same sort of behavior. This is properly referred to as “canine cognitive dysfunction” or more simply put—”dog dementia”, “old dog syndrome”, or “dog senility”. We don’t consider ourselves smart unless we put a half-mile label on something pretty simple that has been around since the beginning of time. Trying to impress the world, I guess.
DOG DEMENTIA MORE RECOGNIZED TODAY
Similar to people, dog dementia is becoming more recognized and prevalent in today’s times as our animals are living much longer due to better nutrition and advancing medicine. Besides, many house pets are more stagnant than they used to be, which means less danger in their lives. Hunting, tracking and finding critters was what many dogs were originally bred to do, not to sit in front of the television all day for company while the master is gone. But unfortunately, the lives of such dogs were less in years due to the danger and inadequate care.
SYMPTOMS OF DOG DEMENTIA
Symptoms of disorientation, memory loss, confusion, and personality changes are all part of a dog getting old. And when our dogs develop these things, we simply work with them accordingly. When ol’ Popcorn forgets she is outside, we simply go get her. When Barbie—our elderly miniature American Eskimo—forgets she was outside and wants to go outside again, we let her. And when Buttons, the little rat terrier wants to go outside by herself without the other dogs, as she suddenly becomes afraid, we go out with her so alleviate the fear. The next day, she will run out with the girls, not remembering she was fearful the day before. Every day is a challenge in itself in the minds of our dogs, requiring an awareness that needs to be almost acute at times.
Over the years, we have just learned to work with each one of them and their individual conditions. Right now we have 32 dogs here, with most over the age of ten. How we treat each one of them depends on their personality, their condition, and who they are. There is no right and wrong with dementia, just keeping them safe and loved. We cannot become angry at something beyond their control and by doing so, we need to take a hard look at ourselves and look at where our anger comes from. Is it because we have memories of a loved one with dementia, or fear it will occur within ourself? Many reasons are at the root of anger and frustration, and the old dog standing in front of you is never it.
FOODS TO ALEVIATE DOG DEMENTIA
Dogs who are becoming senile or have dementia are recommended to be placed on a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, while having a vet prescribe a drug called Anipryl, or selegiline. This is a medicine which affects the attentiveness and sleep-wake cycle of the dog within 30 days. It alters the dog’s concentrations of brain chemicals, while also altering their behavior as an improvement.
In October of 2003, six years ago, a study was done through the University of Toronto where old dogs were placed on a diet rich in antioxidants–Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and beta-carotene—actually performed better on a variety of cognitive tests than dogs not on the diet.
“Although we found that not all cognitive functions respond to antioxidant treatment, our data suggests that antioxidants play an important role in preventing or slowing age-related cognitive impairments,” said Dr. Dwight Tapp.
RECENT DOG STUDIES ON ELDERLY DOGS
A recent study in the University combined several therapies with the diet of elderly dogs: one group was fed a regular diet with regular experiences; the second group was fed a regular diet while being treated with enriched experiences; and the third group was fed an enriched diet while being treated with enriched experiences. And as we all know, group three did the best in producing “statistically-significant” benefits in their ability to learn things as compared to elderly dogs on a regular diet and regular experiences. This proves that elderly dogs who lose their ability to learn new things and acquire new information, suffering from short-term and long-term memory lapses, can be taught new tricks with proper care.
SUMMARY
For individuals who cannot bear to see their elderly pet age in front of them, the medicine is an option to allow more quality time. We see senility a natural aging process, respecting that we will all pass to a much better place at one time or another. I had Pete, a Wyoming vet of ours, ask me, “Nancy, what is more important to you—quality time for the dog or quantity time for you?” This has become our philosophy as we continue on our journey with these elderly dogs–remembering that our quality of life with the dog is much more important than the length of time we have with them.
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- Prose: An Elderly Man and His Dog
- Latest animal research shows sharing of human cognitive skills
- Learning About the Old Dog’s Teeth
Nice post, very educative.