Dementia In Dogs
Posted by charlene on March 31, 2009
People often ask me if dogs get senile like their human counterparts.In a word, yes! Pets are living longer, thanks to better nutrition and medical advances. I have had several dogs who have developed dementia,or CCD(canine cognitive disorder.) It resembles Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Jon Bowen, a veterinarian at the Royal Veterinary College in England answers an owners question : we have an 11year-old Labrador called Andy that has started to do some very odd things. He sits in a corner of the room and stares at the wall for long periods of time, wakes up in the night barking and howling, and recently has taken to urinating in the living room behind the sofa where he sleeps. Otherwise he seems healthy. What’s wrong with him and can we do anything about it? Dr. Jon Bowen explains the symptoms very well and offers some steps that owners can implement to help their old friends. He states: Dogs can suffer from a form of dementia that closely resembles Alzheimer’s disease in human beings. Common signs are confusion, loss of learned behaviors,such as housetraining, and an increased nervousness. Affected dogs may appear insecure, demanding or disobedient. Senility is probably the cause of a dogs uncharacteristic behavior but you also need to consider his general health. Common age-related illnesses such as arthritis and cardiovascular disease can exacerbate senility. The good news is that senile dementia is treatable in dogs. There are commonly available diets and food supplements that contain ingredients such as fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, vitamin E and l-canitine that have been proved to protect brain cells and reduce the signs of senility. Typically, improvements are seen within a month of starting treatment. For more severely affected dogs there are drugs that help improve cognitive function. Your vet will advise the best treatment.
I agree 100%. Dogs that used to be euthanized due to dementia are now given a chance to enjoy their senior years. If you have an older dog who is showing unusual behaviors, talk to your vet. Holistic vets are well versed in supplements to help your old friend. You can go to www.onlynaturalpets.com and find many good supplements to help your older dog. I use their Whole Food Antioxidant Blend as it contains alpha-lipoic acid as well as green tea extract and resveratrol which has been proven to help the cognitive abilities in people.
I always enjoy how owners are finding ways to help their pets. If you find that this supplement helps the quality of your older dog, please let me know!
