This morning I was reading an article on the dangers of dog parks and go to thinking about old dogs. Can canine dogs also get Alzheimer’s? Interesting question for some internet research. Little Wet Dog does the digging so you get the full scoop on the story!
Personal story
I can only imagine Sunday staring off into the air, spacing out at a blank wall, or just looking out the glass door at the sidewalk. Ohh wait… she already does!!! Space!! The final frontier! These are the voyages are the spaceship little wet dog prize. Its continuing mission… it’s continuing mission… ummmm…. What was I writing about?
WHAT IS IT?
Dogs can get Alzheimer’s too!
The official terms is Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, an “…age related deterioration of cognitive abilities characterized by behavioral changes in dogs that cannot be wholly attributed to general medical conditions such as neoplasia (cancer), infection or organ failure. “
HOW TO TELL IF YOU DOG HAS DOGGIE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE:
- Getting lost in corners of the house. Unless you your house is a 6000 square foot mansion with trap doors and hidden rooms, your canine companion should know the in’s and out’s in the day or night.
- Ignoring the owner or care giver or mommy or daddy. This means ignoring them when in fact the dog used to listen. It does not include dog who have never listened in the first place.
- Dogs who get stuck behind furniture and can’t find their way out
- Starting to have accidents in the house, when once the dog used to be trained. Please have your veterinarian check for infection first.
- Wandering aimlessly through the neighborhood. This does include the dual aimless wandering with care givers at companion animals side. Sometimes you both just want to wander around and relax.
- Forgetting how to walk up and dog the stairs. Being too lazy to do so and demanding that he or she be carried is not a symptom – is just purely being spoiled.
IS IT NORMAL?
No! Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome is not normal and could be due to palque in the cerebral cortex, faulty neurotransmitters, too many free radicals, or too much MAOB in the brain.
ACCORDING TO THE PET CENTER, DETAILED SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:
- Disorientation
- Wanders aimlessly
- Appears lost of confused in the yard or house
- Gets “stuck” in corners or behind furniture
- Stares into space or at walls
- Has difficulty find the door
- Does not recognize familiar people
- Does not respond to verbal cues or name
- Appears to forget reason for going outdoors
- Decreased or Altered Response to Family Members
- Solicits attention less
- No longer stands for petting (walks away)
- Less enthusiastic greeting
- No longer greets owners
- Abnormal Sleep/Wake Patterns
- Sleeps more in a 24 hour day
- Sleeps less during the night
- Decrease in activity
- Increase in wandering or pacing
- Loss of Housetraining
- Urinates/defecates indoors
- Signals less to go outdoors
STATISTICS:
- Large dogs usually live 8 to 10 years
- Small dogs usually live 12 to 14 years
- Some dogs these days live to around 18 to 19 years
- Around 65% of dogs between the ages of 11 and 16 have at least one major symptoms of cognitive dysfunction
WHAT TO DO?
The best thing you can do for your loved one it do take him or her to see a professional veterinarian. The doctor will make the professional judgment on how far along the illness in. In some cases the care giver may want to give Anipryl (not recommended by the Little Wet Dog). The new drug is still experimental and costs around $2 a pill. In some cases, depending on the stage of the deterioration, it may be most humane to euthanize the animal rather than prolong the pain and agony of old age.
SUMMARY:
Think about it this way, you could compare doggie Alzheimer’s to people Alzheimer’s. Both types of patients can start to forget people, start to forget how to do thing, and may even lose bowel control. Would you ignore the problem with Grandmother June and would you ignore it with Fido or Sparky? Would you ship them off to a home without care? Would you seek the professional medical attention they deserve? The choice is yours care-giver…
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