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Not so good news for man’s best friend.
While our furry companions may be living longer, they also face a higher risk of developing harmful conditions, like “dog dementia.”
And just like in humans, signs of one particular condition can get past the notice of even the most devoted pet owners.
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is a subtle yet progressive disease that affects the brains of older dogs.
Similar to human Alzheimer’s, CDS (also known as canine cognitive dysfunction) can affect your doggie’s memory, learning and other cognitive functions.
The signs are “very unspecific” according to one study, and can include a range of anything from changed social interactions to forgetfulness — similar to human symptoms.
But there is a handy acronym to keep track of and notice if your good boy is affected: DISHA. DISHA stands for:
- Disorientation in familiar environments
- Changes in interactions
- Sleep-wake cycle changes
- House-soiling
- Changes in activity levels
Aggression and anxiety are two more signs to keep an eye out for.
The sooner any of these changes are noticed, the better, as the condition can worsen in mere months. And while there’s no cure for human dementia or the condition in dogs, treatments are being created and tested to improve their quality of life.
One method involves diets enriched with healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids and medium-chain triglycerides are thought to have cognitive benefits by enhancing metabolism and reducing oxidative stress — even in doggos.
Other preventative methods include regular exercise, increased social contact, exposure to new toys and cognitive tasks like puzzle feeders.
Owners can also take steps to protect pets with severe dementia, such as blocking off dangerous areas of the home like stairs, taking more walks and using medications that have been cleared by the vet, like melatonin.
Like humans, the chances of dementia increase with age, with up to 35% of dogs over 8 years old affected and up to 70% beyond 15 years.
Your dog may be officially diagnosed with CDS if it meets established criteria on certain scales, including the Canine Dementia Scale, the Canine Cognitive Assessment Scale, or the Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Rating Scale.
One study of dogs 7 years or older found that nearly 66% showed cognitive dysfunction, with 11% showing severe dysfunction, using the CADES diagnosis.
However, researchers are still figuring out the best method to properly diagnose pups with the disorder, as no standardized test or biomarker exists.
There’s still hope for both dog and human treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s, as researchers from the Dog Aging Project believe canine companions are good animal models to better understand the brain.
“If [CSD] can serve as a large animal disease model for AD in humans, the translational power of future [canine] studies could significantly advance human medicine,” the researchers shared in a study.
