As I continue through common geriatric issues in pets, I thought it was important to hit on one that many of us have experienced within our families on the human side: Cognitive Dysfunction. I feel like most people have been affected by Alzheimer’s Disease or similar neurodegenerative changes in aging family members. But most people don’t realize that dogs have a similar issue. While signs in people are more obvious due to our ability to converse, many of the same issues affect our doggie family members as this disease progresses, mostly with a degeneration of learned behaviors and unusual changes in daily routines.
In Alzheimer’s, the pathology behind this degeneration is formation of protein plaques within the brain that block nerves and affect memory and behavior. The same protein plaques are seen in dogs. Another common similarity is that these plaques start in older age and progress and time goes on. While other brain issues have also been noted in both diseases, this is the most prevalent.
In canine dementia, the first things to go are usually learned behaviors. Certain training starts to slowly go out the window. Complex commands, such as retrieving specific items, are met with confused stares and just happy wags. Progressively, more and more commands can become lost to them. Many people get frustrated thinking they are being obstinate. But the reality is that they simply don’t know what you’re talking about.
From learned behaviors, the degeneration then continues into passive behaviors, such as daily routines. Appetites can change that they no longer eat at the same time of the day. This can lead to changes in their elimination schedule. For those that work, this means coming home to messes in the house. Again, they aren’t being obstinate, they just think this is the normal time to go and, mentally & physically, can’t hold it anymore.
Behavioral changes are next. Some dogs actually become happy with age. In people, this is a matter of life seeming more simple and just interacting with their favorite people brightens their day. However, as on the human side, their can be negative behavioral changes as well. People can become grumpy to downright mean as their dementia progresses. There is also a recognized condition called “Sun-downers” where people become depressed and angry as twilight approaches. No one is sure why this happens, but we see this in dogs too. As the day comes to a close, they can become anxious, fearful, or stand-offish.
In extreme cases, the degeneration progresses to the point where the dog’s personality is just gone. They begin pacing around the house, circling, or just staring into corners. It’s tragic to watch and this usually means they will stop caring for themselves. They will continue to whither away until families must make painful decisions.
Like Alzheimer’s, there is little to nothing we can do. While some medications have come out that still get touted as having some benefit, I have not seen positive results with any of them in the 20 years I’ve been using them. Like with humans, owners must make changes in their lives to accommodate these changes in their pets. Your veterinarian can help you with ideas for positive adjustments that will help both you and your dogs.