OLDER PET…SHE'S
FORGETTING EVERYTHING! COGNITIVE
DYSFUNCTION.
By Zoe
Forward, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (canine/feline)
Does it seem
like your cat is having “senior moments” such as forgetting where she is? Is your dog gazing off into the horizon or
forgetting which side of the door to go out of?
These are signs of cognitive dysfunction. Other signs might include house-training
problems, apparent memory loss, disorientation, confusion, wandering, getting
stuck in corners, sleep disturbances (waking at the wrong time, sleeping
unusually deeply, night pacing), restlessness, barking, separation anxiety,
panting, drooling, obsessive licking, etc.
Just because
your pet is getting old doesn’t mean we need to stand on the sidelines and let
him get old. There are things we can do to intervene and improve your pet’s
ability to function and improve its quality of life.
What is Cognitive Dysfunction? Cognitive dysfunction is a decline in
learning, memory or awareness due to age-related changes in the brain and is
reflected by varying states of dementia. To us the problems seem psychological,
but the root of the problem is actually physical. Over time the brains of dogs
and cats undergo oxidative damage, neuronal loss and the development of
B-amyloid plaques. Although human brains with Alzheimer’s disease develop other
pathology that is not seen in canine or feline brains, they also develop these
B-amyloid plaques.
Unfortunately,
we do not have an easy test to diagnose this problem. As of right now this is a
diagnosis of exclusion which means we rule out all other issues that could
cause the signs seen and if nothing else is found then we assume it is
cognitive dysfunction.
How do we help?
Step One: Diet. Specialists recommend putting the pet
on an oxidant rich diet such as (for dogs) Hill’s prescription diet b/d or Purina
One Vibrant Maturity 7+ Senior formula.
Many also recommend fish oil because omega fatty acids might be good for
the brain.
Step Two: Drug therapy. Selegiline which is used to treat
human dementia, is the only medication with a veterinary indication to treat
cognitive dysfunction.
Step Three: Supplements.
There are several supplements that have been shown to improve cognitive
dysfunction including:
-
Neutricks
(Quincy Animal Health), which contains apoaequorin
-
Novofit
(Virbac Animal Health), which contains S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe)
-
Activait
(Vet Plus Ltd) or Senilife (CEVA Animal Health), which contain
phosphatidylserine and a mix of antioxidants
Step Four: Exercise. Exercise
is an important component of the program. Taking your dog for a leash walk
enables him to use all his senses, but make sure to understand his limitations.
That means if he has terrible arthritis, then don’t turn a simple walk into an
endurance contest. Just don’t overdo it.
Staying active helps dementia. Mental
exercises also help – this means training, food manipulation toys and games.
Nighttime problems (dogs)
Many dogs
seem to have more trouble at night. They sleep all day and are awake all night.
They pace. They make noise. They might be anxious or uncomfortable. For dogs, use of the supplement melatonin can
help to promote sedation and is an antioxidant.
As well for dogs adding in the supplement Anxitane (suntheanine, Virbac)
can help anxiety.
It’s
important to remember Cognitive dysfunction is a progressive problem that
cannot be cured. We have more hope of improving your pet’s life if we catch
this issue in the early phases. If the disease has progressed, then most
medications and supplements will not provide much improvement.
Information provided by Veterinary Practice News (vol 25, Number 6) and veterinarypartner.com. Photo istock.com.
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