It is a fallacy that cognitive impairment exclusively affects humans. Your senior dog is just as prone to illness. Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), often known as the canine variant of dementia, may be present in your dog if it forgets the path you travel from the neighbourhood park to your house every day or if it no longer finds enjoyment in the activities it once did.
Dogs can develop dementia for a variety of reasons, including the build-up of too many proteins in the brain, which results in an infection and nerve damage. Your dog’s brain begins to malfunction as a result of such nerve cell death, impairing memory, behaviour, and motor skills.
Recognizing DEMENTIA IN YOUR DOG
To assist dog owners in comprehending the signs of canine cognitive dysfunction, Dr Denise Petryk, a former veterinarian who now works for Trupanion pet insurance. Here comes the signs of dementia:
Disorientation
Dogs with dementia experience disorientation even when they are in comfortable or regular surroundings. It is an indication of disorientation if your dog enters the home from the backyard through the incorrect door or on the incorrect side of the door. Dogs who are disoriented lack spatial awareness and lose their well-known sense of time.
Interactions
Another sign of dementia in dogs is a lack of social engagement. Your dog, who was once friendly and well-liked, can start growling at other people. Social disengagement in your dog is a warning indication that something is amiss and needs your attention. Instead of growling and barking, it could also exhibit a lack of enthusiasm in welcoming guests or fleeing away before being let go.
Sleeping Disorder
Changes in the sleep-wake cycle your dog, who had previously slept peacefully, might pace the living room all night. Many CCD dogs reverse their usual behaviour by napping all day. Being let out in the backyard might annoy and exhaust you all night.
Domestic Soiling
Dogs with dementia who are housebroken may urinate and poop inside. With age, your dog loses the ability to manage voluntary expulsion or even to signal you when they need to go outside. They become unaware that they must urinate outside due to dementia.
Activity Level
In dogs with dementia, there is a diminished willingness to investigate and engage in activities. They could also exhibit erratic and repeated movements. They might stop playing as much as they once did and become sedentary.
It could be challenging for you at first to notice dementia as it first manifests in our cherished senior dogs. Sometimes the early warning signs are quite subtle. Dog parents must be aware of what to look for because of this. Therefore, you must choose the best products for your dog’s daily care from the Pet stop store. So click here to know more.
There are three stages of dementia in dogs: mild, moderate, and severe. Within each level, there are recurring patterns. It’s crucial to keep in mind that not all dogs go through these precise stages or patterns. So, once dementia develops, any of the symptoms listed below could appear at any time.
Early dementia symptoms are frequently milder and simpler to miss. Your dog’s sleeping habits may change, and there could be subtle changes in the way your elderly dog interacts with you and other animals.
