After a while, he fell out of bed while sleeping and urinated on the floor. “Something was wrong” with Sally’s behavior in 2012, said Allen, a former high school English teacher from Caledonia, Michigan.
Her veterinarian said it looked like “typical” dementia. “I felt like I had been kicked in the gut,” Allen said. “I didn’t know dogs could develop dementia.”
They can do it, and so can cats.
“We all know that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are among the most common conditions humans encounter as they age.” Stephanie McGrath, Associate Professor of Neurology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University. “People don’t realize it, but our pets, dogs and cats, can get it, and it’s probably a very common disease, too.”
Experts don’t know how many pet animals have dementia. One study estimates that between 14 and 35 percent of the population have pet dogs over the age of eight. study.another study It suggests that almost one-third of cats aged 11 to 14 years and 50 percent of cats aged 15 years and older are affected. Many experts believe these numbers are probably conservative.
“This is grossly underreported,” he said. Gary Lansburg, is a Canadian veterinary behaviorist and veterinary scientific director of CanCog, an animal health research organization. “Owners need to understand that signs may be mild or subtle and may not be cause for concern.”
Signs of cognitive decline in pets
For pet parents trying to determine if their cat or dog has dementia, “it’s important to know what their pet’s normal behavior is,” he said. Margaret Gruen, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “You really want change over time.”
- Confusion and disorientation.
- Forget what your pet has learned, such as house training or using the litter box.
- Changes in sleep-wake cycles.
- In cats, increased meowing—crying or howling—is an obvious and frequently reported sign. “Cats show changes in their interactions with humans and other animals, such as excessive vocalization, disorientation, hissing and patting,” he said. star cameron, Clinical Associate Professor of Small Animal Neurology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, studying dementia in cats. “Some cats stay up all night meowing.
Dementia-like conditions in pets
Landsberg said it’s important to inform veterinarians of any changes in pet behavior early, as pets may be suffering from conditions other than treatable cognitive deficits.
Experts say many conditions, such as arthritis pain, cancer, hearing and vision loss, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease, can cause symptoms similar to dementia in pets, making it difficult to diagnose cognitive impairment. It says that it must be excluded before.
“My 18-year-old kitty, Momo, has always been a vocalist,” Cameron said. “But when she was 15 or 16, she noticed she was getting more vocal.” Cameron suspected Momo had dementia. .
Momo “got grumpy with other cats and dogs. She was grumpy,” Cameron said. However, a blood test revealed hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid gland. Momo was treated and “she’s back to Momo now,” Cameron said.
“Just like older people with dementia have other age-related medical problems, animals can have both physical illness and dementia at the same time,” Landsberg said.
Scientists are studying dementia in pets to help companion animals and their humans cope and to better understand human brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
“Dogs are excellent natural models. They can develop disorders just like humans,” he said. Evan McLean, Director of the University of Arizona Arizona Canine Cognitive Center. “They also live shorter lives than humans and can show subtle signs as early as age seven, making them more easily studied. These insights may help us learn more about human disease. will help.”
McGrath, who is conducting research, includes studies comparing samples of dogs with and without dementia to better understand ‘how dogs’ brains age.’ He said he was analyzing postmortem brain tissue from pets. “We are also trying to understand when a dog of healthy age becomes a dog with dementia.”
Scientists are also studying blood and spinal fluid samples to see if animals with dementia and humans have the same specific proteins and biomarkers that indicate cognitive decline. This finding may help diagnose cognitive disorders in pets.
Several the study already found evidence of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brains of aged dogs and cats. The abnormal accumulation of these naturally occurring proteins, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease in humans, can disrupt neuronal function.
McGrath is also testing three drugs in dogs. Cannabidiol, Rapamycin and Trazodone — to see if any of them are effective in preventing, slowing, or reversing disease.
What to do if you suspect your pet has cognitive decline
- Consult your veterinarian to ensure other medical conditions have been ruled out.
- Talk to your veterinarian about treatment options, including medications, supplements, diet, and other interventions. The Food and Drug Administration has approved one drug called Selegiline (trade names Anipril, Eldepril, l-Deprenyl, Sergian, Zelaparl), which can reduce symptoms of cognitive impairment in dogs. It may be used “off label” in cats by veterinarians.
- Ask your veterinarian about certain foods that some experts say may support brain health. Veterinarian approval may be required.
- “Pets may have difficulty coping with change,” says Gruen.
- improve their environment. Install ramps to avoid steps. Place a yoga mat or area rug on the slippery floor. “Some dogs may stop entering certain rooms to avoid hardwood floors,” says Gruen. “Like humans, it’s important to find ways to sustain their daily activities.”
- Enrich their environment. “Teach your dog some new commands and reward them,” says Landsberg. “Give us toys that enrich our brains. Put treats in rolling toys and kids have to find them.”
- “Keep interacting with other pets and humans and play with them,” Landsberg said.
- Reduce stress. Special stress-reducing plug diffusers are available for both cats and dogs.
- Encourage exercise. Exercise during the day helps animals sleep better at night.
“It’s a chronic disease that usually progresses slowly, and there’s a lot we can do,” Gruen said. “There is no reason why pets with cognitive impairment cannot enjoy a good quality of life for several years.”
Can cognitive decline in pets be prevented?
It is unknown whether it can prevent cognitive impairment in pets.
Although some experts believe that exercise helps, As is the case with people with dementia. one of the recent study Exercise has been suggested to reduce risk in dogs, but lead author McLean noted that exercise was not done over a long period of time.
“You could say there’s a relationship, but it’s not necessarily cause and effect,” McLean said. “In any case, exercise is good for all things, so the safe advice is that getting your dog to exercise works on many levels.”
After Sally was diagnosed with dementia and ruled out other medical conditions, the veterinarian suggested to Allen, “Take Sally home and take care of her.” You will know when he has enjoyed this life. ’ She did just that. Two years later, as her condition worsened, Allen decided it was time to let Sally go.
“I felt like his essence was no longer there,” she said. “I couldn’t believe that if he had a choice, he would want to live like that. As painful as it was, I felt it was the right thing to do to give him peace.”
Have questions about human behavior or neuroscience? Email [email protected] I may answer that in a future column.
