cheryl
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Dementia in Pets: What You Need to Know - Next Avenue
How to recognize it in your beloved four-legged family member, and what can help
It is a gift that our companion animals are living longer than at any time in the past, thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, better nutrition and our understanding of how to care for them. But with longevity has come a host of ailments once thought exclusive to humans. I have had 10 dogs over the course of my life and have seen them through diabetes, lung cancer, breast cancer, heart disease and, most recently, cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) — better known as dementia.
I didn't know dogs and cats could suffer from dementia until my 12-year-old cocker spaniel, Theo, was diagnosed.
But it was clear something was happening to him. He had begun pacing aimlessly through the house. He forgot how to use his doggie door. Once a reliable and boisterous announcer of mealtime, cyclers and the UPS truck, he went suddenly silent. Food fell from his mouth; he was startled by the same fire hydrant on our walk every day and he started to walk in circles. A trip to the vet confirmed that Theo was suffering from canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
How to recognize it in your beloved four-legged family member, and what can help
It is a gift that our companion animals are living longer than at any time in the past, thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, better nutrition and our understanding of how to care for them. But with longevity has come a host of ailments once thought exclusive to humans. I have had 10 dogs over the course of my life and have seen them through diabetes, lung cancer, breast cancer, heart disease and, most recently, cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) — better known as dementia.
I didn't know dogs and cats could suffer from dementia until my 12-year-old cocker spaniel, Theo, was diagnosed.
But it was clear something was happening to him. He had begun pacing aimlessly through the house. He forgot how to use his doggie door. Once a reliable and boisterous announcer of mealtime, cyclers and the UPS truck, he went suddenly silent. Food fell from his mouth; he was startled by the same fire hydrant on our walk every day and he started to walk in circles. A trip to the vet confirmed that Theo was suffering from canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome.