All of us, dogs included, lose some mental agility as we grow older. A gradual reduction in brain size coupled with the loss of neurons as the years go by translates to a slowdown in cognitive ability. But is it senility or, as it’s called in dogs, canine cognitive dysfunction? If the drop-off in mental acuity is fairly precipitous, with noticeable differences taking place over months rather than years, there’s a good chance it is.
To keep track, use the checklist here, filling it out every month or two for your pet and seeing if changes are progressing rapidly. Developed by the pharmaceutical firm Pfizer, which makes the canine dementia drug L-deprenyl (trade name Anipryl), the list goes by the acronym DISH: D for disorientation, I for alterations in the way your dog interacts with family members, S for sleep (and activity) disturbances, and H for house soiling. According to the head of the Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic, Stephanie Borns-Weil, DVM, DISH-A (A for anxiety) is more accurate. Anxiety in a previously relaxed and confident dog can be a sign of cognitive dysfunction.
There is actually a DISH version for dog owners and a somewhat more detailed one for veterinarians. We have adapted the one for veterinarians for lay people’s use to allow for more thoughtful evaluation of your dog’s state of mind.
Checks in any one area don’t tell much. For instance, “does not respond to verbal cue or name” could be a sign of hearing difficulty, just as “urinates indoors” could be a sign of a urinary tract infection. But if you find yourself putting checks in more than one area and also find an increase in the number of checks over several months, it’s time for the dog’s doctor to rule out other medical conditions and consider the possibility of so-called canine Alzheimer’s disease.
In the event of a diagnosis of cognitive decline
Canine cognitive dysfunction cannot be cured, but the earlier you catch it, the better the effect you can have for slowing its progression and even bringing a dog back to herself to a significant degree. The arsenal of treatments consists of pharmaceuticals, dietary changes, and environmental enrichment.
Pharmaceuticals. Deprenyl, available by prescription only from your veterinarian, is the one drug approved thus far for dogs with cognitive decline. It works by preventing the breakdown in the brain of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which facilitates the connection between thought and action. Results have been inconsistent, ranging from remarkable turnarounds to no change at all. But it might be worth a try.
Dietary Changes. A prescription diet called b/d, made by Hill’s, contains a number of substances hypothesized to play a positive role in brain function: antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and L-carnitine. The last is a vitamin-like compound that is believed to pro-vide smoother function to brain cells. Evidence for the diet is weak. But it falls into the can’t-hurt-might-help category. Some vets also prescribe supplements of coenzyme Q10.
Environmental enrichment. Keep engaging with your dog, even though she might not seem to want to. The canine brain, just like ours, is subject to the rule of use-it-or-lose-it. So rotate your pet’s toys, keep introducing new ones, and change up your walking route so she has new sights and scents to scope out. Introduce her to more people and more dogs, too. The more she’s forced to use her brain, the more slowly it will degenerate.
These tools will lose their potency over time. Until the disease can be cured, it is going to take its toll. But you might be able to extend your dog’s brain power by months or even more by combining these antidotes.
Click image to enlarge
