Content
- What is senile dementia?
- Senile dementia symptoms in cats
- Treatment of Senile Dementia in Cats
- How to care for a cat with senile dementia
People who have decided to welcome a cat into their home disagree with this popular idea that qualifies the cat as an overly independent and skittish animal, since these are not inherent characteristics of its genuine behavior.
A domesticated cat lives an average of 15 years and during this time, the emotional bond that can be formed with its owner is undoubtedly very strong. pets throughout its different vital stages and during aging, it comforts us as owners.
During aging we observe multiple changes in the cat, some of them pathological but regrettably associated with old age. In this article by PeritoAnimal we talk about Symptoms and Treatment of Senile Dementia in Cats.
What is senile dementia?
Senile dementia in cats is known as feline cognitive dysfunction, which refers to some cognition/understanding abilities of the environment that begin to be compromised after approximately 10 years of age.
In cats over 15 years of age, this pathology is very common and its manifestation comprises a wide variety of symptoms ranging from joint problems to hearing problems.
This disorder decreases the cat's quality of life, so it is important to be aware that the understanding of the disorder will help improve your friend's quality of life.
Senile dementia symptoms in cats
A cat affected by senile dementia may experience one or more of the symptoms shown below:
- Confusion: It is the most prevalent symptom, the cat is wandering and confused, because it is possible that it does not remember where its food and litter box are.
- Changes in behavior: The cat demands more attention or, on the contrary, it becomes more aggressive.
- loud meows: When the cat repeatedly meows during the night, it may be expressing disorientation in the dark, which causes nervousness and anxiety.
- Changes in sleep patterns: The cat shows loss of interest and spend much of the day sleeping, and on the other hand, at night walks wandering.
- Hygiene changes: Cats are very clean animals that spend most of the day licking themselves, the cat with senile dementia has lost interest in their own hygiene and we can observe the least shiny and careful.
If you notice any of these symptoms in your cats, it is essential that you go to the vet as soon as possible.
Treatment of Senile Dementia in Cats
The treatment of senile dementia in cats is not used with the aim of reversing the situation, as unfortunately this is not possible and the neurological damage produced by old age cannot be recovered in any way. Pharmacological treatment in these cases serves to stop the loss of cognition and not worsen.
For this, a drug containing the active ingredient selegiline is used, but this does not imply that it is suitable for all cats, in fact, only the veterinarian can evaluate at home if it is necessary to implement a pharmacological treatment.
How to care for a cat with senile dementia
As we said at the beginning of the article, at home we can do a lot to improve our cat's quality of life, see how to do it next:
- Minimize changes in the cat's surroundings, for example, do not change the distribution of furniture.
- Reserve a room where your cat can remain quiet when receiving visitors, as excessive stimulation in the environment is not convenient.
- Do not move your accessories, if you go outside, supervise and when you return home, leave it in your space, so that it does not get disoriented.
- THEincrease the frequency of play sessions but reduce its duration, it is very important that the cat remains exercised within its possibilities during old age.
- clean your cat, with a soft bristle brush to help keep your fur in good condition.
- Place ramps if your cat cannot access the usual places where he used to like to spend time.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.