Content
- Activity changes
- Appetite alteration
- disturbed sleep
- Modification of social interactions
- disorientation
- loss of your education
- What should you do if your dog suffers from Alzheimer's
Our dogs live longer and longer thanks to our care and it is not uncommon to see dogs aged 18 or even 20 years. But this prolongation of their life has consequences, and although few people know it, dogs also suffer from a disease equivalent to human Alzheimer's: cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome affects dogs between 11 and 15 years depending on the breed. Is progressive neurodegenerative disease, which affects several functions of our dogs' nervous system: memory, learning, awareness and perception can be altered.
In this article by Animal Expert we will tell you the Alzheimer's symptoms in dogs so that you will be able to recognize it if your dog ever suffers from this terrible disease.
Activity changes
It is frequent to observe changes in dog behavior affected by cognitive dysfunction syndrome: we can observe our dog walking aimlessly at home, or vocalizing for no apparent reason.
We can also see him staring into space or notice a diminished curiosity, lack of reaction to external stimuli, or even notice that our dog is listless and no longer cleans itself. Another behavior noticed by owners of dogs with Alzheimer's is excessive licking of objects or the same dog owners.
Appetite alteration
Depending on the cases, dogs suffering from Alzheimer's may have a decreased or increased appetite. They can also show changes in eating habits, and eat objects.
It is very important to pay attention to this aspect as we must make sure that our dog is fed. For this to happen, we must tell them where the food is and even in some cases we must wait to make sure that they are eating what they should.
Learn more about dogs with depression in this PeritoAnimal article.
disturbed sleep
Sleep periods increase in a dog with Alzheimer's, and sleep at night is of poor quality. When the sleep cycle is changed, the dog will often wake up at night and will sleep during the day to compensate. Sometimes when he wakes up at night he can bark for no reason.
Modification of social interactions
dogs with Alzheimer's lose interest in their owners, since they are not happy when we get home or when we caress them, they do not seek attention and do not seem to be interested in caresses, while at other times they demand constant and excessive attention.
These dogs often stop playing with the owner and his toys. They can forget the established hierarchy in the family, and even not recognize their owners, not being receptive, and sometimes their aggression towards other dogs may increase.
disorientation
A dog suffering from Alzheimer's loses its sense of orientation and can lose yourself in places that were once familiar to him and used to know him well, both indoors and out. He can get locked in a corner or in front of an obstacle instead of passing by.
Our dog may have difficulty finding doors, or may be waiting in front of the wrong doors to get out of somewhere. He walks aimlessly and seems lost within a familiar space.
loss of your education
We could suspect that our elderly dog suffers from Alzheimer's if he no longer responds to commands he knew before. They can often forget about customs such as urinating and taking care of themselves outside the home, and they can even go out into the street and come home and urinate already inside the house. In the latter case, it is important to prove that it is not some other disease related to old age.
What should you do if your dog suffers from Alzheimer's
If you suspect that your dog is suffering from Alzheimer's, you should go to the veterinarian to confirm the diagnosis and give you advice and recommendations for your specific case. As a general rule, we must help our dog at all times, especially to ensure that it feeds, is comfortable indoors and we must never let it loose in the park or other places: it is very important to prevent a possible loss.
We should also try to give him affection and attention, although he probably won't recognize us, try to convey security and encourage the dog to play. Find in Animal Expert articles that will be very useful for you if you have an elderly dog:
- Vitamins for old dogs
- Activities for elderly dogs
- care of an elderly dog
In these articles you can find important information to take better care of your faithful friend. Don't forget to comment if you have questions or want to share your experience with us.
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.