Like many mammals – including humans – the functionality of a dog’s brain decreases as it ages. In some instances, the dog may develop a condition known as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), which can result in disorientation, disturbed sleep, anxiety, and several other problem behaviors.
Understanding CDS is the first step in helping your canine through this process. While there is no cure for the disease, there are many ways to slow progression and give your dog a happier and healthier quality of life.
Canine Dementia Strikes Many Senior Dogs
CDS is a term that describes the brain’s declining ability as it ages. This can lead to changes in learning, memory, and awareness, along with a decrease in response levels to general stimuli. Research suggests this may affect up to 23% of dogs aged 12 to 14 and 41% above 14.
The exact causes of CDS are unknown, but we know that the brain atrophies as a dog ages, meaning that the cells within it begin to die and impact brain function. Minor strokes or other damage can also affect your canine’s cognitive decline.
Developing CDS doesn’t necessarily mean that it will shorten your dog’s life, but it could heavily impact their quality of life, affecting their life expectancy.
What Are the Symptoms of CDS?
If your canine is experiencing CDS, their symptoms will often be mild in the beginning; however, they are likely to worsen over time, so check in with your vet if you notice any of these behavioral changes:
- Anxiety or restlessness
- Confusion or disorientation
- Increased irritability
- An inability to adhere to previously learned house rules
- Incontinence
- An inability to follow regular routes when out walking
- Less inclined to engage in play
- Loss of appetite
- Lacks the inclination to groom themself
- Changes to their sleep cycle
- Excessive licking
How Is CDS Diagnosed?
To diagnose CDS, vets first need to eliminate other potential issues such as cancer, diabetes, or osteoarthritis. In many circumstances, they will carry out a series of physical examinations and lab tests to rule out other underlying causes.
Several behavioral problems such as pain aggression, or separation anxiety can mimic the symptoms of CDS, so to aid in the diagnosis, a vet may use a screening tool to assess cognitive function, such as the DISHAA questionnaire.
It stands for: disorientation, changes in interactions, sleep cycle disturbances, house soiling, changes in activity levels, or increased anxiety. Assessors assign a score from one to three depending on the severity of behaviors within each category. Statements include:
- “Stares blankly at walls, floors, or into space.”
- “Decreased interest in approaching, greeting or affection.”
- “Decrease in exploration or play with toys, family members, other pets.”
- “Increased anxiety when separated from owners.”
Considerations if Your Dog Has CDS
Many CDS cases go undiagnosed because the steady decline in cognitive function may appear to be a common symptom of aging. However, early treatment for this condition can help maintain your dog’s cognitive function for more extended periods and improve their overall quality of life.
Treatments include environmental enrichment, behavior support, diet, nutrition therapy, and medication. There is no “cure” for this progressive condition, but there are several ways in which you can help your dog to manage this cognitive decline.
If your dog is suffering from CDS, there are several alterations that you can make that increase safety and accessibility for your home. For example, night lights can help senior dogs to find their way around in the dark, and orthopedic foam beds make for a far more comfortable night’s sleep.
Your vet may also suggest dietary enhancements, including vitamin C, E, selenium, omega-3, beta carotene, and carotenoids, which are considered excellent supplements in your dog’s diet. Always refer to your vet before making any changes to your dog’s diet, though, particularly for dogs with ongoing health concerns.
CDS in Dogs: Similar to Alzheimer’s in Humans
While CDS is not the “same” as Alzheimer’s, there are many similarities between these two diseases. When researchers compared the brains of 20 senior dogs to 10 younger dogs, they found age-related changes to the meninges, neurons, choroid plexus, and glial cells, which presented similarly to those found in an aging human brain.
With both diseases, the aging brain develops an abnormal amyloid beta deposition; this is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s and CDS too, so it would seem. This protein affects the prefrontal cortex first, working its way into the temporal cortex, hippocampus, and occipital cortex. The amount of these deposits directly correlates with the severity of the disease.
While CDS is like Alzheimer’s in many ways, there are still a few differences that separate the two. One of these is that dogs don’t seem to develop the neurofibrillary tangles we can observe in the brain of a human patient with Alzheimer’s.
