Dogs With Alzheimer’s: How To Recognize The Disease
If your dog has reached an advanced age, you may be starting to notice that his mind and body are no longer functioning as they used to. Some of the more common signs of aging can also resemble the symptoms of cognitive dysfunction syndrome. So, are there dogs with Alzheimer’s, or is it a disorder that only affects humans? Today’s topic is just that: dogs and Alzheimer’s.
The reality of dogs with Alzheimer’s
This chronic disease is defined as a set of behavioral and cognitive changes seen in some dogs during aging. It is a neurodegenerative disorder characteristic of elderly animals, which occurs in 35% of cases. For these reasons, it can be defined as the Alzheimer’s of dogs.
In the brain of any animal, as well as in people, a series of changes can be observed. The University of Santiago de Compostela classifies them, among others, in:
- Cortical atrophy.
- Thickening and calcification of the meninges.
- Dilation of the ventricles.
- Reactivity of the glia.
- Decrease in the number of neurons.
The basis of this disease is the decrease in the cognitive ability of the animal. According to the American Kennel Club , it is estimated that 60% of pets between the ages of 15 and 16 will end up suffering from this ailment.
How to tell if your dog has Alzheimer’s?
The main problem with studying this disease is that it is an underdiagnosed disorder, the symptoms of which can lead owners to mistakenly believe that Alzheimer’s does not exist in dogs.
Veterinarians use the acronym DISHAA, in English, to refer to the most significant symptoms or changes experienced by animals with cognitive dysfunction syndrome, namely:
- Disorientation
- Interaction with people and pets
- Sleep / altered sleep cycles
- Alteration of order and cleaning of the house, learning and memory
- Alteration of activities
- Anxiety
As for disorientation, we should know that dogs suffering from this syndrome tend to wander aimlessly around the house or around, confuse the door when they leave the house or even spend long periods staring at the walls.
This syndrome also affects the animal’s social interactions, since its behavior with people and its environment changes significantly. These animals tend to become more dependent, although some may tend to apathy.
There is no middle ground when analyzing these behavioral changes. But, for example, if your dog tends to be more affectionate and suddenly spends a lot of time alone or develops anxious behavior, you may need to take him to the vet. Each animal’s personality is different, so its symptoms vary from specimen to specimen.
The alteration of sleep cycles has been found as in people with this syndrome. Dogs can suffer from insomnia and start pacing around the house nervously or crying for no apparent reason. You will also notice that they sleep more.
The disorientation is also reflected in the fact that the dog no longer pays as much attention to what you say. He seems to forget certain habits that should already be well established. It will be increasingly difficult to get his attention. Furthermore, separation anxiety is typical in these cases, as is the fear of traveling or meeting new people.
Diagnosis of the disease
Once you decide to take your pet to the vet, it is likely that the doctor will perform a series of tests to make a definitive diagnosis.
There are other diseases with similar symptoms, so it is important to discard them. In specimens with this syndrome, deposits of a protein, β-amyloid, are observed , which can help to reach a definitive diagnosis.
The most common diagnostic tests are:
- Physical examination and neurological exploration of the animal.
- Complete medical history, with all data relating to the animal’s clinical history.
- Complete blood count.
- Biochemical profile to measure thyroid hormones, among others.
- X-rays, ultrasounds.
