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Tell-tale signs of your dog’s dementia
A once sociable dog now acts cranky and irritable even during activities like walks which they previously enjoyed.
Just like aging humans sometimes grapple with chronic memory loss, older dogs also suffer age-related memory loss. They may forget the route for their daily walks and may stop enjoying activities they previously loved such as chasing after birds or even waking up to greet you at the door.
To help you detect the onset of dementia or cognitive decline, you will need to know what signs to look out for in your dog. They range from changes in sleep-wake cycles, disorientation, change in activity level, house soiling, and altered interaction with family members and other pets. The dog may also have trouble locating its water or food dish and might have repetitive restless movements.
With disorientation, you will notice your senior dogs looking confused even in their normal or familiar environment. For instance, they may be in the backyard and they will go on the wrong door or the wrong side of the door to get back in. This means the part of the brain involved with orientation has been affected.
Cranky and irritable
You may also notice a once sociable dog now acts cranky and irritable even during activities like walks which they previously enjoyed. They will growl at other animals or children and may lash and even bite a once-favourite playmate. However, the dog may act like this because it is in pain. It could have arthritis or some ailment that hurts when he moves or is touched.
Other times the dog may be unresponsive to things that excited it before. They may fail to hear when the doorbell rings and seem disinterested in greeting visitors. They also stop barking at strangers coming to your home.
Sleep-wake cycles also get disrupted for older pets with dementia. They may sleep soundly all day and walk and pace all night. This is usually a reverse in normal schedules such that the daytime activities are their night-time activities and this can be frustrating and tiring to dog owners.
Peeing and pooping in areas around the house are the most common ways of detecting dementia especially if the dog was toilet trained. When this happens, the dog may have lost its ability to voluntarily control elimination.
Some of the signs above may be symptoms of other ailments so make sure to see a vet for correct diagnosis.
Maryanne is a pet owner
