Everything you need to know about Alzheimer’s in dogs

Listen this article

Does your dog not respond when you call him, does not recognize you, becomes disoriented and forgets what he has learned? It is possible that your pet is suffering from Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is diagnosed in people who show a cognitive decline and behavioral disorders. The reality is that the standard form of dementia among older people can also affect our pets. Let's see then everything related to this pathology that hurts the hairy of the house.

Leer en español: Todo lo que tienes que saber sobre el Alzheimer en perros

Alzheimer's, or cognitive dysfunction

According to Affinity Foundation, cognitive dysfunction syndrome, or SDC, is the technical name for the neurodegenerative disease that deteriorates the dog's central nervous system gradually and is mainly responsible for the marked changes that appear in the canine's behavior.

Although it is true that dogs, when they are elderly, show a cognitive decline when they reach an average age of 15 years, the 'Alzheimer's in dogs' develops in an accelerated way without a coherent relationship in the frequent symptoms of animal aging and can appear at 6 years of age and even before.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's in dogs

Is it possible to know if your dog has Alzheimer's? Yes, it is possible, although at the beginning the signals are very subtle. Based on previous considerations, the Petdarling portal indicates that being a pathology that acts gradually, there are clues that help us determine if our pet has cognitive dysfunction syndrome and is not part of the aging process.

• He gets nervous and starts beating against objects in the house.
• Social interaction with the owner decreases.
• He becomes disoriented in places that were previously known to him. He is lost in the room, the kitchen, the living room and does not know what to do in this situation.
• Because he forgets acquired behaviors, they often urinate where they had previously been ordered not to do so.
• His sleep is out of control more than usual; he wakes up at odd hours even for him.

Read also: Do you know how to care for your dog in heat?

Does it cure?

A dog with Alzheimer's will live with this pathology until his life ends naturally. Based on the previous observation, the website Barkibu states that there is no effective treatment to reduce or eliminate it since there is no cure, but there are precautions or care so that the hairy do not suffer accidents at home or are injured by not being aware of his faculties.

The importance of care in dogs with Alzheimer's lies in helping him internalize the duties he has to do daily in his circadian rhythm to improve their quality of life. Eat at the same time, walk in a strict schedule, place it in your place of being. In general, routines that will help recover lost habits.

Is my dog in danger?

Quiet, the life of your pet will not be shortened, but its quality will be marked with the guidelines explained above. A specific diagnosis is essential to rule out organic reasons that may be responsible for behaviors in our pets, and that has to be treated so that the dog's health is not compromised.

About the latter, the Hello, guarantee that the best thing for your pet is to eliminate environmental changes that may further disorient him. The love you give him is also essential to familiarize him with your presence amid nervous attacks. It is worth advising that as a landlord, you treat him again as he did when he was a puppy: rewarding, consenting and educating him with patience.

LatinAmerican Post | Pedro Lunar

Translated from "Todo lo que tienes que saber sobre el Alzheimer en perros"