Captain's Phlog                                          2020.02.02
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My Old Friend Has Canine Cognitive Dysfunction [1]. Dogie Dementia.
It happens to the best of them. One example study [2] found
prevalence in dogs aged: 8-10 years (3.4%); 10-12 years (5%); 12-14
years (23.3%); and >14 years (41%).  They also found the trend was
exponential. Like humans, as our canine companions reach unnatural
ages, grey matter malfunctions & decays through natural attrition.

I am always very present with her so I knew I wasnt seeing
something else. Sometimes even with deep knowledge of your pup, CCD
can mimic signs of one or more physical problems. I knew this
wasn't the case but never the less took her to the vet for the
needed tests. The diagnosis for CCD is what they call a "Negative
Diagnosis". This means that they rule out any likely physical
afflictions that could result in matching symptoms Infection,
Cushing's Disease, Inner Ear Problems, Kidney and Liver Problems,
et cetera. Sadly(?) she got a clean bill of health.

Signs or symptoms of CCD include: Disorientation/confusion,
Anxiety/restlessness, Extreme irritability, Decreased desire to
play, Excessive licking, Seeming disregard for previously learned
training or house rules, Slow to learn new tasks, Inability to
follow familiar routes, Excessive barking, Lack of self-grooming,
Fecal and urinary incontinence, Loss of appetite (anorexia),
Changes in sleep cycle (e.g., night waking, sleeping during the
day).

There is no cure for CCD. There are ongoing therapies as well as
some medications that can slow progression, but this is the new
normal. Early detection is very important but highly unlikely as
first symptoms usually get chalked off as "oh she's just getting
old" - not until my dog started "Sun-downing" fairly regularly a
few weeks ago did I actually catch a clue. So what can one do?
This is what I did. 

1) The house was childproofed. Doors ajar were something that
always attracted her attention but now **thats turned up to
eleven. We make sure that closets & interior doors are closed - 
especially at night. The basement door which needs to remain ajar
for ventilation reasons now has a chain on it preventing it from
opening enough to get her in trouble on the stairs. Rooms remain
lit all night long.

2) We have increased her cognitive tasks. We have added a regular
nightly routine of games. She has always been our smartest dog. On
command she will sneeze, dance, wipe her feet, dig a hole, put
papers in the bin, and more. Now we go out of our way to make sure
she has a steady stream of tasks that need to be accomplished. We
also take her on every short errand in the car. Unfortunately she
has always been highly unsociable with strangers so walks in the
village (a great tactic in many cases) are off the table for her.
We walk her in the country. She also is now never outside
unattended.

3) We have supplemented her diet, adding Medium Chain Triglycerides
[3] and Omega type Fatty Acids [4]. The literature indicates that
Antioxidants also show promise but since her diet already includes
a large amount of human foods high in these we chose not to
supplement them at this time.

4) Originally when the vet prescribed Selegiline (an MAO inhibitor)
we thought we would see if less drastic chemicals worked for her at
this stage. Sadly two days ago we decided that we had to begin using
it because her periods of stress were increasing.

In the final analasys, progression can only be slowed.  Dogs rarely
die from CCD. Rather their new habits effect their physical health
(changes in eating and drinking). Or unattended they wander off, get
lost and die from exposure or from a motor-vehicle accident.  Or
their humans opt for euthanasia owing to human inconvenience (sadly)
or animal suffering (more correctly).

Have you had a furry friend with Dementia?
I would appreciate hearing from you.

[1] https://vth.vetmed.wsu.edu/specialties/behavioral/ccd-dog-dementia
[2] http://rng.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2009-Under-diagnosis
    -of-canine-cognitive-dysfunction-A-cross-sectional-survey-of-older-
    companion-dogs.pdf
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6299068/
[4] http://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/Senior-geriatric-dog-health
    /nutrition-can-help-improve.html