Dementia and Your Senior Cat

As promised, and in celebration of Senior Pet Care Month, a word about cognitive dysfunction(CD) in cats.  As mentioned previously, there is little research on CD in cats, but studies do indicate that cats develop behavior changes as they age.  The most common behavior problem related to CD is inappropriate elimination.  Other common signs may include excessive vocalization, changes in sleep-wake cycle and disorientation.  Preliminary results in research indicate that CD in cats is similiar to what is noted in dogs and people with Alzheimer's disease.

There are treatments available, however, before treatments are initiated, other medical problems must be ruled out.  Since there is no test to diagnose CD in animals, the diagnosis is made by excluding all other potential causes of dementia.  Cats with medical disorders such as other neurological diseases, kidney and liver disease, feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, and arthritis can show signs that can be mistaken for CD.

Treatment for CD involves making the cat's environment as comfortable and predictable as possible, attempting behavior modification and possibly using medication.  You can make your cat's home predictable by keeping the physical arrangement of your household the same.  Sleeping areas should be comfortable and easy to access.  Close off areas where your cat may get stuck, lost or injured.  Litter boxes should be very accessible and attractive (that doesn't mean it needs a bow on it!)  Keep the litter boxes very clean and be sure the sides are low enough so that your cat can enter and exit easily.

If you suspect CD in your older cat, please make an appointment with your veterinarian.  Together, you and your vet, can help your cat live out it's golden years with dignity.

Senior Pet Care Bulletin

Since September is senior pet care month, I thought I would address a common problem that we see in dogs, cognitive dysfunction (CD).  Cats too can suffer from CD, however little research has been done on CD in older cats.  I will discuss cats and aging in my next blog.

As a result of better veterinary care, and advances in nutrition, our pets are increasingly living longer lives.  With this longer life span comes more age related changes; such as decreased vision, hearing and smell, muscle atrophy, joint ills, and organ failures  Degenerative changes also occur in the brain, which can result in noticeable loss of cognitive function.  Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CD) is the age-related deterioration of cognitive abilities characterized by behavioral changes in pets that cannot wholly be attributed to general medical conditions such as cancer, infection or organ failure. CD is not "normal aging".  Simply put, CD is caused by physical and chemical changes that affect the brain function in older pets.  CD involves a gradual decline of cognitive abilities sufficient to produce functional disability in the home and/or as a family member.  


Some owners do not readily recognize the signs and often attribute them to "just getting old".  Often the signs may be subtle.  Others may feel that these signs seem to come on "all of the sudden".  Remember, your pet ages more quickly than you.  In terms of their life span, 3-6 months is equivalent to 3-6 years, alot of changes can occur in this time.  In a pet owner study, nearly half of all dogs 8 years of age and older showed at least one sign of CDS.  Because older pets may also develop other medical conditons that have behavioral components, CDS can only be diagnosed after other medical conditions have been ruled out.  


Signs of CD include problems related to orientation (staring blankly, getting lost in the home), memory (inability to recognize owners, loss of house-training), apathy (decrease activity, avoidance of owner contact) and locomotion.  The first step in diagnosing CD is recognizing the signs, the next is to see your veterinarian.  


To help you assess your senior dog www.maturedogs.com has developed a rating scale for CD.  You can take this CD test on their website or just click on CD test here.  


There are medications that may help slow the progression of CD, however early diagnosis is important.  Please take the time to visit maturedogs.com and take the CD test, print it out, and bring it with you to your veterinarian to discuss what can be done to help your family's beloved dog.

Rainy days and Sundays

After such a dry spell, it is nice to have rain for the last two days.  However, the rain has put a damper on Meade and my outdoor exercise.  As many of you Labrador Retriever lovers know, this is a dog that has energy to burn, and not being able to get Meade out for some running and playing fetch has it's consequences.  If you have a dog or puppy that needs to burn off steam, try these exercises for fun!

Hide and seek- you can do it with treats, toys, or people.  Hide any one of those favorite toys or treats around the house and then run/walk around the house with your dog and encourage them to search for the item.  A hide and seek game I like playing with Meade is to put her in a sit-stay and down-stays in one room and then walk into another room of the house and then call her (have treats ready to reward them for finding you!)  This version helps teach sit & down stays and recalls (coming when called).  If your dog doesn't know how to sit, sit-stay, down, or down-stay...then there is something you can work on this rainy day!

If you are not familiar with clicker training...now would be a good time to start.  I have used clicker training with Meade and other dogs.  Of course, you first need a clicker, so today may not be the day to start.  But watch this video for the concept, educate yourself on how you can use this fun way to communicate with your dog.  Click Away (Click here)

Fire up the treadmill: If you have a treadmill, and are not using it, teaching your dog to use it can be a great way for them to burn off some energy.  I started Meade on the treadmill when she was a puppy.  When I am in my basement (location of my treadmill), I often catch Meade voluntarily standing on it waiting for me to turn it on.  Start with a hungry, leashed dog and another bit of chicken. Turn off the treadmill. Simply lure the dog up onto the belt and reward with the treat. Do this multiple times, then quit without ever turning it on.

Several times per day, bring your dog near the treadmill. Be sure you use a flat buckle collar, not a slip collar. Within a couple of days, most dogs will happily hop up on the treadmill waiting for that treat. This is the time to accustom your dog to walking on the machine. Be sure it is level, with no incline. Hold your dog's leash close to the collar, but leave it a little bit slack. Turn the machine on to it's slowest level. Encourage your dog to walk by holding the leash or collar and giving verbal encouragement.

Be prepared to quickly turn off the machine if your dog becomes frightened. Just reward again a few more times while the machine is turned on, making its noise, but with the dog held several feet away on leash.  In short order your dog will hop up on the treadmill and be ready to go for his rainy day walk. Be aware that some dogs are more comfortable at the walk, while others work better at a trot. Play with the speeds very slowly so you don't frighten your dog.

Never tie your dog onto the machine. You must be there, holding the leash or collar, ready to hit the treamill's emergency stop button in case something goes wrong.

Turn on the music and dance.   Start by dancing around and acting excited till your dog gets going, too. After a minute or so, you all of a sudden stop moving. Ask your dog to sit, or down, or do another behavior she knows well. The moment she does it, start dancing around again; when your dog joins in, stop, ask for that sit or down again, and reward them by re-starting the party.  Not only fun, it helps teach your dog self-control as they learn to respond to your cues even when excited. End the game clearly, for example by saying “All done!” and sitting down with a book. If you say the same phrase every time, your dog will learn that it signifies the end of play for now. Ignore any attempts to reel you back in, otherwise your dog is teaching you!

That should give you a few ideas.  Afterwards, you can both stretch out on the floor and watch an old movie and nap together.