How to Diagnose Cognitive Dysfunction in Senior Dogs
Detect when your dog is disoriented., Notice changes in social interaction., Look for changes in your dog’s sleep cycle., Look for bathroom accidents., Take note of other signs of cognitive dysfunction., Take your dog to the vet., Give your vet a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Detect when your dog is disoriented.
Clinical signs of canine cognitive dysfunction are grouped into four categories, known as ‘DISH’: disorientation, changes in social interaction, sleep cycle changes, and house training accidents.
Signs of disorientation include staring into space, getting stuck in corners, and getting lost inside or in the yard.You might notice some other signs of disorientation in your dog:
Aimless wandering Can’t find the door, or stands at the wrong door to go outside Staring at the walls Not recognizing familiar faces -
Step 2: Notice changes in social interaction.
A senior dog with cognitive dysfunction will not interact with people like it used to.
For example, if your dog has cognitive dysfunction, it may not greet family members at the door anymore, walk away when someone is petting it, or not try to get your attention as much.Your dog may start begging for food even when its food bowl is full.You may also notice your dog following people around the house more (or less) than it used to., Normally, a dog will nap occasionally during the day and sleep well at night.
However, the substances in the brain regulating your dog’s sleep cycle stop working properly with cognitive dysfunction.
When your dog's sleep cycle changes, you may notice your dog sleeping much more than usual.Other signs of an altered sleep cycle include waking up at the wrong time and pacing the floor in the middle of the night.When your dog paces at night, it may start howling, which will probably disrupt your own sleep cycle!, If your senior dog has cognitive dysfunction, it may forget its house training and start going to the bathroom in your home.Your dog may also stop letting you know when it needs to go outside.Your dog may even start having accidents in front of people at home.If your senior dog is having accidents, don’t punish it.
Your dog is not having bathroom accidents on purpose.
Rather, the cognitive dysfunction has affected your dog’s ability to know the proper place to go to the bathroom. , Some signs of cognitive dysfunction don’t necessarily fit into the ‘DISH’ categories.
For example, cognitive dysfunction can cause a dog to drool, pant, or lick excessively.
It can also cause restlessness, indicated by a dog’s inability to get comfortable and stay in one place for long periods of time.Your dog may have a hard time dealing with new situations, such as a new pet or a change in routine., Usually, the signs of canine cognitive dysfunction start gradually and worsen over time.You may think your dog is just getting old, but those signs may indicate cognitive dysfunction.The only way to know for sure is to take your dog to your vet for further examination. , Your vet will make a diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction based on your dog’s history, physical exam findings, and diagnostic test results.Provide your vet with as much information as you can about your dog’s symptoms:
What symptoms you’ve noticed When the symptoms started and if they’ve gotten worse Your dog’s behavior before you noticed the signs , If your dog’s signs of cognitive dysfunction are subtle, they may not be easily detectable on a physical exam.
Other than looking for signs of the disease, your vet will perform other basic tasks of a physical exam, such as taking your dog’s temperature and listening to its heart and lungs.
Your vet will also ask you questions about your dog’s symptoms:
Can you describe the symptoms in detail? How have your dog’s symptoms affected you? Are you upset or distressed? Have you noticed signs of physical illness, such as changes in appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea? , To get a better idea of your dog’s brain function, your vet may want to do a neurological examination.
For this exam, your vet will evaluate the function of the cranial nerves, determine how well the anal sphincter is working (this could explain the bathroom accidents), and test if your dog recognizes where its legs are without seeing them.Magnetic resonance imaging is a great way to visualize the brain.
However, this diagnostic method is usually not available in veterinary clinics., The signs of cognitive dysfunction can also be seen with other diseases, such as hepatic encephalopathy, pancreatic tumors, and kidney failure.
Therefore, your vet will need to perform some diagnostic tests to rule out these other diseases as causes of your dog’s symptoms.Blood work can provide clues of other diseases.
Hepatic encephalopathy occurs when problems in the liver ultimately end up affecting the brain., Analyzing your dog’s urine can also help your vet rule out other diseases.A dog with kidney or pancreatic disease could have abnormal urine results. , Your vet may recommend diagnosing your dog according to how it responds to treatment.Your vet will prescribe a medication commonly used to treat cognitive dysfunction, and determine whether it improved your dog’s symptoms.
This diagnostic option can be useful if all other diagnostic tests are normal.
Anipryl is the medication used to treat canine cognitive dysfunction.Your vet will instruct you on how long to give the medication, and recommend a follow-up appointment to assess symptom improvement. -
Step 3: Look for changes in your dog’s sleep cycle.
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Step 4: Look for bathroom accidents.
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Step 5: Take note of other signs of cognitive dysfunction.
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Step 6: Take your dog to the vet.
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Step 7: Give your vet a detailed history of your dog’s symptoms.
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Step 8: Have your vet perform a physical exam.
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Step 9: Agree to a neurological examination.
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Step 10: Allow your vet to take a blood sample.
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Step 11: Let your vet take a urine sample.
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Step 12: Determine whether your dog responds to treatment.
Detailed Guide
Clinical signs of canine cognitive dysfunction are grouped into four categories, known as ‘DISH’: disorientation, changes in social interaction, sleep cycle changes, and house training accidents.
Signs of disorientation include staring into space, getting stuck in corners, and getting lost inside or in the yard.You might notice some other signs of disorientation in your dog:
Aimless wandering Can’t find the door, or stands at the wrong door to go outside Staring at the walls Not recognizing familiar faces
A senior dog with cognitive dysfunction will not interact with people like it used to.
For example, if your dog has cognitive dysfunction, it may not greet family members at the door anymore, walk away when someone is petting it, or not try to get your attention as much.Your dog may start begging for food even when its food bowl is full.You may also notice your dog following people around the house more (or less) than it used to., Normally, a dog will nap occasionally during the day and sleep well at night.
However, the substances in the brain regulating your dog’s sleep cycle stop working properly with cognitive dysfunction.
When your dog's sleep cycle changes, you may notice your dog sleeping much more than usual.Other signs of an altered sleep cycle include waking up at the wrong time and pacing the floor in the middle of the night.When your dog paces at night, it may start howling, which will probably disrupt your own sleep cycle!, If your senior dog has cognitive dysfunction, it may forget its house training and start going to the bathroom in your home.Your dog may also stop letting you know when it needs to go outside.Your dog may even start having accidents in front of people at home.If your senior dog is having accidents, don’t punish it.
Your dog is not having bathroom accidents on purpose.
Rather, the cognitive dysfunction has affected your dog’s ability to know the proper place to go to the bathroom. , Some signs of cognitive dysfunction don’t necessarily fit into the ‘DISH’ categories.
For example, cognitive dysfunction can cause a dog to drool, pant, or lick excessively.
It can also cause restlessness, indicated by a dog’s inability to get comfortable and stay in one place for long periods of time.Your dog may have a hard time dealing with new situations, such as a new pet or a change in routine., Usually, the signs of canine cognitive dysfunction start gradually and worsen over time.You may think your dog is just getting old, but those signs may indicate cognitive dysfunction.The only way to know for sure is to take your dog to your vet for further examination. , Your vet will make a diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction based on your dog’s history, physical exam findings, and diagnostic test results.Provide your vet with as much information as you can about your dog’s symptoms:
What symptoms you’ve noticed When the symptoms started and if they’ve gotten worse Your dog’s behavior before you noticed the signs , If your dog’s signs of cognitive dysfunction are subtle, they may not be easily detectable on a physical exam.
Other than looking for signs of the disease, your vet will perform other basic tasks of a physical exam, such as taking your dog’s temperature and listening to its heart and lungs.
Your vet will also ask you questions about your dog’s symptoms:
Can you describe the symptoms in detail? How have your dog’s symptoms affected you? Are you upset or distressed? Have you noticed signs of physical illness, such as changes in appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea? , To get a better idea of your dog’s brain function, your vet may want to do a neurological examination.
For this exam, your vet will evaluate the function of the cranial nerves, determine how well the anal sphincter is working (this could explain the bathroom accidents), and test if your dog recognizes where its legs are without seeing them.Magnetic resonance imaging is a great way to visualize the brain.
However, this diagnostic method is usually not available in veterinary clinics., The signs of cognitive dysfunction can also be seen with other diseases, such as hepatic encephalopathy, pancreatic tumors, and kidney failure.
Therefore, your vet will need to perform some diagnostic tests to rule out these other diseases as causes of your dog’s symptoms.Blood work can provide clues of other diseases.
Hepatic encephalopathy occurs when problems in the liver ultimately end up affecting the brain., Analyzing your dog’s urine can also help your vet rule out other diseases.A dog with kidney or pancreatic disease could have abnormal urine results. , Your vet may recommend diagnosing your dog according to how it responds to treatment.Your vet will prescribe a medication commonly used to treat cognitive dysfunction, and determine whether it improved your dog’s symptoms.
This diagnostic option can be useful if all other diagnostic tests are normal.
Anipryl is the medication used to treat canine cognitive dysfunction.Your vet will instruct you on how long to give the medication, and recommend a follow-up appointment to assess symptom improvement.
About the Author
Judy Roberts
A passionate writer with expertise in home improvement topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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