Medical advances have allowed our pets improved quality of life as well as longevity. Cats at 16 years, small dogs at 15 years and large breeds at 13 years old are no longer unheard of as they were 15-20 years ago. But as with people, ageing is often associated with conditions like arthritis, dental disease and cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s-like signs.

What is Cognitive Decline?

Cognitive decline is when older pets are no longer as mentally agile as they used to be. They may experience a decline in awareness, a change in perception and altered responses to external stimuli. They may experience deficits in memory and reduced ability to learn.

    Changes in sleeping patterns and activity levels

So how do I know if my pet is showing signs of cognitive decline?

  • Does your pet appear disorientated or ‘lost’ in familiar surroundings?
  • Does he or she appear to get ‘stuck’ on the wrong side of the door?
  • Does your pet sometimes stare blankly at walls, floors or into space?
  • Does she or he sometimes appear to not recognise you or other familiar people?
  • Has he or she become shy or reclusive? Or has she or he become more clingy or demanding of attention?
  • Does your pet appear disinterested in play or interaction that he or she would have enjoyed previously?
  • Does he or she appear confused about normal and established routines?
  • Have there been changes to your pet’s sleeping habits?
  • Is your pet sleeping more during the day or more restless at night?
  • Does your pet appear distressed at night? Does he or she vocalise?
  • Has your pet forgotten some training that he / she used to be able to perform easily?
  • Has it become difficult to get your pet’s attention? Or does she or he appear to be increasingly distracted?
  • Has your pet started soiling in the house? Has your pet lost its toilet-training?
  • Has your pet become less active?
  • Has your pet started wandering aimlessly? Or appear to be in perpetual motion at times?
  • Has your pet’s personality changed? Become more anxious or scared?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, your pet may be showing early warning signs of cognitive decline. However, many of these signs may also be associated with medical conditions, for example, a pet that is less active may have arthritis, so it’s really important to talk to your vet about any behavioural changes your pet may be going through.

What can be done about Cognitive Decline in pets?

The earlier a pet is diagnosed, the sooner a pet can be helped to maintain their brain and mental health. Apart from treating and managing any concurrent medical conditions, treatment involves a multi-pronged approach. This includes:

Enrichment: Social and mental stimulation

Environmental Management: Enabling your pet to navigate its environment and interact as happily as possible.

Behaviour Modification: Teaching your pet new coping mechanisms

Medication: Some pets experience cognitive decline because of changes in circulation in the brain. Others may have deposits laid down in the brain which prevent neural signals from passing normally through the brain. Others may have changes in the way the brain metabolises glucose and so changes its way of functioning. As with any other medical issue, some pets require medicine to treat their condition. There are a number of medications available to treat cognitive issues, depending on the underlying cause.

Nutritional Supplements and Diet: Good nutrition supplies the building blocks for maintaining health and healing injury. As animals age, their nutritional requirements change too. These days there are specially formulated diets that have been scientifically proven to improve brain function for those susceptible to cognitive decline. There are also supplements available to assist in giving pets the extra nutritional support that can be added to their regular food.

Where to from here?

If you think your pet may be having some cognitive issues, please talk to us about it. Changes may happen very slowly or more rapidly over a few months. And no, there are no silly questions, so don’t be afraid to discuss any concern you may have.

To book an appointment, please call 0481 527 678 or email. We will be happy to help!