Dog Dementia, Dogs Get it Too
Even dogs can get dementia. Dog dementia has the following symptoms, they can get confused, they get woken up a lot by their body because of disruptions in their sleep-wake cycle, and they have a lower tolerance for aggression. Also, they decrease their activity levels, while howling, barking or whining too much. Dogs are as capable as humans of pacing. They also have elimination problems when they get to a certain age. Some dogs will stare at walls, as well as have fewer social interactions. There is a sense of disorientation at home. In order to help a dog with dementia, the symptoms need to be observed early.
Older dogs get as many changes in vision and hearing loss as their human counterparts. If a dog cannot hear, learning hand signals can be substituted. Aging dogs can also have cataracts, which need to be corrected with surgery. If a dog cannot hear their human companion, it can make their lives difficult. To take care of an aging dog, a companion has to set going to bed at the same time every night. Dogs with dementia can be stressed when they awaken in the middle of the night, so calming music, aromatherapy or a long walk can help dogs feel better.
Some dog dementia symptoms can be treated with medication. Sometimes the help of a veterinary behaviorist or a dog psychologist can be useful. Dogs with dementia are not going to feel well half the time. Dogs can also have hypothyroidism, an illness also found in humans that causes brain fog, brain fog making the dog feel tired, listless, and lacking the energy to go for a walk with you. There is such thing as canine cognitive dysfunction, (CCD), that affects dogs because it could be something else such as dog arthritis.
Animals age as much as humans do. At some point, your pet may lose their health to the fact that he will get old. Dog depression means that they do not greet visitors at the door as often, in particular when they stop barking at things they used to bark at in their more energetic days. Dogs who have changes in their sleep-wake cycles often lose their energy to being tired from lack of sleep. If a dog urinates or defecates in the house, this means the dog is losing cognitive abilities to use his house training skills that were previously taught.
So you see, as humans, a dog loses cognitive function in their old age. Dogs may not respond to you trying to play fetch with a favorite toy. Dogs can have a repetitive motion symptom going on where they head bob, shake their legs, or pace in circles. Watching a dog have problems that are due to aging can be difficult to watch. Eventually, it has to be decided to put a dog to sleep if that is the best situation for your pet. Dietary supplements and medication could possibly help a dog with their aging process, as many medications can help dogs with all health problems caused by aging. Dogs are delicate in their advanced age. They need more medical care. Dog Alzheimer’s exists as well. Dogs need more care in their old age because they lose the ability to understand communication due to a loss in cognitive function.
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