Similarities with Alzheimer's disease
In 2014, 1.2 million French people were affected by Alzheimer's disease. But humans might not be the only victims of cognitive dysfunction. This phenomenon would also affect dogs, from the age of 10.
The clinical signs are similar between humans and dogs: difficulties in finding their way in space, learning and memory deficit, disturbed social interactions and altered sleep. In dogs, canine cognitive dysfunction (CDD) also manifests as reduced consciousness.This is linked to brain aging caused by chemical and physical changes.
A well-conducted study
Researchers at the University of Washington used 15,019 dogs to conduct their study between December 2019 and 2020. The owners had to answer two questionnaires. The first made it possible to define the animal's ability to recognize familiar people. The second was more oriented towards the dog's lifestyle and medical history.
The researchers therefore took into account the animal's he alth problems, its breed, its activity level, whether it was sterilized or not, and of course, its age. And the conclusion is without appeal. The odds of canine cognitive dysfunction increased by 52% per additional year of dog life. The correlation between a dog's age and the likelihood of it developing CDD is well and truly established.
Previous studies have shown that 28% of dogs aged 11-12 have signs of cognitive impairment. This figure increases to 68% for dogs between 15 and 16 years old.
What are the signs of dementia in dogs?
Several signs make it possible to identify a CDD in a dog: anxiety or agitation, forgetting the people in the household, a decrease in the desire to play, forgetting the routes familiar, slow to assimilate new tasks, sleep disturbances As with Alzheimer's disease, the signs are not sudden. They appear gradually and get worse over time.
Dogs with neurological, ocular or auditory he alth problems are more at risk of developing CDD than other animals. All of this should be taken into consideration by veterinarians to ensure better management of the dog with CDD.
How to limit the risk of dementia?
To limit the risk of CDD, researchers advise owners to keep their dogs active. This is because inactive dogs have a much higher risk of developing dementia than dogs that engage in physical activity.