Stem Cell Procedure Tested as Treatment for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
Research at the University of Sydney has already helped two senior dogs with dementia and may eventually aid humans with Alzheimer’s disease as well. This novel approach is not based on medication, supplements, or activities. It consists of the following steps: Assessing the dog as a good candidate and pre-testing the dog’s cognition; Taking a […]
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Loving Enrichment for a Dog with Dementia
Enrichment is a win/win situation. Studies say that we **may** be able to slow the onset and progress of canine cognitive dysfunction by enriching our dogs’ lives. But even if we don’t, we certainly are helping them in the moment. I have gotten to know Jennifer Fearing and her lovely dog Yoda through my book and […]
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Keeping a Wandering Dog Safe and Happy at Night
My friend Jane Jackson has graciously agreed to share her story about her wandering senior dog Beetle and how she kept him safe at night. These are her words. “I have a Jack Russell Terrier who will be 16 the day after Christmas. In the last year, he had started to pace and wander at night […]
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Webinar: Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
Is your old dog starting to act a little…different? Or do you have a mentally healthy senior dog and you hope to keep him or her that way? Join me in my webinar on canine cognitive dysfunction and dog dementia through the Pet Professional Guild on Monday, December 14, at 1:00 PM U.S. Eastern Standard Time. I’ll be […]
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Teaching an Old Dog How to Play with a Food Toy
You can teach an old dog a new trick, and you might be surprised how much she enjoys it! Research studies suggest that one thing that can slow the course of dementia is for senior dogs to have a lot of enrichment in their lives. In the laboratory studies, the enrichment consisted of getting exercise, social time with […]
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Causes of Dementia and Dementia-Like Conditions in Dogs
Age related cognitive decline is not the only condition that causes dementia in dogs. Some other conditions that can cause dementia include: brain tumors; brain trauma or other acute injury; encephalitis from various causes; tick-borne diseases; and liver abnormalities. You can consult the Merck Manual online for more information on these, but please also take your dog […]
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Circling Behavior in Dogs with Dementia
Circling behavior in dogs can be due to a variety of medical conditions, some of the immediately serious. If your dog is walking in circles, please see your vet right away. In senior dogs, circling is often due to canine vestibular disease or canine cognitive dysfunction (a.k.a dementia or Doggie Alzheimer's). My dog Cricket had [...]