The Aging Brain

As we age so do our brains, unfortunately, this happens in dogs and cats as well. They can have symptoms of aging that can be early signs of senility, dementia, and/or cognitive dysfunction. The signs are usually attributed to normal aging and owners don’t seek veterinary help until some of the more severe signs occur like loss of bowel movements or their sleep is being interrupted by an anxious, wandering pet.
Cognitive dysfunction is similar but not identical to Alzheimer’s in people. The brain is not able to break down protein so it starts to accumulate in the brain and causes cell death. The most common symptoms are as follows: Disorientation – wanders aimlessly, gets stuck in a corner, appears lost or confused in the house or yard, stares into space or at walls, does not recognize familiar people, does not respond to verbal cues or name, and/or appears to forget reason for going outdoors. Activity and Sleep – sleeps more in a 24 hour day, sleeps less at night, less purposeful activity, increase in aimless activity (wanders and paces). Housetraining – urination inside the house, defecation inside the house, urinates or defecates in full view of the owner, urinates or defecates indoor shortly after being outside, asks to go outside less. Interaction with Family Members – solicits attention less, less likely to stand or lie for petting and will sometimes just walk away, less enthusiasm upon greeting, no longer greets owners once the dog recognizes that they are home. Not all dogs or cats have all of these symptoms, sometimes they may experience only a few of the symptoms. However, what normally does occur is a steady progression of signs that get worse over time.
There is no cure for this disease but there are things you can do to slow it down and give them a better quality of life. The first step, as always, is to have your pet checked out by a veterinarian to perform a good physical exam and rule out disease processes with diagnostic testing that can mimic signs of cognitive dysfunction. Theoretically, the earlier you can start treating cognitive dysfunction the more likely you might be able to diminish symptoms or slow down their progression.
Treatment is aimed at all the micro-processes that happen inside each individual brain cell that I won’t go into detail about; but the short version is that all these things in some way help increase the health and function of the brain. There is a drug called Selegiline (Anipryl) that aims to increase the dopamine levels in the brain, about 1/3rd of dogs have a good response, 1/3rd have some response, and 1/3rd have no response. Fish oils, melatonin, SAM-E, ginko biloba, and specific vitamin supplements like Neutricks may help. Science Diet makes a dog food called B/D that is supposed to have a large amount of antioxidants. Calorie restriction of 15% has shown to have a positive effect. A set routine that includes daily exercise is very important to keep their mind engaged. It is also important keep playing with them for sensory stimulation even though they may have slowed down. Massage or brush them daily, even though they may not remember it later the good feeling is still with them and can help keep them calm and reduce anxiety.
Senior animals are frequently on medications for age related problems. Drugs to keep them away from if possible are Gabapentin, Diazepam, Benadryl, steroids, and phenobarbital to name a few. Your veterinarian should be aware of the alternate medications that they can take that will not have a negative effect on the brain and still help their cognitive dysfunction.