'Doggy Dementia'

The decline of mental function in senior dogs

PhD student Hannah Salvin, the University of Sydney’s Associate Professor Paul McGreevy and Dr Michael Valenzuela (medical researcher from the University of NSW) are conducting a collaborative study into the decline of mental function in senior dogs.

This syndrome is known as Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD) and has been colloquially referred to as 'doggy dementia', because of many similarities to human Alzheimer's disease. Little is known about this disease in the community resulting in under-diagnosis and poor management. As dogs (like humans) are living longer lives due to advances in medicine and science, the number of dogs suffering CCD in our community is increasing.

CCD affects aged dogs, usually after the age of 8 years. The symptoms include:

• loss of housetraining or other learned behaviours
• restless and vocalisations for no apparent reason
• sleeping during the day and being awake and restless at night
• wandering aimlessly and repetitive behaviours such as pacing or circling
• aggression
• getting lost in familiar surrounds, particularly, facing the hinge side of a door to be let out
• change in eating or drinking patterns
• failure to recognise familiar people or pets

How can you help?

The CCD research team wish to set up a registry of dog owners, who have expressed an interest in canine cognitive research, and who have a dog over 8 years of age available for participation.

For more information, or to register your dog for participation in this very important research please go to http://doggydementia.com.

Complete this survey to check if your dog is at risk of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction or doggy dementia http://www.maturedogs.com.