Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome in Dogs

Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome or CDS is one of the many changes that dogs will endure as they grow older. CDS, or Alzheimer's in dogs, happens as the dog ages and is caused by the dog's brain functions being affected by chemical and physical changes.

How do you know if your dog has CDS? Does it seem to be confused or disorientated? Has its interaction with the members of your family changes? Has its sleep and activity changed? Is the dog slipping on its being house broke? All these are symptoms that can help determine if your dog has CDS.

Confusion or disorientation associated with CDS includes the dog seeming to be confused or acting lost when it is in its own yard. The dog may not appear to recognize people that are familiar to it. The dog may not respond to its name or to verbal commands as it once did. Barking for no reason and standing on the wrong side of the door to ask to go outside are also symptoms of a dog with CDS.

A dog with CDS may have a change in its interaction with the family members that it once seemed so comfortable with. The dog may not seek attention from the family members as it normally does and it may walk away when someone tries to pet it. The dog may also fail to greet family members or show much less enthusiasm when a family member is in the same area as the dog.

The dog's sleep pattern as well as activities may appear changed if the dog has CDS. The dog may sleep more throughout the day and less throughout the night. The dog may also pace the floors more or may wander around the house more.

Another tell-tale sign of a dog having CDS is housebreaking. Older dogs that are kept in the house will generally have their own way of signaling to their owner that they need to go outside. If the dog has CDS, this signaling to the owner may not occur anymore and the dog may go to the bathroom inside the house instead of outside. The dog may also have an accident inside the house right after it has been brought back inside.

There are two known medications for CDS in dogs. These are Anipryl tablets and Cholodin. Your veterinarian will determine which is best for your dog should he diagnose the dog with CDS. Both medications have shown improvement in the dog within the first 30 days of treatment. For more information, go to www.cdsindogs.com.