With advances in dog nutrition and veterinary care, dogs are capable of living well into their teens (depending on the breed). Just as elderly people get often become progressively senile, so too do dogs. There are many distinctive signs of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, popularly known as "doggy dementia". Veterinarians tend to remember these signs with the anocrym DISHA, which is short for Disorientation, Interaction, Sleep problems, House-soiling and Activity level changes.

Disorientation

It is only after years of observing a particular dog can that person detect when the dog seems to be at a moment of extreme confusion. The dog may suddenly get lost in a familiar neighborhood, home or yard. These dogs have to be kept leashed or confined because they may wander away and forget the way back home. The affected dog may try to find the doorway to a door he has gone in and out of for years.

Perhaps the most obvious sign is when a dog gets stuck in a corner. It is as if they cannot remember that all they have to do is back up in order to free themselves of the two walls. These dogs need to be gently lead out of a corner once they get caught in it. Some dogs will even seem to get caught on a section of flat wall, as if expecting a door to magically appear.

Interaction

The affected dog will suddenly have problems in the way she responds to strangers, humans other animals. The dog may not seem to recognize a former friend and begin barking as if the friend were a stranger. A dog known for barking at strangers may suddenly quiet when they come by. A dog may seem scared of the neighbor's dog he has played with for years.

Sleep Problems

For many years, the dog has slept at night and been awake during the day. Now, suddenly, the dog is sleeping all day and pacing all about the home all night, as if wondering why no one else is awake. No matter what the dog's usual sleeping pattern is, somehow it's reversed.

House-Soiling

This is usually the first sign an owner notices. Whenever a dog has a house training accident after years or months of successfully doing her business outside, she should be taken to the vet. This sign does not just happen in cognitive dysfunction syndrome, but in many other serious but treatable illnesses such as urinary tract infections and diabetes.

Activity Level Changes

This is another sign that the average vet couldn't detect, but a person living for many years with the dog can. The dog suddenly will no longer seem interested in the usual toys or suddenly stops grooming himself or looses interest in eating. It's as if the dog is so depressed, he is silently saying, "What's the point of it all?"

Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Signs your dog is suffering from senile dementia?
We want to hear your view. Write now!