Does your dog…

get ‘lost’ when wandering around the house and seem to get stuck in corners and behind furniture?

isn’t deaf but starts to ignore you when you call his/her name?

start having ‘accidents’ around the house even right after having been outside ?

he cocker spaniel who gets “stuck” in corners or behind furniture…

It could be that the dog is suffering from Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, an “…age related deterioration of cognitive abilities characterized by behavioral changes in dogs that cannot be wholly attributed to general medical conditions such as neoplasia (cancer), infection or organ failure. “ (ref)

It’s often referred to as ‘old dog syndrome’ or ‘dog senility’ and is thought to be the result of the same processes as happens to humans suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Want to know more ?

Check out these interesting articles…

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

CDS in Dogs

Doggy Alzheimer’s Disease

When Old Dogs Forget Old Tricks

(photo credit)

Post from: Blisstree

Dogs get Alzheimer’s Disease too…

Pets of many kinds help entertain and bring a smile to the lips of Alzheimer’s patients.  I saw my mom develop an affinity for a cat and dog she never had before.  They became almost the center of her life.  When we had to move her to our home 275 miles from where she was living, we brought her cat.  This helped Mother adjust much better than if we’d found another home for Kitty.

When Mother lived at the nursing home, I saw how residents responded to the cats and dogs that visited on “pet day.”  Perhaps the animal reminded them of a pet they recently had.  Or it might bring back memories of a pet from childhood.

However, dogs can serve another purpose, as related at Alzheimer’s Weekly in She Changed Our Lives.  Here, Roberta Bienenfeld tells the story of Nyja, an Alzheimer’s Assistance Dog and how she has helped Jerry Alexander become more active again. 

This concept of Alzheimer’s Assistance Dogs is connected with Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) and enables the Alzheimer’s patient to be more independent and more animated (in a positive way).  Read Jerry and Jan Alexander’s story and learn how Nyja added brightness to an otherwise bleak future.  Nyja didn’t solve all Jerry’s challenges by any means, but enables him to be more mobile and for Jan to be less house bound.  They even went on an Alaskan cruise with Nyja. 

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Assistance Dogs for Alzheimer’s Patients

Many of you probably have a dog in your life.  Perhaps this pet helps entertain your Alzheimer’s patient.  Also, a dog may entertain you and help relieve the stress of your hectic days.  Dogs also are welcomed in many nursing homes where they provide therapy for the residents.

When Mother lived in her home, there was Tiny, who ate so much she became roly-poly.  In our multi-generational home in New Hampshire, we have Ginger.  She loves to romp in the  snow, but her paws get cold.

So when I read this post at Jen’s Domestik Goddess, How to Teach a Dog to Wear Boots, I simply had to share it with my daughter, friends who have dogs, and my Alzheimer’s Notes readers.   This may be something you’d like to try with your dog if you live in northern climates.  At any rate, most everyone will enjoy Jen’s photos, whether they have a dog or not.

(Incidentally, Jen mentions in the About section of her blog that her dogs are therapy dogs and visit old folks’ homes with her.  I wonder…with boots and all?)

Have  you ever tried boots on your dog?

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

The Lighter Side of Alzheimer’s Caregiving

Generally once a week, someone brought pets to visit the patients…for them to watch, to pet, and to hold.  Smiles appeared on the residents’ faces, their moods brightened, and often they began telling stories about pets they had owned at one time in their lives.

Perhaps it was a pet they had as a child.  Or it could have been a pet their children played with.  Possibly it was one they and their spouse earned in the early days of marriage.  There also were some sad memories of the death of a pet.  But generally these were more cheerful ones.

Of course, some patients may have allergies to specific animals.  Or they could be fearful of an animal because of some past experience.

It’s a good idea that you note these, especially allergies, when filling out the admission papers and patient’s history, particularly if you learn there may be animal visits at this assisted living or nursing home. 

Post from: Blisstree

Pets for Alzheimer’s Patients

Pet visitation or Assisted-Animal Therapy is a way of helping Alzheimer’s patients become less agitated and more interested in social interactions. It’s not a new therapy – animal companionship has been used for years as an informal means of comfort and relief.

These days, organizations such as the St John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program (Canada) takes dogs into hospitals, rest homes, and palliative care units to visit patients suffering from isolation, illness, and confusion.

Research and studies indicate that pet visitation helps Alzheimer’s patients by:

- decreasing aggressive and/or hyperactive behavior
- a means of non-verbal communications
- reduce feelings of isolation and depression
- creates a non-threatening environment for self-expression

To find a pet visitation program near you, check out the Land of PureGold Foundation. They maintain a state by state listing of Assisted-Animal Therapy Groups.

Post from: Blisstree

Assisted-Animal Therapy for Alzheimer’s patients.

Mother enjoyed her cat and became very fond of her.  When Mother could no longer live alone, we moved the cat along with Mother to our home.  She was comfort to Mother when she couldn’t understand why she was living with us and couldn’t return to her home. 

At the nursing home, when Mother later lived there, I discovered they had a “Pet Day,” when a lady, who owned a kennel, brought dogs or puppies to visit the residents.  This was a joy for so many of them. 

However, when an Alzheimer’s patient lives alone, there are many things to consider when determining whether they can live with their pet.  These include whether that person can care for the pet, know how and what to feed it (won’t eat the pet food themself), provide for a litter box (for a cat), outside time for a dog (a fenced backyard run may be sufficient), etc.  Such duties eventually become impossible for the Alzheimer’s patient to perform.  When they live with a family member or paid companion, then these are taken care of, such as my husband and I did with Mother’s cat.

What has been your experience with pets and Alzheimer’s patients?  Sharing these might prove beneficial to anyone who must make decisions involving pets.

Post from: Blisstree

Pets for Alzheimer’s Patients