Older Pets
April 1, 2008
I've been reflecting on age a lot lately. Maybe it’s because I recently took early semi-retirement at a healthy 55 or maybe it’s because my mom is 87 or maybe 89, depending on who's telling the story. She's still sharp as a tack, but she can't get around very well anymore, and she has macular degeneration which makes things even worse.
The other member of the family that is getting on in years is Darcie, our beloved 16 year old mutt.
Darcie moved to New Mexico with my daughter Claire almost two years before we made the move. At that time she was pretty healthy. She had some pain and stiffness in her cervical spine (neck) but we managed that with pain medication (Rimadyl), and it didn't slow her down much at all.
Since we've been back together I've noticed some pretty dramatic changes in Darcie, all the classic signs of cognitive dysfunction. We define cognitive dysfunction as, "the decline in behavioral condition with advanced age, in the absence of physical or medical conditions." And yes, the condition has many similarities to Alzheimer’s disease in people.
Dogs, like humans, do develop amyloid plaques in their brains. You could say they get forgetful, too. Darcie seems to do more wandering around and sometimes she'll just stand there staring at the floor. She follows us around the house and vocalizes more when she's lying at our feet.
She can't hear very well at all. When I come into the kitchen in the morning, it's the vibrations of my footfalls that alert her to my presence. To get her to come I have to make eye contact with her and give her hand signals. If she gets outside by herself she may just wander off, with us chasing her. Unless she sees us, she won't come back.
She seems anxious too. Separation anxiety is often associated with aging.
Unfortunately, cognitive dysfunction in both dogs and cats continues to get worse as they age. Our old cat Patty Paws seemed really out of it before she died at the ripe old age of 19, a few years ago.
Darcie still loves to go for her walk, though. Bring out the leash and she's a puppy again.
This information is being provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as specific veterinary advice for your cat or dog. It should not be considered or used as a replacement for any qualified veterinary care.
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