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05-31-2006, 09:46 AM | #1 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2005 Location: London UK
Posts: 228
| Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome.. Has anyone got a Dog that is either suffering from or has suffered from CDS? I am told that it is, "A fairly recently recognized disease, Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS). This is a similar condition to Alzheimer’s disease in humans whereby alterations in the brain lead to confusion and behavioural changes. The primary symptoms of CDS are disorientation and forgetfulness. The affected dog may ‘forget’ their house-training, they may become ‘lost’ in familiar surroundings unable to remember where doors are or how to get past furniture, they may stare blankly at walls or into the distance, fail to recognize people they knows, fail to respond to their name, ignore verbal interaction, become ‘distant’ and less inclined to seek attention, wander aimlessly around or walk in circles, sleep more during the day but less at night. Be aware that your dog may also ‘forget’ to drink and thus risk dehydration or kidney problems. A significant percentage of older dogs will exhibit one or more symptoms of CDS ranging from mild to severe. These symptoms can be treated and, consequently, your dog’s quality of life will improve dramatically." If so, how did your Vet find out your dog was suffering from this, was it through blood tests? How was this condition treated and with what, tablets? How has it improved your dogs quality of life? All answers appreciated. Thanks Lisa Last edited by mitchell; 05-31-2006 at 09:48 AM. |
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05-31-2006, 10:06 AM | #2 |
YT Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: foss, ok
Posts: 321
| I wonder if my old dachsund has this. I have never heard of it before but I'll be sure to ask the vet about it at her next visit.
__________________ Bumblebees Mommy |
06-02-2006, 04:31 PM | #3 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2006 Location: Burlington, NJ
Posts: 10
| I had a yorkie that had CDS. It started by her losing her balance and falling off the curb a lot. The vet tried some pills, I forget what they were, but they didn't seem to help much. She just seemed unaware of where she was most of the time. Near the end, she would just pace and circle all day. We finally had to have her put down. It was just like Alzheimers in humans, she didn't seem to be aware of where she was or who I was. She was just over 15 and it seemed to progress rapidly. It was just about a year after she first started showing symptons, that we finally had her put down. She wasn't diagnosed until it was too late, so maybe getting her on medication sooner may have prolonged her life. It wasn't until after that we realized some of the problems we were noticing were due to CDS. The vet just thought it was because she was getting old. |
11-29-2007, 07:11 PM | #4 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 10
| Cds Hi, My boy Sammy is 13 1/2 years old. He was just diagnosed with CDS. I hope I can help in some way. I started noticing odd behavior in him, particularly seeming to get "Stuck" behind furniture. I watched him go behind there and I thought he was just being silly. Then, when I would walk him, he couldn't discern which house was ours. He would go up any stairs that looked like ours. I thought it was his eyesight. Then the restlessness at night started followed by the fact that he would no longer ask to go outside to pee, and pee all the time and only in the house. I kept trying to walk him because he has two leaky valves and I wanted to keep his heart healthy, but when I tried to walk him, I realized he was freaking out. I couldn't figure it out. I would take him and try to make him walk with me, and twice because of this, he fainted (the vet said it was NOT due to CHF). Well, I started researching everything I could and half kiddingly I put in Doggie Alzheimers and I was amazed at what I found. And there was Sammy. So, I brought him to my vet. There are not tests, a diagnosis is based on reports of symptoms and lack of any other medical conditions to explain the behavior. Sammy is in excellent health other than the heart disease. There was no other cause found to explain the behavior. So, based on this my vet concluded it is CDS. And the reasno why Sammy can't go out and walk, is because he no longer knows our neighborhood. He is frightened outside of our front door, he begings to shake and cry and his anxiety escalates. Because of this and because it causes him to faint, I don't make him go out. ON a good day, he'll walk a little bit up the street, or out in the backyard. On a bad day, he runs away from me when he sees the leash. I won't even bother to try when he does that. The vet did put him on Anipryl. His sleep patterns are much better because of this, but otherwise, I've not seen too much improvement. He does have a better energy level though. He hasn't forgotten me and I'm praying the medication will prevent that from happening. I can deal with anything else, but not that. Does anyone know of any support groups? I sure could use one because watching my dog become someone I don't know is heartbreaking. He does still love his ride in the car. And thankfully, he only pees in one area of the house which the vet says shows he still has some cognitive functioning. That and because he knows me shows that. I hope I have helped. Feel free to email me if you have other questions. Good luck. Chris, Sammy's proud mom. |
11-29-2007, 08:04 PM | #5 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Idaho
Posts: 208
| Wow, sounds like a heart-breaking condition... My heart goes out to all of you who care for pups with this....
__________________ Jenn~ |
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