Hugs to you and Alexander. He just may not have been that tired last night. I'll bet you're tired! Maybe he slept more yesterday than you realized. I'm glad he is doing ok this morning.

thanks for the message about Gizmo!
 

What is the Anipryl for? Confusion? I think Gizmo gets stuck in corners because he can't see. His story is long but shortly after we got him - the kids accidentally let him out and we didn't know it for a while and couldn't find him - he spent the whole night out and some neighbors found him the next day - and he was tore up - by some wild animal - the vet thinks and in the process lost at least some vision in one eye. It was cloudy - then about a year ago - a man living in the neighborhood walked by when I was outside with Gizmo and Gizzy ran after him barking (he is sooo territorial)and the guy turned around and hit Gizmo in the head with a metal walking stick and it also got his bad eye and he bled! I think he lost more sight and became very sad since. It was so terriable we tried to track the guy down - my husband was so mad - he was going to beat the guy to a pulp to hit such a small dog who was only barking at him! It was horriable. Since those 2 episodes the sweet, fun guy we got is so different. I don't blame him. I wish I could have protected him more and believe me we have become much more protective of him. But the damage is done. The home we got him from didn't do well by him either. It just seems life has taken a toll on him. God love him. We love him so much. It doesn't seem fair. Thanks for the encouragement!

Diet and Supplements for CDS
 

Has anyone tried this "Aktivait"®, or Hills Prescription Diet® Canine b/d? and
a more wholistic approach using: Cholodin® is a vitamin B choline supplement that has been proven to reverse the signs of canine dementia.

Herbal Treatments

"Though there are no specific cures for CCD and canine dementia, there are several herbs and other natural treatments that may be administered by pet owners. Many herbal treatments are designed to improve overall cognition, making life for an aging dog a bit easier. Rosemary is one such herb, according to the Native Remedies website. Rosemary helps improve memory, increases energy and slows the effect of free radicals on the body. Dogs given rosemary-rich foods or herbal supplements may experience improvements in cognition and energy. The herb Gotu Cola may also help treat symptoms. Gotu Cola helps improve the flow of oxygen of the brain which may aid memory and mental awareness."

FOODS TO ALEVIATE DOG DEMENTIA

"Dogs who are becoming senile or have dementia are recommended to be placed on a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, while having a vet prescribe a drug called Anipryl, or selegiline. This is a medicine which affects the attentiveness and sleep-wake cycle of the dog within 30 days. It alters the dog’s concentrations of brain chemicals, while also altering their behavior as an improvement.

In October of 2003, six years ago, a study was done through the University of Toronto where old dogs were placed on a diet rich in antioxidants–Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and beta-carotene—actually performed better on a variety of cognitive tests than dogs not on the diet."

“Although we found that not all cognitive functions respond to antioxidant treatment, our data suggests that antioxidants play an important role in preventing or slowing age-related cognitive impairments,” said Dr. Dwight Tapp.

found this also: Dr. Robert Forto: Forget Me (Not) Canine Dementia and CBS4 Denver

interesting site also : The Dog Doctor Radio Show Canine Dementia 5/22/2010 - Dog Works Radio Show | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Diet
# The dog may also be given nutritional supplements, like Omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, caratenoids and vitamin C. Never give these without the consent of the dog's veterinarian to avoid bad side effects or interactions with other medications.


Read more: Canine Dementia Treatment | eHow.com Canine Dementia Treatment | eHow.com

Sadly, there isnt more current research being done, if anyone else has more leading areas to research I think this thread would be a great area to post, if Bon wouldnt mind, We could have a link posted in the stickies for others who encounter with their babies these symptoms of CDS.

anipryl
 

[QUOTE=karab;3297080]What is the Anipryl for? Confusion?

ANIPRYL®
(selegiline hydrochloride, L-deprenyl hydrochloride)
Tablet

Description
* Prescription medication for treatment of canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS), an age-related neurologic syndrome characterized by various cognitive impairments such as disorientation, reduced social interaction, changes in sleep and activity patterns, and loss of housetraining.
* Daily treatment for chronic use.
Approved Use
ANIPRYL® (selegiline hydrochloride, L-deprenyl hydrochloride) is approved for:
* Control of clinical signs associated with canine CDS.
* Control of clinical signs of uncomplicated canine pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH).

Key Features
* First and only product approved for the treatment of CDS.
* First and only product approved for control of uncomplicated PDH.
* No loading dose, induction phase or extensive endocrine monitoring required.
* Works at the hypothalamic-pituitary level to normalize dopamine levels without causing adrenal toxicity or insufficiency.
* No specific laboratory tests required for treatment.
* Available in multiple dosage sizes.
* Can be given with food.
Packaging
Five tablet strengths in blister packs of 30 tablets each: 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 30 mg.

Dosage and Administration
* CDS – 0.5–1.0 mg/kg once daily, preferably administered in the morning. Initially, dogs should be dosed to the nearest whole tablet. Adjustments should then be made based on response and tolerance to the drug.
* PDH – 1.0 mg/kg once daily, preferably administered in the morning. If no improvement is observed after 2 months of therapy, dosage may be increased to a maximum of 2.0 mg/kg once daily. If no improvement is seen after 1 month at the higher dose or if at any time clinical signs progress, the dog should be re-evaluated.

Precautions
* For use in dogs only.
* For use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.
* Do not administer at doses exceeding recommended levels (0.5–2.0 mg/kg/day).
* In studies, the common side effects were vomiting, diarrhea or changes in behavior. Most side effects were mild to moderate.
* In a placebo-controlled study, most of the adverse events in dogs treated with Anipryl were also observed in placebo-treated dogs, although the rates in placebo-treated dogs were lower.
* Concurrent use of Anipryl with ephedrine, MAO inhibitors or potential MAO inhibitors, such as amitraz, is not recommended.
* As dogs grow older, they are likely to experience more health problems. Senior dogs should be observed more closely because changes in normal appearance, activity and behavior all can be signs that veterinary attention may be needed.
* Consult your veterinarian before using Anipryl with other medications or with tick collars.
* Keep out of reach of children.

I love this idea. I haven't tried the "Aktivait"®, or Hills Prescription Diet® Canine b/d. It's only been since joining YT that I started learning about healthy diets for our pets. I've now made it a goal to feed my younger pups a healthy (hopefully) diet now in the hopes of preventing cognitive disorders when they get older. I can see that I need to do a lot of reading to find out what I need to do to achieve that goal. :) I'm going to start here with what you've posted. Thank you for posting this!!

I am so glad you like the idea, because of my background I love to research and teach.

With our furbabies who are have developed CDS I think we can list some helpful tips together, symptoms, suggestions on how to resolve some problems we encounter like the one you had with the railings. Thinking outside of the box is what I enjoy. Listing it all here, I believe we can give an alternative for those especially who either are unfamiliar with various other web sites or wish to read on one site.

My vet recently prescribed the following for two clients, so she does not have a review back yet on it; but might be worthy of a read:

Home - Senilife

Components

The components of Senilife work synergistically and have a specific neuroprotective action to protect your pet from cognitive decline and improve the behavior signs that are often seen in senior pets.

Phosphatidylserine: Improves nerve cell communication and ensures those processes continue to work effectively.
" Phosphatidylserine, or PS for short, is a member of a class of chemical compounds known as phospholipids. PS is an essential component in all our cells; specifically, it is a major component of the cell membrane. The cell membrane is a kind of "skin" that surrounds living cells. Besides keeping cells intact, this membrane performs vital functions such as moving nutrients into cells and pumping waste products out of them. PS plays an important role in many of these functions.

Good evidence suggests that PS can help declining mental function and depression in the elderly, and it is widely used for this purpose in Italy, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe. PS has also been marketed as a "brain booster" for people of all ages, said to sharpen memory and increase thinking ability. However, the evidence to support this use is incomplete and inconsistent.

Pyridoxine: Essential for normal brain development, function, and neuron health.
"vitamin B6, is required by your body for utilization of energy in
the foods you eat, production of red blood cells, and proper functioning of
nerves. It is used to treat and prevent vitamin B6 deficiency resulting from
poor diet, certain medications, and some medical conditions. :

Ginkgo Biloba: Improves cerebral blood flow, increases glucose metabolism, and has a strong antioxidant effect.

Resveratrol: Antioxidant which protects neurons from toxic substances that can cause cell death.

Natural Vitamin E: Antioxidant with neuroprotective potential and slows functional deterioration observed clinically in patients with cognitive decline.

This sounds like a definete plus for our older furbabies, herbal, vitamin and antioxidant, phospholipids all rolled in one.

Thank you LadyJane, and are they considering our yorkies as middle age in their forties or fifty's?

I came here to post this and saw you'd beat me to it, Linda. :) Linda told me about Senilife yesterday and I've been doing some reading on it. If I'm reading it correctly, it's more of a preventative aid to keep the dementia from ever developing as well as possibly helping reduce symptoms of cognitive dysfunction. Is that how you interpret it?

Alexander is doing so well on the Anipryl, I have no plans to take him off of that medicine. But I'm wondering if the two can be given together? Would there be any benefit in combining them? I'm still looking for those answers, and I plan to ask the vet about it as well. Linda, does your vet have an opinion on this? Are her clients taking this instead of, or in addition to, the Anipryl?

Thank you for talking with your vet about this for me. I imagine it will be a while before she can say whether Senilife has helped her clients that are trying it? I'd love to hear her opinion in another few months.

Their website shows moving from adult to senior between the ages of 8 and 9, so I would think middle age would be about 6 to 8 year old (or the forties). ????

I am not sure of the details about who she prescribed it for. Her employee who does the ordering for the clinic has been keeping an eye out for me so that I could help you. I know that she will let me know how it goes for those clients and I will definitely let you know what I hear!

I just watched an ABC News video that's on the Senilife website. The vet they were interviewing mentioned several things that aging pet owners might be interested in, in terms of not only treating - but preventing - CDS. Some things he recommended were special diets (as Anne has mentioned), an antioxidant cocktail that's worked wonders for his own middle aged dog, Anipryl, Senilife, and puzzle type toys that encourage pets to engage brain activity. It was a very interesting piece.

"

This makes a lot of sense, we are told to exercise our minds as we ourselves hit middle age, I've attempted just that with Dad, but its past that time for him. Keeping the mind active and engaged and not bored is what they are striving to achieve. I have seen several toys on YT with those toys within a toy to attempt to retrieve through various holes would be ideal.

Sadly I havent found a stuffed toy yet that Shelby will not totally destroy within days, sigh. We try to keep her interested with her walks which are very limited atm due to a new development of a herniated disc below her AAI surgery site. So bones are the choice now that cant be broken. Chew toys also. Sorry I wandered off topic.

Perhaps some links to those puzzle toys we have run across?

went through this a year and a half ago with our 18 year old. Vet tried a med that i dont remember the name of. Said we would see results to eliminate some of his symtoms right away if it would work,not knowing how to get out of a corner or how to eat from his bowl. We had been hand feeding him for about a month. Vet said we would know when the time would come but we couldn't bring ourselves to say good bye. Spent many days at the vet. Your heart will let you know what to do. I wish you peace with whatever you do. Kathy and Ed

Oh, I'm so sorry about Shelby. Would a body cast or something similar help with the disc problem? Was her AAI surgery succesful? How old is Shelby?

I know what you mean about finding toys that will last longer than a few days! :p I'm still on the hunt to find the perfect toy.

I used to have a wonderful website saved in my Favorites. They sold the most amazing interactive toys, just about everything I could possibly imagine. I can't find the site right now - I'll have to look for it so that we can post it here. I need to look into ordering some as well.