Billings vet highlights rise of heartbreaking 'dog dementia'

BILLINGS – A surprising health impact is now affecting dogs more than even before, taking pet owner by surprise when symptoms arise.

It’s known as canine cognitive dysfunction, or "dog dementia.”

A new study from the Dog Aging Project found the risk of dogs developing cognitive issues rises by 52% each year after age 10 in many dogs.

“It’s when their regular habits become changed,” said Dr. Edie Best with Billings Animal Family Hospital.

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We often see, Dr. Edie Best caring for our pets, but when it comes to dog dementia, she’s living the heartbreaking reality.

“Just the anxiety,” she said.

Her 14-year-old, mixed-breed dog Zoe moves a lot slower these days, especially when you factor in dog years.

“Probably well into their 80s maybe 90s, if you extrapolate that to a person,” said Best.

“It seemed to happen quickly, from sometime in the winter to now,” she said.

It's an occurrence in senior dogs that’s becoming more common, with signs beginning around nine years of age.

The American Kennel Club says dog dementia is caused by changes in the brain that are linked to aging. One such change affects the brain’s neurons, which are the cells that relay information throughout the brain. If the neurons can’t work properly, the brain can’t do its job.

“It’s when their regular habits become changed. They don’t have as much interest in playing or their toys, if they used to. They don’t want to go for walks. They don’t want to interact with the family as much as they used to,” she said.

Best attributes the recent increase in dog dementia cases to better veterinary care, saying dogs are living longer.

She says she’s seeing an increase in her own vet clinic, and she's trying to help pet owners navigate the journey of a senior dog.

And it’s something she’s seen first-hand with Zoe, noting the changes in her dog’s brain are similar to a human's.

“She can’t settle,” she said.

Paola Kulsrud

It was the same heartbreaking diagnosis for Paola Kulsrud, who grew up in Montana and now lives in Spokane, Washington, with her husband and rescue dogs.

“The first thing I would notice is when we were watching TV, he would get stuck behind the couch,” she said.

Her 15-year-old husky, Mahkia, was also diagnosed with dog dementia, which ultimately took the dog’s life in June.

She took to social media to document the ordeal and didn’t realize it would go viral and reach so many pet owners also dealing with the same heartbreaking reality.

“Sometimes you could see the confusion in his face,” she said. “It was 3:30 in the morning, I was walking around with him trying to get him to sleep and didn’t know it would resonate with so many people.”

While Best says there are medications available to pet owners to help ease symptoms, she believes the best thing to do is support your dog’s journey into their golden age with compassion.

"It’s like every day is a blessing,” she said.