Canine Cognitive Dysfunction is a disease that is becoming more common in dogs, largely due to the fact that dogs are reaching advanced age more often. In Remember Me? Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, author Eileen Anderson walks us through the disease and the current treatments available.
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, also known as CCD, has many symptoms, including but not limited to:
- Confusing the hinge side of the door for the opening side
- Spinning or pacing
- Staring off into space
- Getting stuck in corners or against walls
- Forgetting training
- Not recognizing familiar people
- Anxiety
- House soiling
The disease progressively gets worse as time goes on, and there is no cure. There are however, ways to slow down the progression of the disease.
The Forefront in Medicine
This is where Eileen’s book takes us. After a thorough review of what CCD is and what it looks like, Eileen takes us through all the studies available at the time of publication. The book includes what scientists have learned about CCD, medications available, and supplements that can support an aging brain.
There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment to CCD. Some dogs will respond well to medication, some won’t, and some will be unable to receive medication due to other health conditions. This is why it is so important to work with your vet when treating suspected CCD.
Eileen reminds people throughout the book to work with their vet, while still sharing all the information out there on possible treatments and symptoms.
A Must Read
I came across this book after interviewing the woman who owned Rugby for an article on CCD. I didn’t have any experience with the disease itself—or so I thought. All of my dogs are super seniors, but they don’t have any signs of CCD.
As I learned more from Rugby’s owner about the disease however, I realized that I have encountered CCD many times in the past. When I worked as a dog groomer, I noticed as dogs got older, a startling number would forget how to leave the salon.
As you can imagine, most dogs know exactly where the exit is after having a bath or getting their nails clipped. It was surprising to me that they’d suddenly start trying to leave by the closet, or have their nose planted on the hinge side of the door.
Rugby’s owner recommended the book to me, so I bought it. Eileen’s book opened a whole new world to me and changed my understanding of older dogs in a whole new way.
This book is important for every dog owner to read. It’s filled with great advice to help support older dogs, delay onset of the disease in younger dogs, and generally help pets more.
I no longer work as a dog groomer, but if I did I think I would keep a print out of Eileen’s CCD checklist on my work table, and send it out with dogs who show symptoms of the disease. As a dog groomer, I think it’s important to help clients in any way they can, including letting owners know when it’s time to see the vet.
If you’ve ever owned a dog, this is a must read. I highly recommend picking it up off of Amazon today. If you haven’t already, you should also read our interview with Eileen Anderson here.
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