Can dogs get dementia? Dementia can involve memory loss, impaired judgment, aggression, control problems, and confusion. Believe it or not dogs can suffer from this as well. The symptoms may all indicate as part of the aging process, but several factors including brain injury can cause dementia in dogs.
Just like in humans, dementia may be a part of the aging process. In humans, a new case is discovered every 3 seconds. In the United States, Alzheimer’s an advanced type of dementia is diagnosed every second. It means that the condition is a common health problem.
Signs Your Dog May Have Dementia
If you aging dog shows any of these signs there is a chance it is caused by doggy dementia.
- Disorientation (getting “lost” in the house)
- Sleep-wake cycle disturbances
- Shows fewer social interactions
- Greater instances of aggression (a shorter fuse)
- Decreased activity levels
- Inappropriate vocalization (barking, howling or whining)
- Increased anxiety
- Problems with elimination disorders
- Repetitive behaviors (pacing)
- Staring at walls
Dogs can develop dementia due to chronic inflammation. We have listed below several causes of chronic inflammation and how your dog can get them.
Causes of chronic inflammation
Vaccines
As with human vaccinations there is often much controversy and difference of opinion on dog vaccines. Some experts suggest vaccines are known to cause chronic inflammation by introducing the healthy cell-mediated response immune system to an unhealthy, chronically inflamed immune system.
What happens next is chronic inflammation resulting in a cycle of chronic diseases including inflammation to the nervous tissues, medically termed as neuroinflammation.
Micro-bleeds or mini-strokes can occur after vaccinations which can result in traumatic brain injury. Both of the said conditions can start a proinflammatory response. The proinflammatory response is an immune system reaction that makes the diseases worse which comes before an autoimmune disease.
To prevent all these health effects from happening, avoid unnecessary and unsafe vaccinations.
Medications
Some drug ingredients can cause chronic inflammation. According to Dr. Chris Exley, drugs are full of aluminum, and he shows a link between patients with Alzheimer’s and the presence of aluminum in the nervous system. Once aluminum gets into the brain, particularly the hippocampus, it can cause injury to the surrounding tissues.
It is the job of the hippocampus to store and organize memories. It is a limbic system that connects emotions and senses such as sound and smell to memories. The injury caused by aluminum in the hippocampus can affect how it is supposed to work.
Diet
Several food products can cause inflammation. Processed foods, starches, and carbs and sugars all cause inflammation. This is true for human as well as dog food. What is common among the lists is that they lack the probiotics and enzymes needed for healthy living.
Foods that are highly processed may contain metals, pesticides, glyphosate and organisms that can cause inflammation. Although highly processed food may claim the food product is fortified with vitamins and minerals, the preservatives still promote inflammation in the same way drugs do.
Stress
Dogs can take on the same emotional state as their owners. If you are stressed, it is likely that your pet will feel the same way too. Dogs are affected by stress. Stress increases cortisol production. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for our flight or fight reaction.
Of all the organs in the body, the hippocampus has the most cortisol receptors. When the cortisol level is high in the body, the hippocampus will shrink causing memory and cognition deficits.
Exercising and meditation can help in managing stress. While it may be difficult to get your dog to meditate in a traditional sense you can help alleviate dog stress through special relaxing music for dogs.
These practices are helpful to dogs with anxiety issues or difficulty relaxing. The body is not able to heal if there is a high level of cortisol in the blood. Exercise and de-stressing can help lower these harmful stress hormones.
