Animal Talk

HEALTH, NUTRITION, BE HAVIOU R & TRAINING

your questions answered

Doggy dementia

A ‘Doggy dementia’ is a recognised

disease in dogs. Because it can occur in cats

as well, it is actually referred to as cognitive

dysfunction (CD). It is a neurodegenerative

condition similar to Alzheimer’s disease in

humans, and affects geriatric dogs and cats.

Although studies have found CD to be a

common problem in aged animals, it is still

a severely under-diagnosed disease with

up to 85% of potentially affected animals

not being identified. The reason for this

is that the signs develop slowly and are

often mistaken by owners as normal signs

of ageing. It is important to differentiate

the normal signs of ageing (which should

not affect the dog’s daily performance)

from signs of CD, which are considered

pathological. When the signs of CD are

recognised early, steps can be taken to slow

the progression of the disease down using

pharmacological intervention with drugs,

nutritional supplementation and behaviour

modification. A thorough medical and

neurological evaluation is essential for all

older animals to diagnose CD, and should

be done at least every six months to a year.

Dr Vanessa Mcclure, veterinarian

Q (^) Is there such a thing as
doggy dementia, and is there a
way that I can prevent it?
Ticks and fleas in winter
A^ Ticks and fleas pose a risk to your pet in all seasons. In South Africa, the
winter temperatures do not drop to freezing levels and protected areas like
your home and dog’s kennel can stay warm and humid enough to support
ticks and fleas throughout winter.
Fleas have been known to be able to survive for five days at 0.5°C and ticks
at 4°C, so your pet could pick up one of these parasites when they go outside
and then bring them into the warm environment of your home or their kennel
where they will survive and be able to transmit diseases to your pets. There are
also no rules about when winter starts and ends so you will not know when
the ticks and fleas that have ‘overwintered’ during the colder months become
active again. I recommend using tick and flea prevention all year round as
failing to protect your pet could lead to serious consequences to their health
and even the death of your pet.
Dr Vanessa Mcclure, veterinarian
Q (^) Why should I treat my pets against
ticks and fleas in winter as well?