Night Pacing And Staring At Walls? Vets Warn: These Hidden Signs Are Early Dog Dementia

Owning a dog brings immense joy, but seeing them grow old can be emotionally challenging. While age-related changes such as slower movement, greying fur, and weakened senses are expected, many families also face a lesser-known issue as their pets age: canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), commonly known as dog dementia.

Understanding Dog Dementia

Canine cognitive dysfunction is a neurodegenerative condition that affects senior dogs, according to veterinary neurologist Dr Abbe Crawford. She told Newsweek that the brain changes seen in affected dogs are "very similar" to those found in humans with Alzheimer's disease.

Dogs with CCD may pace without reason, bark at nothing, seem unusually anxious, or start having accidents indoors. These behaviours often worsen at night due to disruptions in their sleep-wake cycles.

Key Symptoms to Watch For

Dogs with dementia typically show confusion, anxiety, disturbed sleep patterns, and reduced interaction with people or other pets. While a vet visit is important for worried owners, Crawford cautions that CCD often goes unnoticed in its early phase, as its initial signs can be mistaken for normal ageing.

Veterinary behaviourist Gary Landsberg notes that there is "no strict order" in which symptoms appear, but early red flags often include nighttime restlessness, lower activity during the day, and shifts in social behaviour.

Other symptoms, such as disorientation, constant pacing, and worsening house soiling, may develop over time. Landsberg adds that issues like pain, sensory decline, or metabolic disorders can also mimic or worsen CCD symptoms.

How Vets Identify the Condition

Landsberg developed the DISHAA Scale, a cognitive assessment tool designed to detect early signs of CCD.

DISHAA evaluates seven categories: disorientation, social interaction, sleep/wake patterns, house soiling, learning and memory, activity, and anxiety.

For a CCD diagnosis, more than one cognitive area must show decline. According to Landsberg, the tool helps rule out other illnesses and uses validated questionnaires to grade the severity of symptoms.

Treatment Options and Care Strategies

There is currently no cure for dog dementia. Symptoms typically worsen over time, but vets can offer medication, supplements, and management strategies to improve the dog's quality of life.

Although treatment choices are limited, Landsberg says certain diets, supplements, and medications "can slow progression or improve signs." Environmental adjustments, such as reducing stress or managing anxiety-can also provide significant relief.

The PDSA advises keeping your dog's environment stable and familiar. Avoid rearranging furniture, leave a radio playing in one room to help them orient themselves, and gently retrain routines like toilet habits if needed.

Owners are encouraged to stay patient and calm. Dogs with dementia may appear confused or fail to recognize familiar people, but maintaining positive interactions is essential for their emotional well-being.