Did you know our pets can have dementia or cognitive impairment? I was examining Rocky, a 10-year-old boxer, the other day. His owners were concerned that he just seemed older lately. He was pacing, not playing with toys, seemed more anxious, and would seemingly get lost in corners. The owner said, “he just seems like he is not there sometimes. The lights are on, but no one is home.” He was also having occasional accidents in the house. I examined him to rule out some underlying causes like hypothyroidism, low blood sugar, anemia, and urinary tract infection. We checked some blood for various things and everything came back normal. I was beginning to think this was a cognition problem. Dogs and cats both can suffer from this, and they can respond to medication and supplements. My own dog, Gretel, became senile at 10 years of age. We started her on a medication called Selegeline. She responded by being normal and active for 2 more years. That was some time ago. Since then, we know other things to do. The medicine is number one, but now we know that omega 3 fatty acids and non steroidal anti-inflammatories help. Plus there are several diets designed to help older animals cope with dementia. If your pet is showing any of these signs, let us know. Maybe we can help you!

-Dr. Jim