<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Sadly, Canine Cognitive Disfunction (dementia in dogs) can happen to older dogs. One of my basset mixes who was the smartest dog I ever had, seemed very out of it near the end. She was a rescue, so I have no idea how old she was. If you catch it early, there are some medications that can help. Here is some info from Wikipedia:<div>There is no cure for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, but there are medical
aids to help mask the symptoms attributed to the disease as it
progresses. Therapies are a major form of symptom masking, such as
exercise increase, new toys, and learning new commands have shown
increases in memory. Changing the dog’s diet is also a helpful tool in
improving memory and cell membrane health. Medication is also one of the
most effective ways to mask the symptoms of CCD. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anipryl" class="mw-redirect" title="Anipryl">Anipryl</a> (selegiline) is the only drug that has been approved for use on dogs with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_cognitive_dysfunction#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup> Anipryl is a drug that is used to treat humans with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_disease" title="Parkinson's disease">Parkinson's disease</a>, and has shown drastic improvement in the quality of life in dogs living with CCD. Additional aids for dogs with CCD include <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture" title="Acupuncture">acupuncture</a> and special blends of Chinese herbs.</div><div><br></div><div>Acupuncture worked very well for one of my other dogs suffering a lot of pain. He found it very relaxing. </div><div><br></div><div>Best of luck to you and Janie Anne! </div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div><div apple-content-edited="true">
<div>Cary Riker-Shutt</div><div>Happy Valley Pet Services</div><div><a href="http://happyvalleypet.com">http://happyvalleypet.com</a></div><div>503-278-4249</div><div>text msg: 805-509-3736</div><div><a href="mailto:caryriker@gmail.com">caryriker@gmail.com</a></div><div><br></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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