Cognitive dysfunction syndrome: updated behavioral and clinical evaluations as a tool to evaluate the well-being of aging dogs

Abstract

Improvements in veterinary medicine, nutrition and the enrichment of the domestic environment have helped more dogs reach to their senile phase. However, greater longevity leads to a higher prevalence of cognitive problems in our pets. Throughout their geriatric lives, dogs are more vulnerable to suffering progressive neurodegenerative dementia syndromes. Due to its high prevalence, cognitive dysfunction syndrome is one of the most studied neurodegenerative diseases. This disease is a neurobehavioral entity that presents itself in senile dogs, and it is characterized by a deficit in learning, memory and the dog’s spatial awareness. It is a clinical disorder that has a significant impact on older dogs and their owners. There is a lack of reliable diagnostic tests that can guarantee the presence of the disease, provide early identification of the clinical signs of this disease, or establish a prognosis in terms of the recovery and expansion of the quality of life of the affected patient. Treatment should be directed at slowing down the progression of cognitive loss through the establishment of techniques and programs that improve physical activity, nutrition and the animal’s environment. Therefore, future research on the knowledge, control and prevention of this pathology are necessary to lower the impact generated by its effects on the quality of life of the animal.