Teaching Your Old Dog a Few New Tricks

Teaching Your Old Dog a Few New Tricks

In an earlier post, we discussed the condition sometimes known as animal Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive dysfunction. Once we’ve arrived at that diagnosis through eliminating other behavioral and physical issues, it’s best to begin therapy as soon as possible.

The only medication labeled for this condition (in the U.S.) is selegilene. It’s only for dogs, a daily pill that enhances neurotransmitter levels. Efficacy is variable from patient to patient, and it may take up to 60 days before witnessing any improvement, so selegiline prescriptions should not be interrupted for the first two months.
Various nutritional supplements have also been recommended for this purpose. Please exercise caution when evaluating one of these for your dog or cat. Recall that companies who manufacture this sort of product are largely allowed to regulate themselves, so safety, efficacy, and meticulous labeling are not guaranteed. Be sure to check with your veterinarian regarding possible interactions. S-adenosylmethionine is probably the supplement backed by the greatest degree of scientific research. It’s not known to interact with any other medicine or supplement (including selegiline). A trial prescription is generally continued for 6-8 weeks, although results may be seen much sooner.
A third approach to this condition has been largely overlooked in pets. Older people (and pets) may slip gradually into a more sedentary, isolated lifestyle, almost imperceptibly, until their social interactions and intellectual responsibilities have dwindled to practically nothing. Humans with mild cognitive dysfunction (what might be described as impending Alzheimer’s disease) are urged to strive for more robust intellectual, social, and physical stimulation. We can and should do the same for our canine friends. Older pets no longer undergo training because they’ve mastered the household routines so completely. When we stop training our dogs, however, the learning parts of their brains start to gather dust. We don’t have to let it happen! It’s the actual process of learning that stimulates the mind, so new “tricks” need not have any practical purpose. Use the same training techniques you would employ on a younger dog. Puzzles meant for keeping bored pets busy will stimulate the learning centers as well. Physical activity also has a tendency to be neglected in older pets because we perceive them as being weaker. In fact, light exercise is highly appropriate for a weaker individual (as long as his doctor approves) and is likely to diminish nighttime restlessness. If your geriatric pet socially isolates himself by loafing most of the day, interaction and petting may need to be actively encouraged. We tend to let them go their own way because they are older and they deserve it, but that’s not always the healthiest thing.

Pharmaceuticals and supplements are available for purchase, but studies in humans show that mental and physical exercise have a protective effect on cognitive function. It’s easy, rewarding, and totally safe to breathe some life into your older pet’s sedentary lifestyle. Be imaginative in presenting him with some fun brain teasers. Teach him something silly. Go for a walk together. You won’t regret it.

Dr M.S. Regan