7960445069?profile=originalA ‘family’ portrait of the seniors in Arden Moore’s household: (l-r) Chipper, 10;  Cleo, 10 and Murphy, 14. In dog years, Arden is 10.  A dog’s age in human years is calculated on age and weight. The old saying that one year in a dog’s life equals seven human years is roughly true.     

I remember the first time I spotted my 19-year-old cat, Little Guy, looking confused in a corner of my living room. He appeared to be lost. He also began vocalizing more with a mournful meow that seemed to say, “Where am I?”
    At the time, I wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but now I would be. Little Guy had developed feline dementia, also known as feline cognitive dysfunction.
    He lived to be 20 and during his final year, I had trained all guests to gently guide this brown-striped tabby out of corners and to sweetly answer, “Little Guy, over here” whenever he began making those sorrowful howls. In people years, he lived to be 96 years old.
    Today, I share my home with three seniors and one youngster. My dogs, Chipper and Cleo, are 10 and my cat, Murphy, is 14. In human years, the dogs are roughly 60 years old and Murphy is 72. Zeki is the feline kid at age 4. So far, my ageless canines still love to surf and take long hikes, and Murphy still enjoys our daily play sessions as she “stalks” the feather wand toy.
    Many of us are sharing our homes — and hearts — with senior pets. In fact, one-third of all cats and dogs are at least 7 years old. Depending on the breed, that equates to senior citizenship status.
    Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, improved commercial diets and a stronger people-pet connection, our dogs and cats are living longer. But as our beloved pets transition from seniors to geriatrics, they are also susceptible to age-related conditions, including cognitive dysfunction, similar to Alzheimer’s disease in people.
    “Cognitive dysfunction (also known as dementia or senility) is a neurological disorder of older dogs and cats characterized by a decline in cognitive ability due to brain aging,” explains Mark Dew, DVM, owner and medical director of the Animal HealthCare Center in Lake Worth. He also serves as the Palm Beach Veterinary Society liaison to the Florida Veterinary Medical Association.
    And, yes, he is the proud owner of Hootie, a black-and-white 17-year-old cat.
    “Hootie was a stray kitten we adopted when he was about 8 weeks old,” says Dr.  Dew. “Unfortunately, he does have some signs of cognitive dysfunction, but we manage it well.”
    Some cats and dogs start to exhibit certain telltale signs of cognitive dysfunction around age 12. Veterinary and behavioral experts use the acronym DISH to refer to the symptoms and signs associated with canine or feline senility.
    D is for disoriented. Pets who are disoriented often walk aimlessly, stare at walls or get stuck in corners.
    I is for interactions. Pets with impaired mental function often become less likely to greet people when they come home or to seek out a lap.
    S is for sleep. Dogs and cats who once slept soundly through the night may prowl or pace restlessly at night and may vocalize as they roam.
    H is for housetraining. Some cats suddenly forget to use the litter box and some dogs may forget to let you know they need to a potty break outside and piddle on the floor.  
    If your pet is exhibiting any of these signs, please have your veterinarian perform a thorough examination that will include blood and urine tests. Your golden oldie may have a physical condition that could be treated with medicine or at least slowed down.
    Sadly, there is no cure for cognitive dysfunction in our pets — yet. We can’t put the brakes on the rapidity in which our pets accumulate birthdays, but we can take purposeful steps to keep them feeling years younger. Veterinary researchers are learning ways to manage senility with memory-improving medications and specially formulated senior diets.
    At home, we can keep our senior pets mentally stimulated by playing a fun game of hide-and-seek with food treats stashed in different rooms of the house. We can engage in a toned-down game of fetch with our dogs by rolling the ball across the floor. We can provide orthopedic pet beds to ease their arthritic joints and provide low-level litter boxes to make it easier for our senior cats to enter and exit.
    One of my favorite pet advocates on the planet is actress Betty White, who turned 91 earlier this year. She was a guest on my Oh Behave show on Pet Life Radio and I will never forget her declaration, “Old age is not a disease; it is merely a stage of life.”
    Now that’s great advice from America’s ageless wonder for us and our pets.

Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.

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