If you are searching for a canine cognitive dysfunction checklist, then look no further. Integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby explains a bit about canine cognitive dysfunction (i.e. doggie dementia). She also provides an easy to use checklist that can help you determine if your dog is experiencing signs of canine cognitive dysfunction. Finally, she explains how you can help your pup after a dementia diagnosis.
If you have a senior dog in your home, you may have noticed some behavioral changes as the years go by. It is common for older pups to be a little less active than when they were younger. Some may also seem to get a bit confused at times or forget things they used to know. Unfortunately, brain aging is a part of getting older. But that doesn’t mean you should dismiss signs of cognitive decline as normal.
As our beloved pets are living longer, more and more of them are being diagnosed with canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), otherwise known as doggie dementia. In fact it is believed that 28% of 11 to 12 year old dogs already have CCD. By 15 to 16 years old, that number jumps to an alarming 68%.
With other old dog afflictions like arthritis, the signs of decreasing mobility can be pretty obvious. However, the signs of dementia in dogs are often much more subtle. This is where having a canine cognitive dysfunction checklist, like the one I will share with you soon, can come in handy.
What is canine cognitive dysfunction?
Canine cognitive dysfunction is disease that affects the brain in older dogs. It is very similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Over time, beta-amyloid protein is laid down in the brain. These protein plaques cause inflammation which leads to the death of nerve cells. Unfortunately, unlike some other cells in the body, once a brain cell dies, the body can’t replace it with a new one.
These permanent brain changes may alter your dog’s physical and mental state. While we tend to focus more on the mental side of CCD in this article, it is important to remember that there are also physical signs of canine cognitive dysfunction, as explained in a 2019 article in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Science.
Sometimes your pup may adopt new behaviors or even experience a complete personality change. Other times he or she may seem lost in space or forget the location of the door to outside or the food dish. Senior dog anxiety at night tends to be another one of the common manifestations of CCD. This is because CCD is known to negatively impact a dog’s sleep-wake cycles. As a result, your furry friend may wake up multiple times a night. This sort of confusion at night is why CCD may also be called sundowners in dogs.
How do I know if my dog has canine cognitive dysfunction?
Unfortunately CCD is a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that there is no test available that can give you a definitive “yes” or “no.” Instead, your veterinarian will need to rule out other conditions that may cause behavior changes first.
Typically, the vet will start with a comprehensive nose-to-tail physical exam and some lab work like blood tests for dogs and urine testing. This can help rule out:
- Liver disease in dogs
- Kidney failure in dogs
- Diabetes in dogs
- Hypothyroidism in dogs
- Cushing’s disease in dogs
- Signs your dog is in pain
If your vet doesn’t find any physical problems that could account for the behavior changes and your dog’s symptoms fit with CCD, then the vet will make a dementia diagnosis.
You can help the process by filling out a symptom checklist such as the one below. Keep in mind that some dogs with CCD may only show one or two clinical signs of dementia in dogs. And other dogs display many different signs.
Canine cognitive dysfunction checklist
| When thinking about your senior dog, do any of these scenarios sound familiar? | YES ✅ | NO ✅ |
| My dog has started pacing around the house at night. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog appears confused or disoriented at times. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog doesn’t seem to hear me when I call him. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog isn’t seeing things as well as he used to. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog is hearing and seeing things that aren’t there. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog gets lost in the house or in the yard sometimes. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog gets “stuck” in places like in between furniture. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog seems a little emotionally distant or doesn’t interact with me like before. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog seems more anxious and is panting a lot. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog never used to be aggressive but now growls more than he used to do. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog is having accidents inside of the house. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog barks at things that didn’t cause barking before. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
| My dog is having trouble finding his or her food and water bowls without assistance. | ◻️ | ◻️ |
This CCD checklist is a good place to start and can be handy to print off and bring to the vet visit. However, it is not an exhaustive list. Anytime you have concerns about your dog’s mental state, please make an appointment with your vet, even if your dog isn’t showing a lot of the signs on the canine cognitive dysfunction checklist above.
How can I help my dog who has CCD?
Like with Alzheimer’s disease, there is no cure for CCD. However, by focusing on management and working with your veterinarian, you can help your furry old friend enjoy his or her golden years despite CCD.
Keep a journal and note your dog’s changes
One easy thing you can do is to keep a daily journal of your dog’s activities, including sleep and bathroom accidents. This will provide a way for you to identify the changes associated with CCD. Then you can use that list to pinpoint how to address them. For example, if your dog tends to have accidents at night, you could try taking him or her out more frequently in the evening. This may help him or her have an empty bladder and bowels before bedtime.
Consider medications or supplements
Some dogs may benefit from melatonin for dogs to help them sleep at night (but always look at the label to ensure the melatonin supplement doesn’t contain xylitol or birch sugar, which is toxic for dogs). Additionally, anti-anxiety meds (e.g. trazodone for dogs) or supplements to keep dogs calm can be helpful. And so can medications created specifically for dogs with CCD such as selegiline for dogs.
Plus, there are a variety of brain-support supplements for dogs with CCD. One of my favorites is MCT oil for dogs. MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) are a great source of energy for the brain and may help support cognitive function in dogs with dementia.
There are also some prescription diets (Hill’s® Prescription Diet b/d canine and Purina® Neuro Care) that are supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids for dogs and antioxidants. And Neuro Care contains MCT oil too. These diets are great for the brains of dogs with dementia.
Since there are so many options, it can be helpful to ask your vet what might be right for your dog.
Play brain games with your dog
Use a puzzle feeder, play hide and seek, teach your dog new tricks, explore new places, or do other activities that help stimulate your dog’s brain. You can get more ideas from my blog 7 Tips To Keep Your Aging Dog’s Mind Fit.
Adapt to your dog’s needs
There are a variety of ways that you can help address some of your dog’s specific CCD manifestations. As mentioned earlier, you might need to take your dog out more often if he or she is having accidents inside. Alternatively, you could provide potty pads or another acceptable indoor elimination area. Consider using high value rewards to mark the behavior you want to encourage (i.e. going potty outside or laying down calmly) like you did when your dog was a puppy.
Dogs who have trouble sleeping at night may benefit from more exercise (physical or mental) during the day. You could also consider using anxiety-reducing pheromones or compression garments to help your dog stay calm if anxiety is an issue.
When possible, try to keep your daily routine as consistent as possible to avoid confusing or upsetting your dog. It may also help to have a designated quiet, comfortable, and peaceful area where your dog can spend time if the hubbub of daily life (or kids, company, other pets, etc.) gets overwhelming.
What does a CCD diagnosis mean for me and my dog?
Canine cognitive dysfunction can be difficult for you and for your senior dog. At first, CCD may just cause a few minor behavioral alterations. But over time, the number or severity of the changes may increase. Eventually they can become problematic enough to negatively impact your pup’s overall quality of life (and your quality of life too).
This is especially the case when no one can get a good night’s rest or your dog becomes fearful or anxious most of the time. And at some point, you may unfortunately have to decide when to euthanize your dog with dementia.
Therefore, it is important to identify these changes early on so you can take steps to support your dog. This is where the canine cognitive dysfunction checklist comes into play. It can give you a better understanding of what is happening in your dog’s brain and how you can help him or her.
Along the way, remember to give yourself and your dog some grace. There might be times when you or your dog are feeling frustrated by the effects of CCD, and that is ok. Some days are sure to be better than others, and it can be easy to get pet caretaker fatigue. But you can get through it together.
Is your dog showing any of the CCD signs on this checklist?
Please comment below.
Hi,
While searching my dogs symptoms I stumbled across your page. I’m pretty certain this is what my dogs has. She’s had many health issues in the past 2 years but the recent decline sounds like CCD. She’s a 12 year old Boston with presumably cancer in her abdomen. They won’t operate or biopsy due to its location. She has seizures (from said mass). She has started staring at walls, her bowls, the floor. She will stand until exhaustion and then fall over 🙁 She trembles a bit when standing. She can barely hear me and I have to yell so that she know me where I am. Even though we have the same routine she forgets where her bed is. The last few nights she is not eating her food when I give it her but then when I woke up this morning she had eaten it, so that’s good. We do have a vet appointment this afternoon. I’m hoping the vet can help guide me in this difficult time. I have a gut feeling that she’s not happy. Her eyes don’t look happy anymore 🙁
Dear Emily,
I am sorry you are seeing this mental decline in your senior girl. I agree that what you describe does sound like CCD/dementia. There are many different medications and therapies that may offer some benefits for your pup but sometimes saying goodbye is the most loving option. I will attach links to other articles with more information and great comments from other readers. Hoping your vet will be able to offer guidance and support as you navigate this emotional path. Bless you and your sweet girl.
1. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Solutions
2. Signs of Dementia in Dogs: Stages, Symptoms & Treatment
3. Using a Quality of Life Scale for Dogs
4. Dementia in Dogs: When to Euthanize Your Beloved Senior Dog
I have a 10 year old bulldog that recently started drinking huge quantities of water and peeing out large amounts. He started peeing in the house which he never did before. The vet did all blood work twice over 4 months as well and urinalysis. Nothing came back abnormal so he believed the dog had a condition called diabetes insipidus and prescribed some hormone eye drops.
It seemed promising at first, but I think that was just my wishful thinking. He still drinks a lot and pees large quantities. The accidents in the house still occur occasionally. Now he drools often which he never did before, smacks his lips constantly when laying down, and has started waking up at night and walking around aimlessly. He is also less engaged and stopped following me around like he always did. I am wondering if he is starting to have cognitive decline? His spine has started to protrude as well, though I read that Spondylosis is not usually painful. I feel so inept and helpless. I do not want him to feel so terrible and. do not know what else I can do.
Hi Elli,
I understand your concern for your Bulldog with these worrisome symptoms he is exhibiting. I am sorry the desmopressin eye drops did not seem to help, and you are still left with more questions than answers. Dementia could definitely be contributing to the issue, and it might be worth trying some supplements to see if they can lessen the severity of the symptoms. Since you are starting to notice his spine is becoming more prominent, I am suspicious this is due to loss of lean muscle mass along his back. Spondylosis is something you would only see on x-rays and while it is generally not a painful condition it can become painful as it progresses. Here is a link to an article with more information:
Spondylosis in Dogs: What Your Dog Wants You to Know
I will attach links to other articles that address dementia/cognitive dysfunction in more detail. Hoping you can find some solutions to give your sweet boy relief. Wishing you both many happy days ahead. Keep up the good work!
1. Signs of Dementia in Dogs: Stages, Symptoms & Treatment
2. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Solutions
3. Diabetes Insipidus in Dogs: Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment
My 14 year old girl Cori, a 40lb. very mixed breed (Corgi/GSD/??) has recently been treated for UTI, after “normal” treatment, and still not better, urine culture revealed antibiotic resistant bacteria, so new meds for 7 days and she now has no bacteria remaining – finally, we got the “all clear” after a month of accidents in the house. It’s been about 10 days since that news, but the accidents are persisting. It’s like she’s forgotten her housebreaking, or she got used to peeing inside and thinks it’s an OK thing to do. Vet said perhaps her bladder is still “calming down” after this long duration UTI, but I don’t know. She’s not incontinent (no wet bedding or spots when she gets up, etc), this is going to a specific room repeatedly and peeing, despite full cleaning w/carpet shampooer. I’m now starting to wonder if she has some cognitive issues? She has ALWAYS been reliably housebroken, so this is pretty distressing for me – she seems unbothered, though. Any thoughts as to this maybe getting better on its own (bladder calming down), or cognitive or just weird old-dog behavior change?
Hi Karen,
What a difficult month you had with Cori! I’m glad to hear that she has finally cleared her antibiotic-resistant UTI. Your vet’s thought that her bladder may have still potentially been a bit irritated from the longstanding UTI make sense to me, but I also can’t totally rule out dementia or habit. It is a little suspicious that she keeps going back to the same place to urinate. Maybe there is still some urine odor remaining despite using the carpet shampooer? You could try using an enzymatic cleaner and urine odor eliminator (something like Nature’s Miracle) when you clean the carpets. Or it may be helpful to block her from that room for a bit to see if she has accidents elsewhere, or if it is something about that room.
Hopefully you don’t need this advice anymore because the accidents have stopped on their own. But if they haven’t, it is probably also worth going to the vet to a recheck to ensure she hasn’t developed bladder stones, the infection isn’t back, or she doesn’t have some other medical issue that is keeping her from urinating outside. I hope you find a solution that solves all the urinary accidents once and for all!
My Pom x Chi, Bella, is 16 years old. She has always been a super smart, active and bright little girl and a darling. In the last several months, there have been some major changes in her appearance and behaviour. She seems to not be able to hear anymore, and her eyes are increasingly cloudy. She has started bumping in to things, and she sleeps for much of the day. Recently, she has started to not sleep much after midnight, and has been restless, and wanders around barking at night. I try to calm her, but am often unsuccessful. It’s heartbreaking to see her like this and her night time restlessness has been keeping me up for most of the night, which is making it difficult for me to work. It’s terrible seeing her like this and I feel unable to give her comfort, or help her. Pats and cuddles, and holding her close don’t seem to help her calm down at night.
Dear Melissa,
My heart aches for you as you face this difficult situation with Bella. I understand how hard being a full-time caregiver to a dog with dementia can be. I will attach links to other articles with more information and great advice from other readers as well. Please reach out to your vet for help and guidance. Hoping you can find a way to offer relief and get some rest yourself. Bless you and your sweet girl.
1. Signs of Dementia in Dogs: Stages, Symptoms & Treatment
2. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Solutions
3. Senior Dog Anxiety at Night? 9 Solutions for Better Sleep
4. When Caring For A Sick Pet Becomes Too Much: Pet Caregiver Fatigue
my dog keeps trying to bit the rug as if there’s a treat there also picking sofa
Hi Janet,
I am sorry your pup is displaying this worrisome behavior. Is there a way to distract him with a treat or toy and get him to leave the rug and sofa alone? Do you think he is getting enough exercise daily? I wonder if boredom could be contributing to this situation. Here are links to other articles with ideas for ways to keep his brain stimulated:
1. 13 Mental Stimulation Toys for Dogs (& Activities Too)
2. Exercise & Enrichment for Senior Dogs Boosts Brain Health
As always, it would be best to have your vet do a thorough exam to make sure nothing has been missed. Best wishes to you and your pup!
my 13 yr old golden/ border collie has some changes I have noticed in recent weeks. at first I thought she was going deaf but I did some simple tests with her and she heard them all. She doesn’t have any traditional medical issues other than on thyroid meds. But recently she has been panting all the time, things that she has been trained for is totally forgotten, going to the bathroom in the house (on potty pads), pacing like crazy and I can walk in my door shake my keys and she still pays no mind to me. I can call her from another room or when we’re out for a walk and she acts like she doesn’t hear me. She does have yearly doctor visits with nothing else showing up. She even had the Cushing disease tests. nothing. I’m so 😟
Hi Lisa,
My heart goes out to you as you face this difficult situation with your senior pup. All the symptoms you describe do sound like dementia/cognitive dysfunction. I will attach links to other articles with more information and great advice from other readers. It would be a good idea to discuss the possibility of dementia with your vet as there could be a supplement or medication that could help slow the progression of this disease. Praying for your strength as you navigate this unknown path. Bless you both. ♥
1. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Solutions
2. Selegiline for Dogs: A Helpful Medication for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
3. 5 Signs of Dementia in Dogs and What to Do About Them
Hi Lisa- My heart goes out to you as we have been dealing with similar behaviors for a longer period of time it seems than you have with our 12 year old Husky, He has been diagnosed with CCD/dementia. Combined with some arthritic issues we started with Gabapentin and recently added Trazodone to the mix to help with the Sundowners/overnight struggles he’d been having. Gabapentin alone didn’t do quite enough for his anxiety/pacing however adding Trazodone recently has made a big difference. May be something you could try in the future? Best of luck to you and your pup is lucky to have a Mom that’s so good to them.
Hi Marci,
This is great advice. Thank you for sharing your experience. Wishing you and your senior guy many happy days ahead.
I know my 14 year old dachshund Lucy has CCD
She is a yes to almost all the CADES questions
I am low income and chronically ill so knowing a vet would want
to do a lot of exclusion tests is upsetting.
I am so sleep deprived from her pacing at night.
My brother is a vet in Ak. I asked for him to provide
an anti anxiety med or if anything would help her. He said
“NO” …just take care of her general health.
With other previous dogs sent me arthritis med.
Dear Patricia,
I am sorry Lucy is struggling and it is affecting your quality of life as well. I know you have financial concerns and would not be able to do a lot of testing, but that doesn’t mean it would not benefit your girl to be evaluated by a local vet. You can let your vet know up front there are limitations, and they should be able to work with you to do what is best for Lucy and find a suitable treatment plan. They can also evaluate Lucy’s quality of life and let you know if saying goodbye is a more loving option. I am hopeful you will find the answers you need. Wishing you both the best.
I’ve been welcomed into the world of doggy dementia, beginning as sundowners, a few months ago. Never having a dog with these symptoms, at first we were just impatient as we watched her bark nightly for an hour and a half. After a week or so, we understood it was to be an ongoing event. Barking, confusion, getting lost, anxiety.
We tried a couple anxiety meds and are moving on to one med specific for cognitive issues such as dementia.
It is tough to be barked at for a couple hours when trying to relax myself at night. However, seeing her face with visible anxiety and confusion is the worst part of it. We try to snuggle with her, or near her if she can’t tolerate closeness for a time. We also will do things to try and distract her like a quick walk, or even an ice cube or mental toy. Seeing our pups who were always there for us, but are now inconsolable is difficult.
She is a sweetheart. I hope that somewhere deep inside, like a human dementia patient, she feels loved and cared for. Currently, this primarily occurs beginning at 5pm. During the rest of the day she displays typical senior dog behavior.
I am sorry for all going through this as well. It calls for us to step up our love and attention; and be our dog’s best friend.
Hi Lynn,
My heart goes out to you as you face this difficult situation with your senior girl. Dementia/cognitive dysfunction is so hard and can really make it difficult to maintain the bond we share with our beloved pups. I am glad you have another medication to try. I hope it will give your girl some relief from her struggles. I will attach links to other articles that may offer additional information and advice. Thank you for being willing to share your story. Wishing you both the best.
1. Sundowners in Dogs: A Veterinarian’s Guide
2. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Solutions
3. Selegiline for Dogs: A Helpful Medication for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
4. Dementia in Dogs: When to Euthanize Your Beloved Senior Dog
My sweet senior rescue boy recently started randomly waking up between 3:30-4:00am every single night. No changed in environment, just randomly did it one morning and hasn’t stopped. He will stand by my bed for hours scratching at it until he sees me get out of bed and go downstairs. He seems totally normal otherwise, following his same routines and all. And he doesn’t have to go to the bathroom yet or anything at that point, he just wants ME to be awake. Not my husband, not my parents when he stayed with them, not anyone at the boarding facility the one night he was there, just me. I’m not really seeing any other symptoms of CCD, should I still be worried?
Hi Leah,
I understand how worrisome this new nighttime behavior must be for you. Since I haven’t examined your pup myself, it is hard to make specific conclusions. This could be the very first signs of CCD, but it would be a good idea to have your dog evaluated by your vet. They will probably want to do some testing to rule out other more serious conditions. Also, there may be a medication or supplement that could help correct this issue such as Melatonin. I will post some links to other articles with more information. I hope this will give you some ideas of topics to discuss with your vet. Best wishes to you and your sweet boy.
1. Sundowners in Dogs: A Veterinarian’s Guide
2. Senior Dog Anxiety at Night? 9 Solutions for Better Sleep
3. Marvelous Melatonin for Dogs
4. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Solutions
My 16 yr 9 month JRT has all on the tick list. deaf and loosing sight. wandering all day, getting incontinent now etc etc. the biggest problem is anxiety barking, getting lost in corners and aggressive tendency with 2 year old and myself. not often but often enough to need to say goodbye. a big fight on Friday at poor puppy. ..she just licked tge older on afterward. I think she knows.
I thnk I have guided her through long enough (4yrs). Has grade 4 murmur and arthritis…tearfully and fretting I will let her go this week. so very sad but intellectually the right thing
thanks for your check-list…helpful.
Dear Julie,
I am so sorry you were faced with this emotional decision for your senior dog. From what you described; I am confident you made the right choice. Letting go was the only way to give your sweet girl freedom from her struggles. I hope her passing was smooth and peaceful. May her memory continue to be a blessing in your life.
We have a 14 year old toy poodle. He is blind and is partially deaf. He no longer remembers where anything is located. He has extreme anxiety when not with me, even if he’s with someone else. If we go anywhere he will bark continuously until we come back. About 80% of the time now he doesn’t let us know he has to go out and will pee in the floor or on the bed. About 4-6pm each day he becomes a different dog and forgets us all and tries to bite and growls. He doesn’t recognize me. I can’t even move without him snapping. We have to give him gabapentin for him to sleep. He has always slept with us. He has also began coughing when he barks. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster.
Hi Wendy,
I am sorry your senior guy is suffering from severe cognitive dysfunction/dementia. It sounds like his mental health is declining fast and his days may be nearing an end. I will attach links to other articles with more information and great comments from other readers. If both you and your dog are struggling with a poor quality of life, saying goodbye may be the most loving option at this point. I hope you can find the answers you need to make the best decision for everyone involved. Bless you both.
1. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Solutions
2. Dementia in Dogs: When to Euthanize Your Beloved Senior Dog
3. Preparing for Your Dog’s Euthanasia: 10 Thoughts for Peace
I checked Yes on most of the items on the list for my 17 year old schnoodle. The biggest issue is that he’s peeing in the house during the day and at night. We take him out as much as possible and always before bed. He’s never been crated before, but we need to start. I feel bad about it, but he’s ruining our wooden floors because he goes in the same area every time. So sad and frustrating.
Hi Terri,
It can be very frustrating to deal with accidents in the house, especially when your senior guy really doesn’t have any control over them. Crating may be a good option to help stop this unwanted side effect of dementia. I also recommend you talk to your vet and see if they have any medication recommendation. There might be a medicine or supplement that could be of great benefit to your boy. I will attach a link to another article that has additional information on the subject. I hope you can find a solution that helps your boy and gives you some relief as well. Best wishes to you both!
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Solutions