Ebook Mental health and well being in animals (2/E): Part 2

Part 2 book "Mental health and well being in animals" includes contents: Cognitive and emotional disorders in the aging pet; mental health issues in farm animals - a music mixing board model of behavioral characteristics using the panksepp emotional system; mental health issues in the horse; mental health issues in shelter animals; the mental health of laboratory animals; mental health issues in captive birds; psychological well being in zoo animals,... and other contents.
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Ebook Mental health and well being in animals (2/E): Part 2 15 Cognitive and Emotional DisordersVetBooks.ir in the Aging Pet Jacqueline Wilhelmy and Gary Landsberg Delaware Valley Veterinary Behavior, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Fear Free Research, CanCog Technologies, Fergus, Ontario, Canada Cognitive decline is a well-recognized group of et al., 2013; Madari et al., 2015). Basic functions disorders in domestic dogs. The problem is less such as self-hygiene, eating or drinking behavior, and common, but of increasing interest, in pet cats. It response to stimuli can be compromised or altered has been estimated that 45 million dogs around (Rofina et al., 2006). In the laboratory (Fig. 15.1), 7years and older live in the US and Europe; however, validated neuropsychological tests reveal quantifia- this estimate does not include cats. Pet owners and ble impairment in the learning and memory of veterinarians may be tempted to dismiss changes in affected animals (Milgram et al., 2004; Tapp et al., cognition as a normal part of aging in dogs and 2004; Araujo et al., 2012; Pan et al., 2010, 2013). cats. Pet owners may even fail to recognize clinical Outside of the laboratory, CDS is a diagnosis of signs of what is a treatable disease, and the onus exclusion. Once suspicion is raised by signalment and lies on health professionals to proactively inquire clinical signs, it is the veterinarian’s job to rule out a about the behavior of aged patients. Extensive number of other physical ailments (not uncommon in research has shown that underlying changes in the an aged population) that mimic the same clinical brain (some of which are similar to those seen in signs. This job is complicated by the anxiety, fear, and the brains of aged humans with dementia) can aggression that can also occur or worsen in pets suf- manifest in a list of identifiable clinical signs. Even fering from CDS. This chapter will explore the clinical more importantly, it has been shown that treat- picture of CDS in dogs and cats, its identification or ments exist which can slow the progression of dis- diagnosis, and available treatment options. ease. This can improve quality of life for both pets and owners alike, as well as rescue the human–ani- mal bond from the damage it can otherwise incur. 15.1  The Clinical Picture Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) is a pro- 15.1.1  Characteristics of cognitive gressive neurodegenerative disease of aging dogs dysfunction syndrome and cats. Although clinical signs are most com- monly reported in pets over 11 years of age, they The most common signs of CDS in dogs were can appear in animals as young as 6 years (Araujo found to include increased daytime sleep and night- et al., 2005b; Studzinski et al., 2006; Salvin et al., time restlessness (57%), altered social interactions 2010). The disease manifests in the form of behav- (51%), disorientation (49%), and anxiety (46%). ioral changes, impaired learning and memory, In mild cases, this study found increased daytime altered awareness, and confusion. Clinical signs can sleep was the most prevalent sign, affecting 70% of be categorized as deficits in one of six areas, repre- dogs (Fast et al., 2013). Another found owners sented by the acronym DISHAA: disorientation, were unlikely to report mild signs of cognitive dys- altered social interactions, sleep–wake disturbances, function unless specifically asked, but that altered loss of housetraining and other learned behaviors, social interactions were most common. Moderately increased or decreased activity levels, and increased affected dogs were most likely to exhibit sleep– anxiety or fear (Osella et al., 2007; Rème et al., wake disturbances and altered social interactions, 2008; Azkona et al., 2009; R ...