An international team of experts in canine cognition has published new guidelines to help veterinarians diagnose and monitor canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CCDS), commonly known as canine dementia. The guidelines aim to standardize the approach for identifying and tracking this condition in senior dogs.
Natasha Olby, Dr. Kady M. Gjessing and Rahna M. Davidson Distinguished Chair in Gerontology at North Carolina State University, led the working group that developed these recommendations. "We are seeing CCDS diagnoses with increasing frequency, but there isn't a standardized method for the diagnosis," Olby said. "We wanted to propose that standardized method as a starting point that can be built upon over time."
CCDS shares similarities with Alzheimer's disease in humans, presenting as a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative syndrome associated with aging. Dogs affected by CCDS may show changes such as altered activity levels, disrupted sleep patterns, anxiety, house soiling, and difficulties with learning and memory.
Olby noted the growing interest in developing treatments for CCDS but emphasized the need for consensus on its definition first: "The good news here is that there is increased interest in finding treatments for CCDS," she said. "But in order to develop those treatments we must first be sure there's an agreed upon definition of the condition."
The working group introduced a diagnostic flowchart for veterinarians that allows diagnoses at two different levels of certainty. They also outlined three severity categories for CCDS: mild, moderate, and debilitating impairment.
Veterinarians are advised to begin monitoring dogs for cognitive changes using routine surveys once dogs reach about seven years old. If caregivers notice behavioral changes, a more detailed questionnaire should follow, with ongoing assessments every six months. For all dogs aged ten years or older, use of this scale every six months is recommended.
Further steps include ruling out other medical conditions through physical and neurological examinations; brain imaging may also be considered if available.
By establishing clear definitions and criteria for diagnosing CCDS, researchers hope to improve both diagnostics and treatment options moving forward.
"I selected the participants in this working group from experts in field who are either actively working on CCDS or who historically have set the standards – from those who first defined it to those who translated it into clinical practice," Olby said. "We recognize that this document is just the start of the process, but it was developed as a working live document that can be added to over time as our understanding improves."
The findings were published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and received support from the American Kennel Club's Canine Health Foundation (grant #03440).
