Pampered pets live long enough to suffer the ailments of old age
February 1st, 2008 Posted in Pet PicturesWith better nutrition, top medical care and comfortable living, pampered pets are living up to 10 per cent longer than they would have a few decades ago, a study has found. That means they are experiencing the same kind of cognitive failures as the human population which pays their vet bills. Telltale signs include pets having restless nights, forgetting their owners, inappropriate toileting and banal barking in dogs. An Australian study published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice reported that 28% of cats aged 11 to 14 develop at least one geriatric onset behavioural problem. This rises to over half of cats 15 years and older. Investigations of geriatric cat brains found the problem could be caused by deposits of beta-amyloid plaques, also known to accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr Sue Blaikie, the secretary of the Companion Animal Society, said New Zealand pets were also living longer with improved treatment and diet. Animals were now given chemotherapy for certain cancers, medication for heart disease and daily injections for diabetes. Circulation-boosting drugs improved blood flow to small vessels, including those in the brain. And pet food companies had formulated everything from “brain foods” for seniors to anti-cancer and joint health diets. The longer pets lived, the more likely they were to develop cognitive dysfunction, Blaikie said. “Some animals will lose the distinction between day and night and be up in the night pacing or whining,” she said. “Older cats will miaow inappropriately, and if they are deaf they miaow even louder.” But even some of these age-related behaviours are treatable these days. “People are asking vets and vets are finding out about anti-anxiety medication that can sometimes be helpful,” Blaikie said. “There are drugs to stop them weeing inappropriately, but not faeces, unfortunately.” Redcliffs vet Andrew Whiteside sees dogs aged 17 and 18 years old, and his oldest feline patient was believed to be 29. Unusual behaviours do start creeping in with advanced age, he said. Like bewildered dogs getting “stuck” in a corner of the house, not knowing how to free themselves from the two walls. “Animals getting unsettled and wandering is probably the most common symptom,” Whiteside said. In his experience, most families cope with degenerating animals until they develop “toileting issues”. “Everything is fine until there’s a diarrhoea on the lounge suite. That is very difficult to cope with.” On his house calls, Christchurch vet Dr Evan Kendon sees animals “staring blankly into space as if they’re getting forgetful”. “Most probably the mind is just wandering and lost its course,” he said. “In humans they talk about regressing to childhood. I’m wondering about animals. Are their thought patterns going back to puppydom?” Ian and Bridget Kelly keep a close watch on the health of their 12-year-old apricot miniature poodle, Peekay. “Actually, he’s still very sprightly,” Ian Kelly said. “He’s a little bit deaf. He’s a little bit short of sight and all those normal old-age things that you see in humans. But I’d say of a mind’s view, he’s still right there.”
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Tags: amp, animals, bet, cats, dogs, human population, Pet, pet food, pets, population, pup, puppy, seniors, signs, vet, vets
