Part of our pets living longer is the fact that we’re seeing feline cognitive dysfunction more often. [Learn why Getting Old Sucks – Cognitive Dysfuntion in Dogs (CCD)]
Dementia is a progressive loss of cognition or mental faculties due to brain tissue damage. It’s generally associated with aging; although younger cats can get it due to other causes (such as head trauma). Alzheimer’s is one type of dementia. While we don’t completely understand its causes, we know that heredity plays a part.
However, Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) is a disease that involves the degeneration and loss of brain nerve cells, resulting in behavioral changes. Age is the greatest risk factor, but it’s not the only one. Officially, cats as young as eight years can present with symptoms and it’s classified as a mental disorder.
According to Dr. Danielle Gunne-Moore,of the University of Edinburgh’s Royal School of Veterinary Studies, “Twenty-eight percent of pet cats aged 11 – 14 years develop at least one old-age related behavior problem and this increases to more than 50% for cats over 15.”
[heading style=”1″ color=”#ff9933″ style_color=”#ff9933″]How do you know if your cat is just getting older or if he has CDS? [/heading]“It isn’t easy” admits Dr. Marc Schmidt, veterinarian in San Tan Valley, AZ. “We make sure it’s diagnosis by exclusion—that it isn’t medical, that the cat’s behavior is out of character, such as staring off into space, getting confused.”
These are also considered symptoms of old age in humans. “In people, they have a more defined and refined way of judging [these age-related conditions],” said Schmidt. “But in cats, we haven’t gotten that far. We can’t test our patients the way doctors can with people.”
Dr. Scott Plummer, of the Veterinary Neurology Center in Arizona, is more succinct: “Aging and feline cognitive dysfunction are impossible to differentiate at this time.”
[heading style=”1″ color=”#ff9933″ style_color=”#ff9933″]Causes of CDS[/heading]
We really don’t know the exact causes of CDS, but there are several possible factors being evaluated. “There is a lot of data recently for canines but there doesn’t seem to be much on felines,” said Plummer. “This problem appears to be much more prevalent in dogs than in cats, and in my experience we are much more likely to find some underlying medical condition causing behavioral issues in cats.”
The environment:
There is reason to believe that our environment may impact the progression of CDS.
“Air pollution and excessive noise may predispose to…cognitive dysfunction, over time.” says veterinary nursing lecturer Julie Cory, of the College of Animal Welfare in Huntington, England. “Neuroinflammation associated [with these things] can lead to oxidative damage and the development of amyloid plaque” [excess protein found in brain with CDS]. Journal of Vet. Beh., (2013), 8, pp 291-301, Elsevier
Medical Conditions:
“Abnormal behavior like CDS can be caused by tissue inflammation, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, tumors, trauma, or metabolic conditions,” explains Dr. Alexander de Lahunta, emeritus Professor of Anatomy at Cornell’s College of Vet. Med. “If magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid fail to reveal a physical problem in the brain, then the problem is something that is probably best treated by an animal behaviorist…”
[heading style=”1″ color=”#ff9933″ style_color=”#ff9933″]Diagnosis by exclusion[/heading]
Since symptoms can be very difficult to sort out when it comes to identifying whether your cat has CDS or is just experiencing normal aging. In most cases, the diagnoses is made by exclusion (the fact that nothing else fits the symptoms). These include:
• Aimlessness. Noodles can wander in a way he didn’t before, with a gait that’s less purposeful. He may saunter to places he usually avoided. You could find him staring, and it’s not his usual ‘Don’t you see that wee speck?’ look.
• Memory Changes: Your cat suddenly forgets where the food bowl is, or can’t find his way to the litter-box as often. He changes the way he responds to you calling his name, letting him know dinner is ready, or failing to greet you when you walk in the door.
• Decreased Ability to Learn: You know her normal learning curve; but now she doesn’t seem to have any ability to learn tricks or remember old ones.
• Yowling or Crying: Suddenly your cat is making unusual noises, perhaps yowls in a plaintive tone or takes up a new habit of anxious chattering.
• Mood Changes: Your cat may suddenly become cantankerous, even aggressive, and it isn’t because of physical discomfort.
• Change in Sleeping Habits: Your cat used to sleep 18 hours a day and only woke up for evening playtime and feeding time. These days, he’s up longer than usual, wanders the house at odd hours. The reverse may also be true – your normally active cat is suddenly sleeping the day away. Either way, your cat’s sleeping cycle has changed.
• Not Interested: Your cat may seem genuinely “disinterested” in anything. He no longer likes his evening playtime, doesn’t want to take a walk, won’t jump into your lap, etc.
• Change in Eating Habits: She’s no longer interested in food that she used to love, not even her favorite treats. There’s less gusto.
• Emotional Changes: He can become needy, especially at night. Conversely, he can act as if he doesn’t know someone he knew well at one time.
• Grooming: He doesn’t groom himself, such as his coat, eyes or ears as carefully as he used to. He may become matted or unable to clean himself.
There’s another symptom that’s harder to define. I’ve seen it in my 16 year old, Grace. She’s somehow less focused, even a little faraway. She was never a ‘slow-blinker; now she looks away sooner than she used to. Breaks my heart.
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[heading style=”1″ color=”#ff9933″ style_color=”#ff9933″]Treating CDS[/heading]
Unfortunately, there’s no cure for CDS. Not for humans, not for animals. But there are a few things that may help alleviate the symptoms and perhaps even slow the progression. No drugs specifically licensed in North America for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in cats. Medications tried on cats have only been cleared for dogs. No diagnostic tests. No brain mapping. The increased protein deposits in the brain associated with CDS dysfunction come with advanced age, too.
There is little research, even now, that’s seeing the light of day. However, we do know a few things…
Diet and/or Supplements:
Veterinarians often start with your cats’ diet. What’s often suggested are increased essential fatty acids, keeping carbs down, adding vitamin E. Research in humans and dogs has shown that diets enriched with antioxidants, as well, reduced amyloid production, (increased in the brain with CDS), and improved cognitive function. These benefits are presumed to carry over in cats.
“Nutrition is the basis for many of our tissue biochemical pathways and cycles,” says Dr. Vicki Thayer, of the Winn Feline Foundation. Nutrients necessary for increased cognitive function include potassium, vitamin D, B1 and B6 and manganese. “SAM-e has also been studied to help treat cognitive dysfunction in dogs and cats.”
True. However, increasing vitamins, potassium and manganese hasn’t proved to help. Several respected local veterinarians and two veterinary neurologists have had ‘little luck’ with suggested supplements, from ginkgo biloba to oft-touted SAM-e.(S-adenosylmethionine, produced in the liver from methionine, often recommended for osteoarthritis.)
In fact, there is no firm data that indicates any supplements actively work.
[heading style=”1″ color=”#ff9933″ style_color=”#ff9933″]Medications That May Help Your CDS Cat[/heading]
The following medications are often suggested to help alleviate symptoms of CDS, but we asked several veterinarians what their thoughts were on the more popular ones.
Selegiline
Selegiline (l-deprenyl) is sometimes used with people with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, as it can increase the concentration of dopamine, needed for cognitive processes. With dogs, success has been hard to monitor, and results are mixed.
“It doesn’t do much; about 50% of patients thought it affected their dogs,” says Schmidt. “This disease isn’t consistent nor predictable in symptom, so it’s hard to evaluate.”
Dr. Karnia, of the Scottsdale Cat Clinic, agrees that it could be a placebo effect humans see in their pets – on the part of the person, not the animal. “I have not had much luck with Seligilene. This is not approved for in cats.”
Minocycline
Minocycline, an anti-inflammatory antibiotic which decreases nerve degeneration, is often recommended for feline CDS.
Pertixifiline
For the person who is “willing to try anything”, they may want to discuss the option of Pertixifiline with their veterinarian. This is another tranquilizer that has the added benefit of enhancing circulation, but it hasn’t been studied that well.
Fluoxetine
A veterinarian may prescribe an anti-anxiety drug, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), to ease some of the alarming signs of cognitive dysfunction.
“I have not had good success with this drug either, and have not used it in cats,” says neurologist Dr. Scott Plummer, of the Veterinary Neurologist Center in AZ.
[heading style=”1″ color=”#ff9933″ style_color=”#ff9933″]Lifestyle Changes[/heading]
[blockquote cite=”Dr. Danielle Gunne-Moore, University of Edinburgh’s Royal School of Veterinary Studies” align=”right” pull=”yes” italic=”yes”]28% of pet cats aged 11 – 14 years develop at least one old-age related behavior problem and this increases to more than 50% for cats over 15.[/blockquote] [load_module id=”210″][heading style=”1″ color=”#ff9933″ style_color=”#ff9933″]How You Can Help Your Aging Cat[/heading]
Whether it’s aging, dementia, Alzheimers, CDS, lifestyle changes can give your aging cat an easier life. Here are some tips that may help your cat adjust more easily to CDS.
• Keep the environment accommodating.
Nightlights can illuminate litterboxes— keep them as accessible as possible to him. That may mean more of them, bigger, with lower sides, where he spends most of his time, now. If he forgets to go, periodically take him to the box . Make changes slowly—change itself is hard to accept when a cat is at her best, but with CDS, it’s harder.
If there are changes in his sleep cycles, keep him awake as much as reasonable during the day, so he sleeps during the night.
Avoid making any type of environmental changes, such as rearranging the furniture. It’s confusing to your already challenged feline.
• Increase Mental and Physical Stimulation.
No matter what life-stage your cat is in, you should be providing plenty of mental and physical stimulation: exercise, interactive toys, like Da Bird, Neko Flies Cat Dancer, brushing, food-puzzle and ‘activity’ toys and boxes, even teaching tricks.
Cats with active minds have more nerve connections, which means increased brain function. Remember, the mind is a muscle! You must flex it on occasion and that means lots of puzzles, solving problems, and becoming creative in solutions. Your cat needs this same type of activity.
• Don’t punish! Don’t yell. NO aversives.
You shouldn’t anyway, of course, but remember that your cat can’t help it and is not doing these things to irritate you. Contrary to popular belief, cats are not vindictive nor do they want to punish you for something you’ve done. Cats are cats.
• Spend More Time with Your Cats.
The time you spend together is loving and rewarding, and provides plenty of health benefits to you and your cat. Not only does it strengthen your bond, it hugely improves both you and your cat’s quality of life. They deserve our best!
A calm, regular everyday routine helps reinforce his sense of place and decreases that “lost” feeling.
Last night I heard scratching near my head, next to my pillow. Grace, usually curled up with me, had left a sausage there. She sat there, while I asked her (very reasonably, I thought) what the hell was she thinking, and flushed the thing away. But then I lay there, with vision blurred, cheek wet, putting things together, and wondering if this is the Beginning…
…and knowing we owe it to our loved pets to support them, for as long as we possibly can, for as long as our kids have a decent quality of life, and knowing somehow, some day, when loving means to continue, or to let them go. (Damned Kleenex. Never a sheet when you want it…)