Alzheimers
Doggie and kitty Alzheimer’s:
Can
we prevent and treat cognitive disorder?
by Shawn Messonnier,
DVM
 Most
of us are familiar with Alzheimer’s
disease, a devastating progressive neurological
disorder that usually appears in older
men and women. It is estimated that 45%
of people over the age of 85 will develop
Alzheimer’s disease, and death usually
occurs within eight years of the initial
diagnosis. Of course, some people develop
Alzheimer’s at a much younger age,
with an equally grim prognosis. The disease
is so prevalent that doctors can diagnose
Alzheimer’s with 85% to 90% accuracy
prior to death, and researchers are working
long and hard to prevent and reverse this
tragic disease.
What you might not know is that a comparative
disease occurs in dogs and cats. Called
canine and feline cognitive disorder (“doggie
and kitty Alzheimer’s”), respectively,
veterinarians see it most commonly in
older animals. It is estimated to affect
10 million to 15 million dogs and cats
in the U.S. alone. The cause is not known.
However, it appears that inflammation
may have a role. Microscopically, beta
amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
(abnormal protein accumulations) occur
within the brain, and its blood vessels
become visible (as in people with Alzheimer’s).
Ultimately, the brain lesions interfere
with proper nerve transmission (especially
of nerves which use acetylcholine).
The drug AniprylR has been approved for
treating cognitive disorder in dogs; no
medication is available for cats. While
effective in some patients, the drug can
have rare side effects such as restlessness,
disorientation, confusion, vomiting, increased
thirst, anemia, stiffness and lack of
appetite. If effective, AniprylR must
be used for the lifetime of the dog. Since
the medication is expensive, people with
older animals may prefer to look at alternative
therapies.
Top
signs of cognitive disorder in dogs
and cats
•
Deafness
• Lethargy/lack of energy
• Excess sleep (sleeps a lot
during the day)
• House-training problems (usually
urinating inside the house or outside
the litterbox)
• Staring at the wall
• Occasional lack of recognition
of the guardian
• Lack of awareness of surroundings
• Poor coat |
While many different
natural therapies (including antioxidants,
ginkgo biloba, omega-3 fatty acids, and
acetyl-L-carnitine) help dogs and cats
with cognitive disorder to some degree,
my favorite therapy utilizes choline (phosphatidylcholine)
supplementation. In particular, the patented
product CholodinR has shown to be beneficial
for many pets. Cholodin contains choline,
phosphatidylcholine, methionine and inositol.
Recently, in an attempt to quantify response
to the supplement, the manufacturer of
the product provided funding for a study
in dogs and cats. The results of these
two studies are presented below.
Twenty-one dogs of
various breeds were enrolled in the study:
nine neutered males and 12 spayed females.
The age of the participants ranged from
10 to 16 years of age.
At the beginning of the study, the dogs’
people were asked to identify any problems
commonly associated with cognitive disorder.
They reported the following abnormal behaviors:
• Deafness
• Lethargy/lack of energy
• Excess sleep (sleeps a lot during
the day)
• House-training problems (usually
urinating inside the house)
• Staring at the wall
• Occasional lack of recognition
of the guardian
• Lack of awareness of surroundings
A blood profile including a T4 test was
performed prior to the start of the study.
Each pet was supplied with a two-month
supply of Cholodin and instructed to administer
it according to label directions. At the
end of a 30-day period of treatment, the
dosage was doubled if improvement was
not seen.
The results were tabulated with the following
scoring system. The animals were scored
as having no response to the supplement,
minimal response, moderate response (up
to 50% better) and significant response
(greater than 50% improvement in clinical
signs.)
The results of the study indicated the
following:
1 dog showed no response
5 dogs showed minimal response
4 dogs showed moderate response
5 dogs showed significant response
3 dogs were lost to follow-up
1 dog was euthanized for acute liver failure
not related to cognitive disorder or the
supplement
Two dogs, in the care of the same person,
showed an exaggerated response and became
quite hyperactive, causing the individual
to stop the supplement. As a result, the
two dogs reverted to showing signs of
cognitive disorder, which the person involved
felt was more desirable than the improved,
hyperactive state.
Next
Page >
Published
in the April/May 2005 issue of Animal
Wellness
|
