Does my dog have dementia? A signs checklist

Yes, dogs can get dementia. The condition is called canine cognitive dysfunction, and it becomes more common the older a dog gets. If your old dog is getting lost in the house, awake half the night or having accidents after years of being clean, dementia is one possible explanation.

The checklist below helps you sort what you are seeing into a clear picture. It cannot tell you that your dog has dementia. No quiz can, because several other conditions cause the same signs, and only a vet exam can tell them apart.

Do dogs get Alzheimer's or dementia?

Dogs get dementia. They do not get Alzheimer's disease itself, which is a human diagnosis, but canine cognitive dysfunction is often compared to it. The aging dog brain shows some of the same changes, including a buildup of a protein called beta-amyloid, and the outward signs are similar: confusion, disturbed sleep, anxiety and lost habits.

It is a physical disease of the brain. It is not ordinary slowing down, and it is not a dog being stubborn or badly behaved.

Signs of dementia in dogs: a self-check

Vets group dog dementia symptoms under the letters DISHAA: disorientation, interactions, sleep-wake cycle, house soiling (with learning and memory), activity and anxiety. Go through each area and answer yes or no. Think about the last month, and compare your dog with how they were a year ago.

Disorientation

• Gets stuck behind furniture or in a corner and cannot work out how to back out
• Stares at a wall, the floor or into space
• Waits at the hinge side of a door, or goes to the wrong door to be let out
• Seems lost in a house or yard they have known for years

Staring has other causes as well, covered in why an old dog stares at the wall.

Interactions

• Greets you less, or does not seem to notice you coming home
• Does not seem to recognize familiar people or pets
• Has become much more clingy, or much more withdrawn
• Is more irritable or snappy with people or other animals

Sleep-wake cycle

• Paces, wanders or cannot settle at night
• Barks, whines or howls at night for no clear reason
• Sleeps far more in the daytime than a year ago
• Wakes you at night after years of sleeping through

Night waking is often the first thing owners notice. See why an old dog paces at night for the other things that cause it.

House soiling, learning and memory

• Pees or poops indoors after years of being house-trained
• Goes outside, does nothing, then has an accident just after coming back in
• No longer asks to go out
• Has forgotten cues or routines they knew well

Activity

• Less interested in play, walks, toys or exploring
• Paces or wanders with no clear purpose
• Repeats one behavior over and over, such as licking or circling

Anxiety

• More distressed than before when left alone
• Newly afraid of familiar places, sounds or people
• Agitated or unsettled as evening comes on
• Pants, trembles or cannot relax for no clear reason

How to read your answers

There is no pass mark. A count of yes answers is not a diagnosis, and a low count does not rule dementia out. What matters is the pattern.

• One or two signs in a single area. This is common in old dogs and often has another cause. Accidents alone can point to a bladder problem. Less play alone can point to pain. Mention it at the next checkup, or sooner if it is new.
• Signs in two or more areas. This pattern fits cognitive dysfunction more closely. Book a vet visit for this specifically, rather than waiting for the annual one.
• Signs across several areas that are getting worse. If you can say the dog was better three or six months ago, book soon. A steady decline over months is the typical course of dementia, and it is also when a vet's plan can do the most.
• Any sign that came on suddenly. Dementia creeps in. Sudden confusion is something else until a vet says otherwise. See the urgent list below.

Other conditions that look like dementia

Every sign on the checklist has at least one other explanation. This is why a vet works through the alternatives before settling on cognitive dysfunction, and why some of these dogs turn out to have something treatable.

Pain is the one owners miss most, because old dogs hide it. The signs of pain in senior pets are worth checking alongside this list. If accidents are the main problem, read about urinary tract infections in senior pets and senior dog incontinence. For the full list of causes, see why an old dog has accidents in the house.

A dog can also have two things at once. An arthritic, half-deaf dog with early dementia is common, and treating the pain often makes the confusion look milder.

When to call the vet today

Do not wait for a routine appointment if you see any of these. Call your vet or an emergency clinic the same day.

• Confusion or disorientation that started suddenly, over hours or a few days
• A seizure, a collapse or a sudden loss of balance
• A head tilt, flicking eyes or walking in tight circles
• Pressing the head against a wall and holding it there
• Sudden blindness
• Straining to pee with little or nothing coming out
• Not eating for a day, repeated vomiting, or drinking far more than usual
• Crying out, or panting and pacing that will not stop

What to write down and bring to the vet

There is no single test for dementia, so the vet relies heavily on what you report. Good notes make the visit far more useful.

• Your checklist answers, with a rough date for when each sign started
• Whether each sign is steady, getting worse, or comes and goes
• A short phone video of the behavior, especially night pacing, staring or getting stuck
• When accidents happen: asleep or awake, and whether the dog seems aware of them
• Changes in thirst, appetite and weight
• Every medicine, supplement and treat your dog gets, with the packaging if you can
• Any recent change at home: a move, a new pet, a new schedule

What happens next

Expect a full physical exam with a check of the eyes, ears, joints and nervous system, and usually blood and urine tests. Some vets add a blood pressure check. If the signs suggest a problem inside the brain, the vet may talk about referral for a scan. Cognitive dysfunction is diagnosed when the history fits and other causes have been ruled out as far as is reasonable.

If that is the answer, it is not the end of the road. There is no cure, but diet, routine, enrichment and prescription medicine can ease the signs, and many dogs have good time ahead of them. The vet decides which options suit your dog. Do not start supplements or give any human medicine on your own in the meantime.

For what the months ahead may look like, read how long a dog can live with dementia. For day-to-day care, see the guide to cognitive dysfunction in senior pets.

This checklist is general educational information and is not a diagnostic tool or veterinary advice. The signs listed can point to canine cognitive dysfunction, but they can also come from pain, sensory loss, organ disease, infection or other brain conditions, and only an examination by a veterinarian can tell these apart. Decisions about testing, treatment and medication for your dog should be made with your veterinarian.