This week’s segment features Addy the 15 year old terrier!! Addy came to us a few months ago for cognitive dysfunction. Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), also known as dog dementia, is a disease that affects a dog’s mental functioning and behavior. It’s caused by pathological changes in the brain that can lead to memory loss, motor function decline, and a loss of learned behaviors. CCD frequently occurs over a longer period of time, and many people consider these changes to be normal parts of aging. In many cases, CCD can lead owners to the decision to euthanize their pets. Selegiline is a medication that can be administered to minimize the effects of cognitive dysfunction. This medication works by increasing dopamine levels in the brain which is the chemical that acts on areas of the brain to give feelings of satisfaction and motivation. Dopamine also has a role to play in controlling memory, mood, sleep, learning, concentration, movement and other body functions. While this medication is not effective in every case, it is a great place to start helping your senior pets. As with any senior pet, a full health assessment should be performed first to see if there are any additional underlying conditions that also need to be addressed. In Addy’s case, other than the cognitive dysfunction, she had no additional conditions of concern and her response to the selegiline has been astounding!! If your pet shows symptoms similar to Addy, give us a call today!!!