Canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome affects a significant proportion of senior dogs, causing confusion, anxiety, sleep disruption, and behavioral changes that require recognition and management for welfare.
Dogs with CCD experience the welfare impacts of confusion, anxiety, and the frustration of failing cognitive and physical function. Disorientation at night, forgetting familiar people or places, and loss of house training affect both dog and owner welfare. Recognition and appropriate management can significantly improve quality of life for affected dogs.