Canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome is the dog equivalent of Alzheimer's disease, affecting a significant proportion of older dogs and causing confusion, anxiety, and disrupted sleep that reduce quality of life.
Dogs with cognitive dysfunction syndrome experience a progressive deterioration of their ability to navigate, recognise familiar people and places, and regulate sleep and anxiety. The anxiety component is particularly significant: dogs that wake disoriented in the night and cannot locate familiar family members experience acute fear episodes repeatedly. Owners who attribute night waking and behaviour changes to normal ageing rather than a treatable condition miss opportunities to improve their dog's quality of life. Early diagnosis enables interventions including medication, environmental modification, and enrichment that slow progression and reduce anxiety, maintaining higher welfare for longer in the dog's final years.