Canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome affects millions of older dogs with dementia-like symptoms that cause confusion, anxiety, and disrupted sleep, yet remains significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated in veterinary practice.
Canine cognitive dysfunction is a welfare issue hiding in plain sight: millions of old dogs live with confusion, anxiety, and disrupted sleep that their owners interpret as normal aging rather than treatable disease. The welfare harm is real — a confused, anxious dog who no longer recognizes familiar surroundings or people is suffering regardless of physical health status. Management strategies including night lights, consistent routines, enrichment, and pharmaceutical support can substantially improve quality of life for affected dogs. The primary welfare gap is recognition: owners who interpret night restlessness, staring at walls, and house soiling as inevitable decline rather than potential disease miss opportunities for intervention that would improve their dogs welfare significantly.