Dog Dementia: What It Looks Like and What Can Done About It

狗狗痴呆症：是怎样的？有什么预防措施？

A few days ago I received an email from a friend, Rod, that read: "You've met my pal Jack who celebrates his 12th birthday next week. As of late, say the last couple months, Jack has awoken after maybe 30 minutes of seemingly sound sleep. He comes awake in a start, head and ears down, clambering quickly to run from whatever has terrified him in his dream. He goes a short distance and then stops, wide awake. This happens a few times a week and is not dependent on sleeping in a specific location. It had been suggested to give him some melatonin prior to bed to help his sleep pattern, but that does not seem to have much effect. I wondered if you have encountered anything similar. I always try to comfort him after the fact, but so wish there was something I could do to alleviate his terror before it occurs."

几天前，我收到了来自朋友Rod的信，信上他说：“我遇到了我的朋友Jack，它下周过12岁的生日。最近几个月，Jack似乎睡了30分钟才醒过来，它一开始醒过来，垂直耳朵和头，迅速爬行来摆脱在梦里吓到他的某些事物。它只走了一小段然后停下来，完全清醒了过来。这样的情况每周发生几次，不局限于它在某个特殊的地方睡觉。有人建议我给它服用褪黑激素来帮助它睡眠，但似乎没多大帮助。我想知道你是否遇到过类似的情况。我尝试着在事后安慰它，我多么希望我能做些什么让这种情况出现的时候我能减轻他的恐惧。”

I immediately wrote back and said that perhaps Jack is suffering from a form of sundowners syndrome, that can include different forms of confusion,anxiety, aggression, ignoring directions, pacing, or wandering. I was relieved when Rod wrote back and concluded that most likely Jack's behavior was caused by bad dreams.

我立刻回信说，大概Jack正遭受一种日落综合症，这包括不同形式的困惑、焦虑、攻击行为、发呆、踱步和走神。当Rod回信并推断Jack的行为很大可能是由噩梦造成的时，我如释重负。

Rod's email also reminded me of a number other times when I've been told that a dog manifested some of the warning signs of sundowners, and there was little to no doubt that each dog was suffering from some form of cognitive dysfunction. One of my own senior canine companions clearly experienced dementia, and I've seen similar patterns of behavior in wild coyotes, red foxes, and an aging black bear who lived near my mountain home. Thus, I was pleased when I received notice of an important and information-packed essay available online: "Dog Dementia: What is Canine Cognitive Dysfunction?" by veterinarian Gurpal Chahal.

Rod的邮件也让我想起我有几次被告知狗表现出老年的预警信号，毫无疑问每只狗都患有某种形式的认知功能障碍。我自己的一个资深的狗伙伴显然经历过痴呆症，我也见过野生郊狼、红狐和住在我家附近的一只年老的黑熊的类似行为模式。因此，我很开心我收到了可以在网上看到的重要的信息打包文章的通知：“狗狗痴呆：什么是犬类认知功能障碍？”，作者是兽医Gurpal Chahal。

veterinarian 英 [ˌvetərɪˈneəriən] n.兽医

coyote 英 [ˈkɔɪəʊts]  美 [kaɪˈoʊtis]  n.丛林狼，草原狼(犬科动物，分布于北美)

canine 英 [ˈkeɪnaɪn]  美 [ˈkeɪnaɪn] adj.犬的;似犬的 n.(人或动物的)犬齿;犬

I'm sure there are numerous dogs, especially senior and elder dogs, who show different forms of dementia. Friends have told me about changes in the behavior of a canine companion and were at a loss to explain what was happening. I mentioned to them that dogs are mammals and have mammalian brains, so it's not surprising that they, too, can suffer from cognitive decline and other psychological disorders. This simple statement went a long way toward their seeking advice from a veterinarian in how to deal with these changes.

我确定有很多狗狗，尤其是成年和老年狗会表现出不同形式的痴呆。朋友曾告诉我关于狗狗伴侣的行为变化并且他们无法解释发生了什么。我提醒他们，狗是哺乳动物拥有哺乳动物的大脑，所以他们会发生认知能力下降和其他心理障碍这也不令人意外。这句简单的陈述对于他们向兽医寻求如何应对这些变化有很大的帮助。

disorder 英 [dɪsˈɔːdə(r)]  美 [dɪsˈɔːrdər] n.杂乱;混乱;凌乱;骚乱;动乱;失调;紊乱;不适;疾病

Chahal notes, "The exact cause of this degenerative disorder is not known.Chronic illness or stress may increase a dog’s chances of suffering from cognitive dysfunction, but some or all of the following factors may contribute toward this dysfunction and affect the normal functioning of the dog’s brain." These include a reduction in the number of neurons, a decrease in blood flow to the brain, and the death of neurons. He also notes that it's difficult to pin down when dog dementia may begin. At least half of dogs who suffer some form of decline manifest it by 11 years of age, but it's also been noticed in dogs as young as 7.

Chahal标注到：“这种退行性紊乱的确切成因还不为人知。慢性疾病或压力会增加狗狗患感知功能障碍的可能性，但一些或所有下列因素可能导致功能缺失和影响狗狗大脑的普通功能。”这些因素包括神经元数量的减少，脑部供血减少和神经元死亡。他还指出很难确定狗痴呆的发病时间。至少一半遭受某种形式的下降的狗在11岁时表现出这种症状，在7岁的狗身上也发现了这种情况。

degenerative 英 [dɪˈdʒenərətɪv]  美 [dɪˈdʒenərətɪv] adj.(随着时间的推移)变性的，退化的

neurons 英 [ˈnjʊərɒnz]  美 [ˈnʊrɑnz] n.神经元

pin down 确定;证实;迫使…作出决定（或明确表态）

Chahal summarizes the symptoms of dog dementia as follows:

Chahal如下总结狗狗痴呆的特征

Disorientation; the pet may be confused and lost in familiar environments like home or park.

迷失方向；宠物会会在家或者公园等熟悉的地方迷路

disorientation 英 [dɪsˌɔːriənˈteɪʃn]  美 [dɪsˌɔːriənˈteɪʃn] 迷失方向;定向障碍;迷向;迷感

Changes in sleeping cycle, including night waking or vocalization and sleeping a lot during the day.

睡眠生物钟的变化，包含在夜里醒来发出声音和在白天睡觉

vocalization 英 [ˌvəʊkəlaɪˈzeɪʃn]  美 [ˌvoʊkələˈzeɪʃn] n.说出的话;嗓音;歌声;说话;发声;唱歌;发嗓音

Changes in interactions with family members, friends, or other animals such as being less enthusiastic to greet them, wanting less attention, and showing signs of aggression toward them.

与家庭成员、朋友或其他动物的交流的变化，比方说提不起兴致去跟他们打招呼，想要更少的关注以及对他们表现出攻击的迹象。

aggression 英 [əˈɡreʃn]  美 [əˈɡreʃn] n.好斗情绪;攻击性;侵犯;挑衅;侵略

Abnormal behavior and less interest in eating or playing and being unwilling to socialize.

反常行为、食欲不振，不愿意社交

Staring at inanimate objects.

盯着无生命的物体

inanimate 英 [ɪnˈænɪmət]  美 [ɪnˈænɪmət] adj.无生命的;死的;像已死的

Being restless with pacing and aimless wandering.

不安的踱步和漫无目的的游荡

restless 英 [ˈrestləs]  美 [ˈrestləs] adj.坐立不安的;不耐烦的;没有真正休息的;没有睡眠的

House soiling and lack of response to commands are also common. The dog may eliminate in an improper location. The dog may appear deaf to the owner because he does not respond to learned commands. 

弄脏房子、对命令反映很迟钝也很常见。狗可能会在一个不适合的地方解手，可能出现耳聋的症状，因为它没有学会回应命令。

eliminate 英 [ɪˈlɪmɪneɪt]  美 [ɪˈlɪmɪneɪt] v.排除;清除;消除;(比赛中)淘汰;消灭，干掉(尤指敌人或对手)

deaf英 [def]  美 [def] adj.聋的;耳聋的人;聋子;不愿听;不去注意

He stresses that these don't always indicate dementia. These behavior changes can also be caused by separation anxiety, arthritis, declines in hearing or seeing, or kidney or liver disease.

他强调这些并不总是意味着痴呆。这些行为改变也可以由分离焦虑症、关节炎、听力或视力下降、肾脏或肝脏疾病引起。

arthritis 英 [ɑːˈθraɪtɪs]  美 [ɑːrˈθraɪtɪs] n.关节炎

There are a number of medications and nutritional supplements that can be used to treat dog dementia, and a number of other ways that include light exercise, behavior therapy, making their homes more user-friendly, and providing different forms of enrichment. These include "taking them on gentle smell walks and allowing them to sniff, and ensuring they still have interactions with their human family members." (Also see "There's No Magic Formula to Slow Your Dog's Aging.")

有很多药物和营养补充剂可以用来治疗狗的痴呆症，还有一些其他的方法，包括轻度运动、行为疗法、让他们的家更人性化，以及提供不同形式的丰富。这些措施包括“带它们散步，让它们闻气味，并确保它们仍能与人类家庭成员互动。”（另请参阅“没有神奇的方案可以延缓你的狗的衰老。”）

user-friendly 英 [ˌjuːzə ˈfrendli]  美 [ˌjuːzər ˈfrendli] adj.方便非专业用户的;便于使用的;易于掌握的

I was especially pleased to read about "smell walks," because dogs' sense organs, like their muscles, heart, and lungs, need to be exercised, and we need to make time for them to do so. In Canine Confidential, I wrote about a woman who wondered if not allowing dogs to sniff to their noses' content could cause psychological problems because they weren't getting a true picture of the odor in which they're interested. I continue to ponder this possibility because dogs greatly depend on learning about what's going on via "pee-mail."

我特别高兴地读到关于“嗅觉行走”的文章，因为狗的感觉器官，如肌肉、心脏和肺，都需要锻炼，我们需要给它们留出时间。在《犬类机密》一书中，我曾写过一位女士，她想知道，如果不让狗嗅到自己鼻子里的东西，是否会导致心理问题，因为它们无法真正了解它们感兴趣的气味。我继续思考这种可能性，因为狗在很大程度上依赖于通过“小便邮件”了解发生了什么

ponder 英 [ˈpɒndə(r)]  美 [ˈpɑːndər] v.沉思;考虑;琢磨

We're also told that dogs with cognitive dysfunction don't necessarily live shorter lives, and they can be our loving friends for many years after suffering from dementia. 

我们还被告知，患有认知功能障碍的狗不一定寿命短，在患上痴呆症后，它们可以成为我们多年的挚友。

I learned a lot from Chahal's essay and I hope it reaches a broad global audience. Senior dogs can be awesome companions even if they're psychologically or physically compromised.We owe it to them to give them the very best lives possible, they depend on us to do so, and we should give them everything they need and love and then some. We also can learn a lot from their presence in our homes and hearts, a win-win for all.

我从Chahal的文章中学到了很多东西，我希望它能影响到全球广大读者。老年狗可以是很棒的伙伴，即使他们在心理上或身体上妥协了。我们他们应该尽可能地给他们最好的生活，他们依赖于我们，我们应该给他们一切他们需要的和爱，然后一些。我们也可以从他们在我们的家里和心中的存在中学到很多，这对所有人都是双赢的。

References

参考文献

Bekoff, Marc.Do Wild Animals Suffer From PTSD and Other Psychological Disorders?

野生动物会有创伤后应急障碍和其他心理障碍吗？

_____.Psychological Disorders in Animals: A Review of What We Know.

动物心理障碍：我们所知的综述

_____.Pets on the Couch: Do Animals Need Freud and Pfizer? An interview with Nicholas Dodman about his new book on animal psychiatry.

沙发上的宠物：动物需要Freud（弗洛伊德）和Pfizer吗？采访Nicholas Dodman关于他关于动物精神病学的新书

psychiatry 英 [saɪˈkaɪətri]  美 [saɪˈkaɪətri] n.精神病学;精神病治疗

_____. Allowed to Grow Old: Radiant Portraits of Elderly Animals. (A collection of moving images portrays heart, dignity, and unique personalities.)

允许变老：老年动物的光辉肖像。（一组动人的影像描绘了心灵、尊严和独特的个性。）

radiant 英 [ˈreɪdiənt]  美 [ˈreɪdiənt] n.光点;[天]流星群的辐射点

            adj.喜气洋洋的;容光焕发的;面色红润的;灿烂的;光芒四射的;辐射的;放射的

portrait 英 [ˈpɔːtreɪt]  美 [ˈpɔːrtrət] adj.竖向的;纵向打印格式的

             n.肖像;半身画像;半身照;详细的描述;描绘

_____.Special Needs and Senior Dogs Rock: They, Too, Need Love. (Aging, disabled, and injured dogs deserve to live happy and healthy lives.)

特殊需要和老年狗摇滚：他们也需要爱（年老、残疾和受伤的狗应该过上幸福健康的生活。）

_____.Hospice For Dogs: Let Them Have Whatever They Want and Love. (When deciding how to give an ailing dog the best life possible, consult them.)

狗狗临终安养院：让他们得到他们想要的和爱的。（在决定如何让生病的狗过上最好的生活时，请咨询他们。）

hospice 英 [ˈhɒspɪs]  美 [ˈhɑːspɪs] n.临终安养院

ailing 英 [ˈeɪlɪŋ]  美 [ˈeɪlɪŋ] adj.有病的;体弱的;处境困难的;每况愈下的

ail 英 [eɪl]  美 [eɪl] v.困扰;干扰;使麻烦;使患病;使不适

_____.My Old Dog: Rescued Seniors Show that Old Dogs Rock.

我的老狗朋友：获救的老年犬表明老狗也疯狂

_____.Older Dogs: Giving Elder Canines Lots of Love and Good Lives.

年长的狗：给予年长的狗很多的爱和美好的生活。

_____.What's a Good Life for an Old Dog? (At the end of life is a tasty treat better than pills with major side effects?)

老狗的好生活是什么？（在生命的尽头，有没有一种美味的治疗比有重大副作用的药片更好？）

side effects n.(药物的)副作用;意外的连带后果

_____.Secrets of the Snout: A Dog's Nose Is a Work of Art.

鼻子的秘密：狗的鼻子是一件艺术品

snout 英 [snaʊt]  美 [snaʊt] n.(猪等动物的)口鼻部，吻;(人的)鼻子;吻状突出物

_____.How Dogs "See" the World Through Different Odors.

狗是如何通过不同的气味“看”世界的

_____.Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do. University of Chicago Press, 2018.

犬类机密：为什么狗做他们做的事。芝加哥大学出版社，2018年

_____ and Jessica Pierce.Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible. New World Library, 2019.

和Jessica Pierce，释放你的狗：一个现场指南，给你的狗同伴最好的生活可能。新世界图书馆，2019年。

Pierce, Jessica.The Last Walk: Reflections on Our Pets at the End of Their Lives.University of Chicago Press, 2014.

Pierce, Jessica，最后一次散步：关于我们宠物的思考生活。大学芝加哥出版社，2014年

简书不定期更新，更多学习资料请关注。

公众号：一只学生啊

小红书：一只学生啊