How to care for ageing cats and dogs with dementia, with tips from an expert
At 15 years old, Olli the pug is very old, in need of help and often disoriented. He does not hear or see much, and his back legs hurt.
'Olli has had
dementia for a few years,' says owner Ute Hausmann. She has adjusted to his needs, caring for, nurturing, looking after and encouraging the 'dearly loved' animal who has been with her and her husband in Cologne, Germany, for 11 years.
According to Holger Volk, a professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover in Germany, dementia is common among dogs and cats of an advanced age.
He says about one in three dogs aged 12 to 13 show clinical symptoms of the condition.
By the age of 15 to 16, two out of three dogs are affected by 'canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome'.
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