Recognizing dementia in dogs and cats

Dr. Lisa Wilhelm was at her wits' end with Uncle Terry. Her 19-year-old cat had developed a habit of screaming, night and day, without a clear reason. Wilhelm found carrying on phone calls impossible, and, unless he was sent to the basement at bedtime, Uncle Terry's loud meows kept the household awake.

This story was published on April 14, 2026.

Show notes:

• The canine as an animal model of human aging and dementia
• Amyloid-beta pathology increases synaptic engulfment by glia in feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome: a naturally occurring model of Alzheimer's disease
• The Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome Working Group guidelines for diagnosis and monitoring of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome
• Cognitive dysfunction in cats: a syndrome we used to dismiss as 'old age'
• Efficacy of a therapeutic diet on dogs with signs of cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS): a prospective double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical study