Pets with dementia

As it happens in humans, even pets can get dementia.

A new book by Dr. Shawn Messonnier called Unexpected Miracles (Forge Books) talks about cognitive disorders in dogs and cats.

Messonnier, a holistic vet who has a radio program on the Martha Stewart Sirius/XM channel uses the book to describe how holistic medicine can help animals when conventional treatments don't work.

His Web site — petcarenaturally.com — has an article about cognitive disorders in pets. Read it here.

While the condition appears new, it is not and has been recognized by veterinarians for many years. There are a number of clinical signs in pets with cognitive disorder. These signs are often accepted by owners as normal signs of aging, when in fact they are signs of a (usually) treatable condition. Owners must be taught that any of these signs warrants a full evaluation. Education must begin before the first geriatric visit. Regular geriatric examination, ideally every 6-12 months, will facilitate communication and allow for early diagnosis of cognitive disorder and other conditions often seen in geriatric dogs.

Common signs in dogs and cats with cognitive disorder include:

• Wandering aimlessly
• Vocalizing for no reason
• Getting stuck in a corner
• Increased daytime sleeping
• Seeking less attention
• Loss of house training
  

Messionnier stresses that these signs can mimic other conditions, like cancer and hypothyroidism, so vets should do a full checkup prior to making a diagnosis of cognitive disorder.

Drug treatment is available, he said, but some might consider the cost — $125 per month for a 30-pound dog — prohibitive.

Natural alternatives, including herbs, thyroid supplement and nutritional supplementation have been found to be effective, Messionnier said.

Blogging bulldogs

Believe it or not, Dogs, Cats, Etc. is 2 years old today.

The very first post — called The very first post — can be seen here.

And, also believe it or not, this is the very first time (out of 694 postings) my Woyton has allowed me — Kate, with the cheekbones — to write an entry.

Woyton is usually gone during the day, and he always leaves his computer on. So I spend a little time when I'm not sleeping on the Enterwebs.

I just discovered that Martha Stewart's French bulldogs have entered the world of blogging.

That's right. The Domestic Goddess's two pooches — Francesca and Sharkey — now have a presence on the WWW.

Called The Daily Wag, the dogs' effort showcases the life they lead. Recent entries had them flying to St. Louis, Mo., for the day and a face-off with Rufus, one of Stewart's donkeys.

I think there is a bit of deception here on the part of Stewart. The blog entries, while entertaining, are labeled as being "posted by Francesca" or "posted by Sharkey."

Come now, Martha, something doesn't smell right here. And it's not just the March 15 entry where the dogs got skunked.

I talked it over with my Woyton and we both agree. Francesca and Sharkey are not really writing the blog.

This type of amusing fraud has to stop. And if the dogs are going to write about something, at least have them include some recipes for dog treats!

Signed,
Kate, with the cheekbones

P.S.: Martha, please don't anthropomorphize animals. They hate that!

Talkin' 'bout pets

All day today on Martha Stewart's Sirius Radio Channel 112 will be the best of Martha's pet-related programs: Cat Chat, It's a Dog's Life, Ask the Petkeeper and Ask Martha's Vet.

You can get a free trial of Sirius Radio on your computer by going to the Web site here.

Ciao, Paw Paw

Martha Stewart's chow Paw Paw died on Saturday.

She blogged about his passing today. Read it here.

He was 12 years old and died of renal failure.