Jovells Vaqué, Anna

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Facultat de Veterinària

Diposit Digital de Documents de la UAB

A new diagnostic scale for canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome Anna Jovells Vaqué Faculty of Veterinary Medicine – Final degree project – June 2019                                MATERIAL AND METHODS   PURINA CAWEC SCALE (PCS) Stares blankly at walls, floor, corners, etc. Does not remember the way home  Gets stuck or cannot get around objects/furniture Goes to the wrong side of doors or wrong doors Decreased response to auditory or visual stimuli Decreased signalling to go out when he used to Walking at nights for no reason Vocalizations at night for no reason Decreased recognition of familiar people Decreased recognition of familiar dogs or friends More fearful Indoor soiling of urine or stools Lack of response to previously learned commands Decreased activity, less playful Manifests repetitive behaviours Pacing aimlessly Shows separation anxiety signs    INTRODUCTION Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD) is a progressive neurodegenerative syndrome of elderly dogs characterized by a gradual onset of cognitive decline, which affected dogs manifest as behavioural changes, variable amongst individuals. Owner-based questionnaires are widely accepted as screening tools for CCD, useful to reach prompt diagnosis of the disease.  OBJECTIVES 1. Evaluate the PCS questionnaire as a CCD diagnostic tool. 2. Study whether age and CCD scores have a positive correlation.  3. Determine the prevalence of CCD at Hospital Clínic Veterinari UAB.    CONCLUSIONS ✓ The PCS is a practical CCD screening tool, able to distinguish between normal aging dogs and those with cognitive decline. ✓ Geriatric dogs are more likely to suffer from CCD as they grow older; age is an important predisposing factor. ✓ Disorientation signs seem to be good clinical markers of CCD. ✓ CCD appeared to be an underdiagnosed disease at Hospital Clínic Veterinari UAB, with a prevalence around 25%. ✓ Further research is needed for CCD diagnosis, as it is a disease that affects senior dogs’ welfare and human-canine bonds.   PCS consists in 17 items covering 6 sections of behavioural changes: Disorientation, social Interactions, Sleep-wake cycle, House soiling (learning-memory), Activity level and Anxiety; commonly described by the acronym DISHAA.  Each of the 17 items conforming the PCS is quantified depending on its frequency over the preceding 6 months. CCD stages are identified according to the score ranges: 0-7 Normal aging, 8-40 Mild cognitive impairment, 41-69 Severe cognitive impairment.  Statistics showed that scores from normal ageing dogs were significantly different from impaired dogs (left boxplot) and that median age was significantly higher in impaired dogs in comparison to mentally healthy dogs (right boxplot). 

A new diagnostic scale for canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome

https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/tfg/2019/211860/TFG_ajovells_poster.pdf

A new diagnostic scale for canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Diposit Digital de Documents de la UAB