Dogs Who Walk Slowly Could Be Suffering From Dementia, Research Shows

A new study has showed that the slow physical movements of dogs could indicate that they are suffering from dementia.

North Carolina State University suggested that measuring the gait speed of senior dogs was an effective way to monitor their health and neurological function as they age, as reported by the PhysOrg.

Dogs have six gait patterns: the walk, trot, and gallop, amble, pace, and canter.

The researchers gathered 46 adults and 49 senior dogs of different breeds and sizes. In this experiment, the canines were asked to perform several activities.

The adult dogs served as a control group, and only their gait speed was measured, while the senior dogs did additional cognitive testing.

Their owners were tasked with filling out a cognitive assessment questionnaire called the CADES; the higher the CADES score, the more severe the cognitive decline. Then senior dogs were grouped based on their CADES and cognitive score tests.

"The challenge with measuring gait speed is that dogs tend to match the speed of their handler when on leash, so we measured both on and off leash to see which was the most useful measure," Natasha Olby, the corresponding author of the study, said.

The researchers found that dogs who are in the last 25% of their expected life span moved slower than adult dogs, regardless of their size.

Moreover, based on the owner-completed surveys and cognitive testing, senior dogs exhibited more severe levels of cognitive impairment.

"Just as in humans, our walking speed is pretty stable through most of our lives, then it declines as we enter the last quarter or so of our lifespan," Olby said.

Dog dementia

According to the East Bay Veterinary Clinic, dog dementia, also known as Canine Cognitive dysfunction, is a cognitive disorder among dogs that has similar symptoms to Alzheimer's in humans.

This is connected to behavioral changes such as disorientation, altered interactions with owners and other pets, and several others brought on by a dog's brain aging.

The condition's cause is unknown; however, it is frequently associated with the way that physical and chemical changes due to the aging process have an impact on brain function.

Walking lower the risk of Dementia

Physical activities such as walking can lower the risk of dementia for both humans and dogs, according to a study reported by the Washington Post.

University of Washington professor and co-director of the Dog Aging Project Matt Kaeberlein suggested that taking your dog for a walk or even playing frisbee or fetch is "likely beneficial" for their brain.

Dog owners were four times more likely to meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week by simply taking their dogs for a walk.

Carrie Westgarth, a senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool in England who studies the interactions between people and dogs, said it's "very plausible" that walking a dog helps protect people mentally.