ABSTRACT
Cognitive disturbance occurs frequently in geriatric dogs. Some authors have classified this behavior with questionnaires and described cognitive dysfunctions to be related with Alzheimer pathology. Age is a major factor in behavior changes but when only old dogs are considered, amyloid deposits and oxidative damage both have an important role. It appears that the oxidative changes, in addition to amyloid, are markers for the more severe behavior changes called dementia. From our results it can be concluded that therapy should focus on both amyloid as oxidative damage. The behavior of 30 pet dogs of various ages was evaluated and scored with three questionnaires for the owners. In the age class of 13 years and older two comparable groups of nine dogs, with and without behavioral changes, were formed and compared for pathological brain lesions.
