My sweet, would-have-made-a-good-therapy-dog, Anatolian mix named Deputy was diagnosed with CCD at the age of 6 in 2013.

I got him from a lady who fostered for a local rescue. The rescue pulled him from a kill shelter in another city at under a year old and she fostered him till he was 2. He was a goofy, loveable, calm dog, who loved to run in the woods with the other dogs and became the "pack leader" once my elderly Chocolate Lab mix, Chevy, passed in 2011. He was terrified of thunder, gunshots and fireworks, so he became your shadow when those three things accursed. He would (still does) try and stop or break up fights between other dogs by running up and inserting himself between them. He once saved a Border Collie mix from a Great Dane that way and now has a lasting hatred of that breed.

I use the word "was" because the dog I have now is not the same as the one I adopted in 2009. He is still friendly and calm, but CCD has turned him into an anxious and aloof dog. It all started with him "spacing out", having what appeared to be panic attacks, barking alot more and loosing weight during the summer of 2013. By January 2014 the vet was positive it was CCD (he had run every test known to man on this dog). Aniphyrl did nothing and so I am slowly watching him slip away from us. It's very similar to what happened to my Grandma, except that we have can end the suffering sooner. I have lost dogs to cancer and old age related physical issues, but nothing like this before.

As a puppy.


1yr old


3yrs old.


This past Christmas.

I am so sorry to hear that... you have my sympathies. We lost my dad to early onset Alzheimer's. He was diagnosed at age 57... still practising medicine at that point.

Very sad I am so sorry. He's a beautiful boy and from what you described, just as beautiful on the inside too. I've never had a dog that suffered from this condition, so I can't offer any advice from first hand knowledge. Has the vet offered any advice on therapies that may slow down the progression?

Artic_Wind wrote:

Very sad I am so sorry. He's a beautiful boy and from what you described, just as beautiful on the inside too. I've never had a dog that suffered from this condition, so I can't offer any advice from first hand knowledge. Has the vet offered any advice on therapies that may slow down the progression?

Not really, just to make sure we keep his anxiety level down and keep him comfortable.

My boy, Saber, had CCD. I started a thread a while back with my experience here: https://www.itsahuskything.com/t10658-canine-cognitive-dysfunction-dog-dementia?highlight=canine+cognitive

I never updated the thread again, but I ended up having Saber on many supplements that ended up helping a lot. He was never 100% back to the dog I knew, but there was a tremendous improvement. If you want, I can share what supplements I was giving him.

I know how devastating and heartbreaking it is to see the dog you once knew slip away a tiny bit each day. You feel totally helpless and wish there was something you can do. Stay strong.