b'Justasinhumanmedicine,thereisnocureorspecifictherapythathasbeenproventoreversethebrainrelatedchangesorabnormalities.Supportivetherapy is advised for these senior dogs.Providing a diet fortified with antioxidants, mito-chondrialcofactors,andessentialfattyacidsmayimprove cognitive function and delay cognitive decline.Talk to your veterinarian about commercially-availablediets that contain a mixture of fruits and vegetables, aswell as antioxidants, vitamins C and E, and mitochon-drialcofactors(i.e.L-carnitine,DL-a-lipoicacid).Inonestudy,dietsliketheseimprovedperformanceofcognitive tasks beginning as early as to 2-8 weeks afterit was started.Medium-chaintriglycerides(MCT)arerecom-mended as supplements, or as part of a formulated diet.MCTsprovideanalternativeenergysourceforthebrainandimprovebrainmitochondrialactivity.Nutraceutical MCT oils can be used at 5% of the drymatter in the diet.High quality omega fatty acids havemembranestabilizingpropertiesandhelpreduceinflammation.Medical TherapySelegiline (Anipryl) may be tried at once a day dos-ing. Morning administration is recommended, particu-larlyindogswithsleep-wakecycledisturbances.Selegiline alters certain brain chemicals or neurotrans-mitters and is the only approved drug for canine senili-ty.Response to therapy may be noted within 2 weeks.In one study, the 1-month response rate was 77%.S-adenosylmethionine(SAMe)wasfoundtoimprove clinical signs of canine senility in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.In a second study,SAMe seemed to enhance executive brain functions inaffected dogs.Drugsthatincreasecerebralperfusionmayhavesomebenefitincaninesenility.Propentofylline(Karsivan) is licensed for use in some European coun-tries for treating dullness and lethargy in older dogs.This drug improves blood flow to the brain via vasodi-lation and reducing blood viscosity. Nicergoline is avail-able in the United Kingdom for age-related behavioralproblems. We await to see if these are made available inthe USA. Anti-anxiety medications, such as Alprazolammay help to calm a stressed or anxious brain. Adjunctive TherapiesEnvironmental/cognitiveenrichment(e.g.socialinteractions, regular exercise, introduction of new toys)canimprovecognitivefunctionanddelaycognitivedecline.Cognitive enrichment improves nerve forma-tions and function and decreased some brain cell loss.Continued on page 57 gwww.TheNewBarker.com THE NEW BARKER 55'