04-06-2017, 11:08 AM
As far as I know, dogs can get a form of "dementia". I only know about dogs I'm afraid, so don't know about other animals.
But all animals' bodily systems are different to humans'. How can making animals suffer help with human diseases?
In dogs, as in humans, dementia is likely to occur in extreme old age. It could be that humans, and many animals are living far longer than they used to, and so such afflictions are becoming more prevalent as the geriatric population in all species is greater than it used to be. The science of aging is more likely to turn up clues, and maybe lab testing on poor creatures won't really help with that.
There may even be a psychological element to development of dementia (inasmuch as "you don't use it -you lose it".)
I notice my mother shut down on many aspects of life at a certain point, and appeared alert and very positive, but seemed to have given up emotionally. Soon after, she developed dementia. But it was made worse, I believe by chemicals -as in a general anaesthetic and sleeping drugs she was not accustomed to, which were given to her in hospital after surgery.
However I recognise that Alzheimers and senile dementia are subtly different.
But all animals' bodily systems are different to humans'. How can making animals suffer help with human diseases?
In dogs, as in humans, dementia is likely to occur in extreme old age. It could be that humans, and many animals are living far longer than they used to, and so such afflictions are becoming more prevalent as the geriatric population in all species is greater than it used to be. The science of aging is more likely to turn up clues, and maybe lab testing on poor creatures won't really help with that.
There may even be a psychological element to development of dementia (inasmuch as "you don't use it -you lose it".)
I notice my mother shut down on many aspects of life at a certain point, and appeared alert and very positive, but seemed to have given up emotionally. Soon after, she developed dementia. But it was made worse, I believe by chemicals -as in a general anaesthetic and sleeping drugs she was not accustomed to, which were given to her in hospital after surgery.
However I recognise that Alzheimers and senile dementia are subtly different.
