Authors of Research:  Pavlin Darja, Hlebec Valentina, Doušak May in Zakošek Pipan, Maja

Year of Research:  2025

Key words: canine cognitive dysfunction, canine dementia, neurodegenerative diseases, quality of life, euthanasia, canine aging, veterinary medicine, chronic illness, dogs, household pets, alzheimer's disease

Study conducted by researchers from Veterinary Faculty and Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, examines the attitudes and feelings of caregivers of older animals and animals with chronic diseases regarding illness and treatment, as well as their cooperation with their chosen veterinarian. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and others represent a growing public health problem associated with an aging population. A similar trend is observed in veterinary medicine, where dogs are also living to increasingly advanced ages due to advances in veterinary care. It is estimated that approximately 60% of dogs over the age of 11 suffer from canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), which is the canine equivalent of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Prpar Mihevc, 2019). Because of the parallels between AD and CCD - which are not present in laboratory mice, as they do not develop spontaneous dementia - dogs are particularly valuable as a model for studying human neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of the study was to explore caregiver’s views on the burdens associated with caring for a sick pet. These data were collected to prepare scientific publications and to develop guidelines for working with owners of dogs with CCD or other diseases. 566 dog owners responded to the online survey.

Pavlin, Darja; Hlebec, Valentina; Doušak, May; Zakošek Pipan, Maja, 2025, "Raziskava o doživljanju skrbništva za starejše živali oz. živali, ki obolijo za kroničnimi boleznimi, 2025", https://doi.org/10.17898/10068, Zbirka ADP,V1