How To Know If A Dog Is Depressed : Bringing a pet in the house is such a beautiful and happy moment. The memories you create with them last for a lifetime. Having a companion on a side who waits for you daily is one of the precious things. But this is not the same every time; your dog might not feel the same for you.
Dogs may experience more emotion than human beings. When your dog starts to avoid or ignore you, sits alone, then there is something wrong going on. If you have noticed these certain changes in their behavior, then you have to know that they may be depressed. If human beings feel emotion like depression, then the dog is also not vulnerable to it.
Depression in Dog
Does your Dog have depression? Many people can understand and communicate with their Dog, while some of us aren’t sure how. Depression is a mood disorder that causes sadness, anger, unhappiness and stress.
Like a human, many factors cause depression in a dog. When you notice and realize that your dog is having trouble and showing a sign of depression, it is best to treat them early rather than later.
Causes of Depression
Usually, different factors cause depression in animals. As a parent of your pet, you should notice every strange behaviour that your dog is showing. For example, your energetic dog who loves to play is not playing at all; sitting alone and showing sorrow eyes and face may somehow indicate that they are not happy.
Some of the causes of depression are:
1. Health Problems
Physical illness is one of the great causes of depression. Unhealthy people don’t like to do anything. Similarly, if your dog is unhealthy and in constant pain, they skip their favourite activities like playing, eating and many more.
2. Grief
Emotion causes love and grief. When you are emotionally attached to someone, it brings happiness, but it brings a lot of grief when they are separated. For example: if your favourite dog person moves out of town, this causes grief to these loyal pets. Have you ever watched a movie called “Hachiko”? It clearly shows how much grief a dog can bear if their owner is not with them.
Grief is one big emotion that is difficult to cure. Your dog grief might be due to various reasons such as loneliness, staying at home for too long, lack of friends, jealousy, eating less food, and many more.
3. Environment Change
Changes in routine often cause depression. Some dogs cannot adjust to changes which they are following through ages. Due to this inconsistency, your dog might not feel well.
For example: If you have changed their diet, house renovation or home change, and many more often leads your dog to depression. Often a change in weather also makes them uncomfortable. It usually takes some time to adjust the change.
4. Fear
Your Dog may have a certain type of fear or phobia that are making them depressed. They fear due to traumatic or past experience, lack of socialization, new experience, unhealthy environment and many more. Your Dog might show fear through behaviour such as trembling, barking, angry, running, destroying things and many more.
5. Owner
Dogs share emotion with you. Many studies have found out that dogs and owners have synchronized emotion. If you are in a good mood, they feel happy, but they also feel sad and unhappy if you are unwell or sad. Except that how you treat your Dog is also one of the factors of their mood changes.
6. Unknown
Although you are giving proper food, attention, shelter, and health checkups, there may be an unknown problem with your dog. Something cannot be known, which can cause tensions and frustration to the pet parent.
Symptoms of Dog Depression
Do you notice a behaviour change in your dog? Your dog cannot communicate with you easily, but they try to show different signs and symptoms. Symptoms indicate that your dog might not be feeling well.
1. Change in Appetite
Usually, if a dog is sad, they lose all interest in food. If your dog is a big foodie, but for many days they are not having a proper meal or if they eat too much food which causes them to increase weight. These are symptoms of depression.
2. Sleeping
Why does my dog sleep every time? Is my dog lazy? Some of us think that when a dog sleeps every time they are lazy. But it is always not the case. Your dog’s favourite activity is playing. But suddenly, if they prefer sleeping over playing. This vast difference may occur due to depression. If your puppy sleeps all the time from day to night, they are not feeling happy.
3. Loss of Interest
When your dog loses interest in the daily activities that excite them like playing, walking, licking and many more, it is a sign of depression. Usually, a dog becomes slow, inactive and less participative.
4. Avoidance
Your Dog might be avoiding you? If you are sure that your dog is avoiding you or running away from you, it is a clear indication of avoidance. For example: your dog hiding in a closet. This is more likely due to emotional or psychological behaviour, health problems and changes.
5. Facial Expression
Facial expression is easier to understand than behaviour. A dog is always sincere; they do not fake out their expression. Do not ignore their expression as it helps you to know more about their mood and feelings. Some of the facial expression that they show to a human when they are depressed are:
- Ears held to the side.
- Slow response to your command.
- Tail lowering down.
- Head lowered.
What to Do If Your Dog Is Depressed?
Now, the question arises of how you can cure your dog depression. The first step, i.e. recognizing whether your dog has depression, is difficult, but when you are sure about your Dog having depression. You can help your pooch by following ways:
1. Take them to Veterinarian
You might be confused about whether your dog is sick or depressed. So, it is easier if you take them to the veterinarian. A full checkup can help to remove any form of doubt. They will go through a number of checkups to make sure that they are physically healthy.
If they have any physical illness or depression, they will suggest medication and techniques to cure your dog problems.
2. Spend More Time with Your Dog
A dog always loves it’s owner’s company. When you are busy and cannot give them enough attention, they will feel depressed. After adopting the Dog, it is your responsibility to look after them and give them enough attention and time. This will help them to feel happy.
3. Daily Exercise
Spending time by sleeping is boring. If your dog doesn’t have other animals or humans around them, they feel lonely and bored. This causes depression in your dog. So, take your dog outside, exercise them, give them extra training. Exercising your dog helps your dog to be healthy, active and busy. If you are too busy, then you can keep dog trainers too.
4. Play with Your Dog
Playing is one of the fun activities for a dog. Dogs enjoy playing games with their family members and other canine friends. If your dog is depressed, engage them in games like finding the treats, run with your dogs, fetching balls, playing with toys and many more. This game helps dogs to remove stress and worries. Playing with a dog helps humans to remove their worries and depression too.
5. Show More Love and comfort
A dog is a man’s best friend. They are loyal and love their owners. But if their love is not reciprocated by a human, then they feel depressed. So, the way to win the dog heart is to give them love, care, comfort and attention. So as a pet parent, give them enough love that they deserve. It automatically helps to remove all the stress and depression from your dog minds.
Conclusion:
The bond between dog and human is deeper and stronger. Every activity of a dog is linked with a human. When a human cannot give them enough attention and love, they feel sad and depressed. There are many factors like health problems, changes and many more that cause depression. Keeping them happy and healthy is your responsibility as a parent.
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