Doggy Depression: Easy Ways To Spot & Prevent It

Most people know that humans can suffer depression and low moods. Indeed, statistics show that some of you reading this article will have encountered those issues at some point. However, what many folks don’t realize is that animals can also find themselves in the same position. The difference is that your dog at home doesn’t know how to highlight its feelings. With that in mind, it’s vital that all owners learn how to spot the symptoms. They also need to look for the best ways of preventing depression in their pet. Just like humans, most canines are different. So, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. However, the information in this article will point you in the right direction. Read this page carefully to ensure you have the best chance of identifying depression and dealing with it promptly.

 

How to spot depression in dogs

• Your animal won’t have as much energy

All dog owners know their pets have lots of energy most of the time. Indeed, most people are worn out long before their canine when talking walks together. So, it should be easy to spot when something changes. If your dog doesn’t seem interested when you get ready to go for a walk, you should become suspicious. Also, if they spend more time sleeping in their beds than usual, there is also cause for alarm. Maybe your pooch just lies there with their eyes closed looking sad. That’s a pretty clear sign that something is wrong and you need to take action. That is especially the case if your pet used to have unlimited energy in the past. We’ll talk about some solutions to the issue in just a moment. However, you should continue to check the other symptoms first. Most depressed dogs will exhibit more than one of these behaviors.

• Your animal might stop eating their food

Canines love food. In fact, most of them will eat anything you put in front of them. That is the case, regardless of whether it was edible for not. Still, depressed dogs can often begin to take a disliking to their meals. If you place a bowl of food on the floor, and your pet seems uninterested, you might have a problem on your hands. You can’t stand idly by while your animal starves itself. So, you must try to make them eat using psychological techniques. For example, you could place a couple of treats on top of their bowl. That can sometimes encourage the dog to try the food. Still, if you don’t have any luck, that suggests there is something wrong with your animal. Depression is likely. However, you could discover some other health issues.

• Your animal will seem lethargic and uninterested

Most dogs are social creatures that love to spend their time with humans. That is especially the case if the people give them a lot of attention. So, if your dog begins to seem lethargic and uninterested, it could suffer from a mood disorder. When most owners come home from work, their pets go mad. They jump up at the door, bark, and become almost insane through sheer joy. When that stops happening, it could be because the animal no longer feels loved or fulfilled. Maybe you’ve forgotten to take it on a walk for a couple of nights? That could cause the same reaction. However, in many instances, your dog’s change in mood occurs because of depression.

How to prevent depression in dogs

• Spend as much time as possible with the pooch

In many instances, we find that dogs can start to feel lonely when they don’t see their owners often enough. That can happen when people have to undertake some overtime at work or something similar. The key is to ensure you put that right as soon as possible. Make sure you put time aside to spend with your canine just as you would with your kids. At the end of the day, you chose to add the animal to your family unit. So, it’s your responsibility to ensure it never feels left out. Even if you just sit on the sofa together, your pooch is going to be happy with the interaction. 

•  Ensure you purchase toys and play with your animal

While exercise is important, so are fun and entertainment. For that reason, you need to buy some toys for your pet. You can get some outdoor toys for when you take walks, but you should also keep some indoor toys in the house. Specialists from Fast Dogs say the canine toy market has advanced during recent years. There are now lots of technology-based products designed to optimize the experience for your dog. At the end of the day, what self-respecting pet isn’t going to love a machine that plays catch with them, right?

• Provide your dog with the best food and nutrients

Like it or not, some pet foods are inferior to others. I’m not saying you have to spend a fortune on the premium brands. However, Dog Food Insider says it’s worth taking a look at the tins to find out what they contain. Ideally, your animal should consume food that has a high meat content. There are lots of reviews and articles online that will make the selection process easier. Just remember that some dogs become depressed because they’re not getting the right sustenance. That is something you can change by just improving the food you provide.

Everyone reading this post should now have a better understanding of depression in dogs. There are medications for the worst instances. So, ensure you take the animal to see a vet if you have continued concerns. If things don’t improve after a couple of months, that could become the best solution to the problem. Just explain the situation and tell the professional how your dog is behaving. They will then recommend the best treatments and strategies. The fact that you’ve read to the bottom of this page suggests you’re committed to making your dog happy. So, don’t worry too much because you’re on the right track.

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