What Are the Symptoms of Dog Depression?
Dog depression symptoms are very similar to those in people, said John Ciribassi, DVM, past president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. âDogs will become withdrawn. They become inactive. Their eating and sleeping habits often change. They donât participate in the things they once enjoyed.â
But vets warn those symptoms also can mean a dog has a medical problem, so the first course of action should always be a full checkup by a veterinarian. A pet that mopes around and no longer wants to go for walks could simply have pain from arthritis, Beaver says.
Beaver said major changes in a dogâs life could lead to periods of depression. Those include moving into a new home, a new spouse or baby in the household, or adding another pet. Even a change in the dogâs schedule, for instance a stay-at-home owner who takes a job, can cause a dog to get down.
But the two most common triggers of severe dog depression are the loss of a companion animal or the loss of an owner. And be careful the dog isnât simply responding to the reactions of other people in the home.
âDogs pick up on our emotions, so if the owner has died, the dog could be responding to the grief of others,â Beaver said. âOr the dog may not be getting the attention heâs accustomed to, which is stressing him out.â
Most dogs bounce back from depression within a few days to a few months with just a little extra TLC, said Ciribassi. âKeep them engaged, do more of the things they like to do, get them a little more exercise, and they should be fine,â he said.
And reward them when they show signs of happiness, Beaver said. âIf the only thing that still gets a little tail wag out of your dog is a car ride, then take him for a series of short rides each day, praising and rewarding him when he appears happier,â Beaver said.
And be careful not to encourage the negative behavior by lavishing a depressed dog with attention and treats while they are moping, Beaver said. The dog will think youâre rewarding them for that behavior.
Sometimes, if the dog is depressed because of the loss of a companion, getting another pet can help, said Ciribassi. But it has to be done carefully with both the familyâs and the dogâs needs taken into account, he said.
If nothing else works, medications can help dogs get past their depression. Karen Sueda, DVM, a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, said medications for depressed dogs are the same as those used by depressed humans — Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft. She also uses Clomicalm, an FDA approved drug for the treatment of separation anxiety in dogs.
âItâs important that people deal with the problem before it gets too bad,â Sueda said. âBy the time cases get to me, theyâre bad. But most cases can be successfully treated early on with behavior modification and environmental enrichment, so it doesnât have to get to the point where we need to use drugs.â
Beaver said it can take up to two months for drugs to become effective. But unlike people, who often remain on antidepressants for years, most dogs can get better in six to 12 months and then be taken off the drugs, she said.
In the end it wasnât the car rides or dog parks or even the antidepressants Richer tried to help her dog, Terrace. Instead it was a friendly rescue dog she agreed to foster for a week. âBenji walked in, ran up the stairs, found Terrace behind the mirror and when I got up there he was lying next to her and licking her,â Richer said. âWithin a week, she was better. Now sheâs the happiest dog ever.â
Why Do Some Dogs Develop Separation Anxiety?
There is no conclusive evidence showing exactly why dogs develop separation anxiety. However, because far more dogs who have been adopted from shelters have this behavior problem than those kept by a single family since puppyhood, it is believed that loss of an important person or group of people in a dog’s life can lead to separation anxiety. Other less dramatic changes can also trigger the disorder. The following is a list of situations that have been associated with development of separation anxiety.
Change of Guardian or Family Being abandoned, surrendered to a shelter or given to a new guardian or family can trigger the development of separation anxiety.
Change in Schedule An abrupt change in schedule in terms of when or how long a dog is left alone can trigger the development of separation anxiety. For example, if a dog’s guardian works from home and spends all day with his dog but then gets a new job that requires him to leave his dog alone for six or more hours at a time, the dog might develop separation anxiety because of that change.
Change in Residence Moving to a new residence can trigger the development of separation anxiety.
Change in Household Membership The sudden absence of a resident family member, either due to death or moving away, can trigger the development of separation anxiety.