#2: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Dogs can also have ‘winter blues.’
This is a form of depression. And it happens when there are longer nights than days.
It’s because less sunlight affects the production of 2 certain hormones.
Melatonin and serotonin greatly rely on it. And these help with their mood and appetite.
So they’ll sleep longer and be less motivated to do things. But unlike in depression, they’ll have an increased appetite instead.
Note: If your pooch has seasonal blues, put their bed near a skylight or window. Also, take advantage of the limited daylight. Walk them when the sun’s still bright – but not too hot for their comfort.
Is a Dog that Stares at the Wall Sick?
Unfortunately, infestations and ghosts are not the most common cause of dogs staring at walls. There are several conditions that are far more likely, and some of them are serious.
As dogs age, like humans, they sometimes exhibit symptoms of senility. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) is similar to Alzheimer’s disease in people and is becoming more common as our dogs live longer than they used to.
In a nutshell, CDS causes a decline in cognitive function in dogs, and the disease is very common among senior canines. As many as 28 percent of dogs aged 11-to-12 have CDS, and that percentage increases as dogs age. Plus, many more dogs go undiagnosed.
This is due, in part, to the fact that diagnosing CDS is tricky and is mostly done by process of elimination. Veterinarians first rule out any other possible causes for your dog’s symptoms.
These symptoms are categorized by the acronym DISH.
Changes in how your dog interacts with his environment (disorientation), interacts with people (interactions), changes in sleep habits (sleep), and disregard for previously learned house-training rules (house-training) are all symptoms of CDS. However, many dogs only develop one or two of these symptoms, which leads owners to assume the problem is caused by something else and makes diagnoses difficult.
The first symptom, disorientation, can present itself in a few ways, but the most common are: walking aimlessly, getting stuck in corners, and—you guessed it—staring at walls. In other words, if your senior dog is staring at a wall, it is probably not termites or a restless spirit, but rather a byproduct of aging.
There are several things you can do to help a dog with CDS. The first step is taking your dog to the veterinarian to get an accurate diagnosis. Once diagnosed, your veterinarian may recommend increased mental stimulation for your dog, in the form of play and exercise, in addition to feeding him an antioxidant-rich diet.
Your veterinarian can also help manage any additional symptoms your dog may have besides staring at the wall. She can prescribe medications to help your dog sleep through the night and to help manage the dog’s anxiety, and may also recommend strategies for coping with changes in behavior and house soiling.
We typically associate seizures in dogs with dramatic symptoms, such as convulsions and frothing at the mouth, but seizures can also present with less dramatic symptoms like staring at a wall.
Staring at the wall or staring into space could be a symptom of a type of seizure called a partial seizure or a focal seizure. These seizures are often hard to diagnose, but if you repeatedly catch your dog staring at the wall, contact your veterinarian for an expert opinion.
Partial seizures can have a variety of causes, from cancer to epilepsy. In most cases, these seizures can be managed with medications, and you definitely want to make sure the cause is not something serious, like cancer or poison.
Before you get too upset, theres an inconvenient but fairly benign cause that may explain your dogs staring into the corner. You might have mice or other creatures residing in your walls. Your dog can hear and smell them much better than you can, and the distracting sounds or scents may hold her interest for extended periods. If she whines, growls, sniffs, scratches at or otherwise draws attention to the area, theres a good chance an infestation explains your dogs odd behavior.
Theres no question that dogs do some strange things. Most of them, though questionable or even gross to us humans — coprophagia and sniffing butts come readily to mind — are perfectly natural for canines. However, if your dog stares into a corner or at a wall, it can be cause for concern, particularly if shes elderly. Such staring is a hallmark symptom of canine cognitive dysfunction. Make an appointment with your vet.
Like people, most dogs experience some degree of decline as they age. They become more fatigued and less active, less motivated to pursue typical doggy interests and less alert and aware of their surroundings. Their memories and senses often fade a bit, too. Also, arthritic pets may feel aches, discomfort or outright pain when they move around, so they become more inclined to just stay put. Your dog might be staring off simply because its how she feels like passing some time.
If youve decided rodents have taken up residence in your wall, place a call to your friendly neighborhood pest control business. Otherwise, its time to meet with your vet. He might want to rule out other medical conditions that could explain your dogs staring into the corner, especially if shes not in her senior years. Brain tumors and other neurological conditions may be suspect. Hell want a thorough accounting of the staring and any other new behaviors or possible symptoms youve observed. If aging or cognitive dysfunction are a concern, hell help you devise a plan to make your pet as comfortable as possible and to facilitate aspects of daily life that are becoming more difficult for your dog.
Eric Mohrman has been a freelance writer since 2007, focusing on travel, food and lifestyle stories. His creative writing is also widely published. He lives in Orlando, Florida.
My dog is walking in circles and standing in corners, UPDATE PROBLEM FOUND !!!
Dogs can exhibit a variety of behaviors that may seem odd to people. Some of these behaviors, such as staring at a wall, can be completely normal or have valid reasons for occurring while others can be an indication of a problem. If you notice, for example, that while youre watching your favorite show, your dog is staring at the wall where there appears to be nothing interesting, you probably dont have to worry. Still, its good to know the reason