Tuesday 19 February 2019

Dogs with Depression

Change happens all the time and while it usually upsets us humans very little, for dogs new things can be very distressing. Maybe you’ve recently moved house or had a baby, or perhaps everyone is grieving the loss of a loved one. Out of the blue, your usually rambunctious dog is sad and withdrawn. No matter how hard you try, there is no way of bringing him round.

Could your dog be depressed? Experts say yes. Dogs can be easily upset by changes in their environment and this can last a matter of days, or in extreme cases, a number of weeks. If your dog becomes depressed they may be lethargic or disinterested, and may even stop eating and drinking altogether. Unless this is nipped in the bud quickly, your pooch may suffer a slow decline.

However, before you self-diagnose your dog’s depression, it is worth getting him examined by your vet to rule out other things. There may be a medical reason why your dog is acting off and it is important to rule out everything. If your vet finds no physical abnormalities then he might consider depression as a cause.

A diagnosis of depression might come as a complete surprise to you, or it may make perfect sense. If there has been an obvious change in your household i.e. a new baby, building work, or a death in the family, your dog’s depression is likely to be a consequence of this. Sometimes a change to the normal routine or a transference of attention from one thing (your dog) to another thing (your new home/baby/partner) can manifest as depression. The weather is another factor that can influence your pet's mood and behaviours, just as it can ours.

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a condition that affects many of us to some extent during the darker winter months. As we move from summer to autumn and winter, your dog's mood is also likely to change. Like with humans, some dogs are more susceptible to seasonal depression than others. It may be that reduced sunlight hours and more rain means their exercise routine has changed and they are being walked far less than before. Dogs that are depressed because of SAD are likely to exhibit withdrawal, lethargy, and a craving for food.

If your dog exhibits any symptoms or behaviours out of the norm, it is important to have him examined by a vet.

Observe your canine throughout the day, paying particular attention to his basic habits such as playing and eating. If your dog's disposition towards people and other house pets was once friendly and playful and has suddenly grown detached and disinterested, depression may be the cause. Likewise, if your dog suddenly eats less than he did before it is possible he is experiencing some sort of physical or mental distress.

Sometimes a visible cause can be found under close inspection i.e. a physical injury or a tooth problem may prompt lethargy and depression if it has not been treated. Similarly, diseases such as Lyme Disease can cause depressive tendencies, while an infectious condition could also be at play. The symptoms of hormonal imbalances like hyperthyroidism are also very similar to those of depression.

So, how do I combat my dog's depression? Perhaps the most obvious advice is to keep your dog active and engaged in 'happy' exercises at home. However sometimes, particularly if your dog is well in the throws of depression, improving your dog's mood yourself is a more difficult task. If your vet suspects severe depression, he may prescribe medication to help boost your dog's mood and get him back on track. A behavioural therapist may also be recommended to re-condition your dog and have him overcoming his anxieties.

While showering your dog with affection is tempting and very often our immediate response to a companion's show of melancholy, this can actually be detrimental to his recovery. Rewarding depressed behaviours with excessive displays of love and attention may encourage your dog to continue behaving this way. That is not to say you should ignore your dog, but you should try to act as normally as possible to reassure your dog that one area of change doesn't have to mean complete change.

If you have any experience of caring for a dog with depression, please share it with our other readers! Feel free to contact me directly with any further questions and/or suggestions for future blog posts: hannahd@viovet.co.uk

Thursday 7 February 2019

Do You Understand Your Dog's Natural Behaviour?

We tend to naturally think that dogs yawn because they are bored. While this may be true of dogs when they are lying on their beds, yawning is also a calming signal. A stressed dog may yawn and lick his nose to mean "I’m feeling uptight, but let’s all calm down and everything will be better off".

Dogs can stare at you for disturbingly long periods of time. Asking your dog "What? What is it?" is proven to be worthless. So, what do they want? A sitting, quiet dog stares at his owners because he want treats or attention. The canine gaze has adapted over the centuries to make us humans feel sympathy for dogs, and they use this trick quite frequently.

However, direct eye contact is also a sign of aggressiveness. A dog in a threatening position shows his teeth or barks in a low tone.

This dogs’ habit is not always what it seems. Many people believe that dogs try to hump other dogs, teddy bears, and even humans because they want to express dominance or for sexual reasons. However, most dogs hump other dogs as a way to play with them. Since humping is seen as embarrassing behavior, most owners try to train their dogs not to do it.

Humping, as well as many other bodily movements, may become a problem in dogs who display an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Owners should look for specialized help if their dog displays high levels of anxiety.

The dog’s ears are very expressive. Low, backwards ears indicate that the dog is shy or afraid. In any case, touching the dog’s head might not be a very good idea. If you are familiar with the dog, just gently touch his back. Touching a strange dog who displays signs of fear can be quite dangerous.

That is correct. Some dogs eat poop, either their own or poop from someone else. It is a seen as a disgusting habit, but the truth is that dogs find poop tasty. Of course, they can be trained not to eat it. Another possible reason for eating poop is that there are missing nutrients in his or her food, so the dog eats whatever is around to replace whatever is lacking.

Dogs usually chase their tails in a playful manner. However, tail chasing may also be a sign of gland problems or flea allergy dermatitis, so if the behavior is persistent, you should make a visit to your vet.

Many dogs behave perfectly… until the owner leaves the house. The dog’s destructive behavior when she is alone is called "separation anxiety". An anxious dog may urinate, chew, or bark. It is important to train our dogs to tolerate, if not enjoy, being on their own while we are not at home.

Dogs love to lick: they lick themselves, other dogs, humans, and objects alike. Of course, sometimes dogs lick because they like the taste. But licking can mean a variety of things. Dogs may constantly lick a part of their body, which may mean that they are injured or that they have been stung by some insect. Licking is also a calming signal: stressed dogs may yawn and lick their nose or us to calm down. Of course, dogs also lick other dogs and humans to show affection and to gain attention.

The position and movement of the dog’s tail is a very important key to understanding his attitude. A playful dog usually wags his tail, but not every wagging tail is a sign of playfulness. Aggressive dogs also wag their tail, for example. An attentive dog holds his tail stiff, while a relaxed dog’s tail hangs down.

Barking is the natural sound dogs make. It serves many purposes: to alert others that something unusual is going on, to attract his owner’s attention, and to express aggressiveness over other dogs or humans. A barking dog may therefore be excited, happy, fearful, or aggressive. It is important to pay attention to other cues, such as to what the dog is barking at and the position of his tail and ears, to know why a dog is barking and what attitude the bark expresses.