Owning a pet can be both challenging and rewarding. Knowing how to effectively love and raise your dog can quickly turn into a difficult task. Luckily, some insights from developmental dog research may be able to make this process easier and less demanding. A healthy relationship can start with emotional understanding between you and your dog. Emotionally understanding your canine may help you to see if your dog is behaving in its usual way, or if something may be bothering them, such as a mental illness. One of the most common illnesses faced by humans and animals is depression.
That’s why building a solid and healthy relationship can revitalize your relationship with your dog! When other medical issues are ruled out, these signs may point to depression.
What is Depression?
According to the American Psychiatric Association, Depression is a medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. According to Miho Nagasawa, a professor in Animal Science and Biotechnology at Azabu University in Japan, dogs can behave similarly as humans when placed under stress or experience mental illness. Therefore, mental illness in canines can look similar to mental illness in humans due to their human-like communication skills. In order to avoid these negative effects in your dog’s mood it is important to be able to identify symptoms and signs associated with depression and understand how this disease manifests.
How Depression Manifests
Depression is able to manifest itself in dogs through several outlets. These outlets are what essentially causes symptoms to occur in your canine, so it is important to know the origin of them:
- Environmental factors – abusive home or neglecting owners can lead to dogs showing symptoms of mental illness
- Genetics – a canine family with a known history of mental illness is more prone to show symptoms
- Medical illness – physical impairment in dogs may affect their emotional balance, and lead to depression symptoms
A variety of outlets are taken into consideration when understanding if your dog may have a mental illness. Analyzing these outlets can help you notice specific symptoms of depression for your canine and find the best way to help.
What are the symptoms of Depression in Dogs?
As referenced above, the symptoms of depression provide similarities between humans and dogs. Symptoms include:
- Unnecessary Aggression – Dogs will tear up carpets and get mad easily. Your canine may also be bothered by sudden touching.
- Low Activity Rate – Your dog won’t be as excited for playtime or playing with their friends – whatever their favorite toy may be
- Change in eating/sleeping habits – they are spending more time sleeping, and less time eating or interacting with others – a negative correlation.
- Constant Licking – They will keep licking a particular spot on their body, for an extended period of time
- Clingy/Needy – Your canine constantly needs attention, and is periodically trying to grab your attention, more than usual.
These symptoms may be a sign of depression in your dog. John Ciribassi, the past president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, also suggests that these symptoms may be a sign of medical illnesses or a different mental illness. If symptoms of depression are noticed, immediately take your canine to the Veterinarian and have them conduct a check-up.
Identifying signs of depression in your dog can help you understand them more and cultivate a life-long relationship. This mental illness can be an obstacle in your relationship with your canine, but it can also be the starting point for emotional understanding between you both. Interested in learning about treatments for dog depression? Check out our article on How to Treat Canine Depression.
