Careful! Dogs can also get depressed as humans do

Over decades, people have been paying more and more attention to dogs' physical and mental health as they may also suffer from the pain caused by mental illness. According to Dr. Gregory Burn's Research on dog emotions, it shows that the areas of the human brain that are active when experiencing certain emotions are also active in dogs. We can extrapolate from this data that dogs experience similar emotions when these areas are active. When pets are more integrated into our daily lives, they might be affected by people or the environment.

*While depression isn't typically diagnosed in dogs, vets and behaviorists want owners to become more aware of the signs to look out for.

#1. How to confirm if my dog has depression?

1) Behaviours

Does your doggo become more and more unsociable？

Dogs are nature extroverted creatures when they are healthy and happy. They give you a warm hug when you are home, and are happy to have you around. Thereby that means a dog with poor mental health can be abnormally introvert.

hiding from you

inactive with you

sleeping more than usual.

* Or exceptionally become super needy without interaction if doggos get upset.

Is your pup being repetitive or tired?

Normally, dogs are energetic and love to play when you take them out. They are excited about going out, and they might exhaust you when it comes to fetching, chasing or other games. If your dog seems tired or lazy when you take them out, you might pay attention to it.

walking slowly behind you

sit down or lay down when you stop to chat with someone

Has your dog's sleeping pattern changed?

Dogs love to sleep, especially when their pawrents are away from home. But please be aware if they are not sleeping as they normally do, it might be a sign.

still sleeping when you're back home

no response when the postman or other dogs pass by the house

Has your dog's appetite changed?

Dogs with depression eat less and lose weight. However, just like people, some dogs can overeat when they are not feeling well. Pay attention to the following situations:

not interested in their favorite food

the drastic change in weight

Is your dog destructive and hostile?

Depressed dogs might bite down on shoes, walls, books, furniture, or pillows in the house when they can't go out often. They are irritable and even want to bite you when you try to interact with them.

2) Body language

Eyes

When dogs are in pain, nervousness, or depression, they always squint. Depressed dogs don't want to look at anyone, not even you.

*Of course, some dogs' eyes look sad when they are happy because they are born with droopy eyelids. So, you have to learn more and find out what kind of situation your dog is in.

Ears

Depressed dogs do not respond to the sounds around them when their ears are drooping. You call them by their name or take them out with their collar and leash, but they don't move.

Lowering the head

Do they have their heads lowered? Depressed dogs like to keep their heads down no matter if they sit or stand, and ignore what's going on around them.

Tucked tail

Sad dogs always have their tails tucked, even if you make them wag their tails, they are half-hearted.

Licking paws

Dogs lick their paws for comfort when they're depressed, be aware of their excessive licking.

Moving Slowly

Depressed dogs stand with their heads or tails lowered, move slowly, and show no interest in everything around them.

Excessive shedding

Dogs shed more than normal when they are depressed. You should notice that if there's a lot of dog hair after petting your dog or cleaning the house.

#2. What tiggers dogs to get depressed?

If you suspect that a dog is suffering from depression, take a look back on what has changed or is changing in their life, like changes in their environment or social situations. Any significant change to a pet's normal routine can cause stress. Depression in dogs can be triggered by:

chronic pain or chronic illness

trauma

lack of mental or physical stimulation

empathy to a depressed or unhappy owner

changes in the household

isolation

*This is not a complete list, they might get depressed for many other reasons.

#3. How to help out a drepressed dog?

"If you suspect that your dog is depressed, the first thing that you should do is to seek advice from your vet. Sudden behavioural changes are the initial signs of illness. Thus it

is important to check that these symptoms aren't happening due to a physical ailment before anything else," the experts say. Here are a few ideas from them:

See a vet

Contact your veterinarian when your dog is showing symptoms of depression. Your should take your dog to see a vet right away if they:

are very lethargic or not eating

have stopped improving

develop other symptoms, like vomiting or diarrhea

Set up play dates

invite some furry friends to your house

take them to a dog park

bring a new pet home

*You should not get a new pet solely to cheer your dog up, think about it seriously.

Increase mental and physical stimulation

take them on extra/longer walks

play fetch more often

introduce a new toy to them (our interactive products may be the right fit)

encourage them to do their favorite activities

Our interactive toys can cover your needs easily by offering much interaction and fun to people and pets. Wickedbone is a bone-shaped interactive gaming device for dogs that you can control through the app on iOS / Android. Wicked Ball and Wicked Ball SE are 100% automatic self-moving balls both featured with 3 interaction modes. All of these 3 products are rechargeable, and so do our other toys.

To cheer a depressed dog up, Cheerble is here to help.

Keep a regular routine

head out for a walk at a similar time each day

offer dinner at a similar time every day

give them a hug when you go to work

Make sure they are eating

add a topper to their food

do not change their diet completely or abruptly

Dogs are humans' best friends, but sometimes we might not realize that a dog could suffer poor mental health, although many people assuming they are happy all the time. Similar to us, depression and its effects can be different on different dogs. With the right support and treatment, you can help your beloved puppy through emotionally distressing times.