Dog depression: 9 signs your dog is sad

Animals don’t just lick themselves to get clean; sometimes they use the action to make themselves feel better. While it’s not a common symptom of dog depression, it isn’t unheard of, says Dr Ryan. “If dogs have anxiety issues, they could be doing more compulsive-licking behaviour that can be self-soothing,” she says. “They pick a spot and keep licking it.”

So if you spot your dog licking its paws on repeat, you may want to keep a close eye out for other signs of doggy depression.

Check out these unexpected reasons your dog might have anxiety.

A dog with depression might start tearing up the couch or growling when you touch it. “It’s not always the sad, forlorn basset hound-looking face you think of as the face of depression,” says Dr Nelson. Depression shouldn’t be your first thought if your dog has always been aggressive, but a cuddly pooch that suddenly snaps might be telling you something’s wrong.

If you see these 11 behaviours, your dog might need obedience training.

Puppies instinctually use these noises to communicate with their mother, and they may continue this method of ‘crying out’ as adult animals, particularly if you respond to it, Dr Simon says.

It’s normal for your dog to seek comfort from you when feeling depressed. This is often the case if its sadness is related to feelings of pain, illness, loneliness or boredom, says Dr Simon. An overly needy dog may feel annoying or surprising, but your pup may be feeling depressed.

Puppy training? Here are the first things you need to do.

The longer you and your furry friend are together, the more you develop special ways of communicating, unique to the two of you. With time, you should be able to interpret your dog’s facial expressions, actions, and sounds.

This means you are the one most likely to understand when your dog is sad – and why, says Dr Simon. Learn to recognise your pup’s personal signs of depression. Maybe it brings you a comfort object, like its blanket. Maybe it makes a particular noise or taps you with its paw. The important thing isn’t how your dog is showing sadness but rather that you understand it – and then give extra love.

There’s a good chance you’ve spent less time wondering, “Can dogs be depressed?” or even, “Is my dog depressed?” and more time asking yourself, “What can I do to help?” First, before you blame your dog’s behaviour on depression, a vet will need to do a full check-up. What you think are signs of depression in your dog may actually be symptoms of an illness, like a thyroid problem or an indication your pup is in pain.

A vet who has ruled out other health issues will likely recommend you give your dog more exercise, a healthier diet, and extra attention to lift its spirits. As a last-ditch effort, a vet might prescribe a sad dog one of the same depression medications humans would use, such as Prozac or Zoloft.

“We don’t want all our dogs walking around on Zoloft if we don’t have to, and oftentimes we don’t need to,” says Dr Nelson. “But if giving that little something to take the edge off helps them live a more comfortable life, there’s no shame in that game.”

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Source: RD.com