Signs and Treatment of Depression in Pets
Changes in pet behavior can occur for many reasons. If your dog or cat is suddenly acting unlike their usual self, it’s always a good idea to have them checked by a vet first and foremost. Many illnesses, such as chronic pain, can show symptoms that are very similar to depression. Ruling out physical causes helps to determine how your pet is truly feeling and why. If your vet determines that your pet is physically healthy, it can be time to consider depression as a possibility. While depression in pets isn’t clinical in the way that it is for humans, it can still affect their quality of life.
What Causes Depression in Animals?
There’s a number of reasons that pets could be feeling blue, and it’s crucial to look at what has changed in their daily life. Some of the most common reasons that pets could be feeling this way include:
Moving houses
The loss of a human or animal companion in the home
Welcoming a new family member or baby
A lack of mental or physical stimulation, especially in high-energy dog breeds
Symptoms
Lethargy
Animals with depression will tend to sleep more. Even if they’re not sleeping a concerning amount, their energy levels will be noticeably depleted. They’ll spend more time laying down or hiding.
Apathy towards fun activities
Depressed pets will show less enthusiasm about activities that they once enjoyed. This could mean a lack of interest in going for walks, no interest in playing with toys, or no want of being interacted with. Only you know what’s normal for your pet, so it’s important to keep an eye on their level of engagement with everything around them.
Being overly clingy or withdrawn
Some pets with depression will become very clingy to their owners. A dog with no previous separation anxiety could suddenly seem to develop it if their mental state is suffering. Alternately, some pets will become withdrawn if their mental health is low. They’ll be distant, cold, and even shy away from affection.
Treatment
Once again, an initial vet checkup is important in determining your pet’s wellbeing. If the vet determines that your dog is otherwise healthy, there are options to treat their sadness.
More Exercise
Exercise is proven to be incredibly beneficial to mental health in humans, and it’s not any different in animals. Providing a variety of exercise can also be helpful. You could try walking, running, swimming, playing fetch, playing on obstacle courses, or anything else that gets their heart rate up. Frequent exercise, fresh air, and sunshine can get your pet back to feeling like themselves in no time.
Mental Stimulation
There are endless ways to entertain your dog mentally, and doing so has endless benefits. Encouraging your pet to think and engage can have a positive impact on how they feel. Some ideas for mental stimulation could be longer walks dedicated to sniffing around, puzzle toys, lick mats, snuffle mats, and practicing training commands.
Reward Positive Emotions
Recognizing when your pet is feeling better is a great time to reward them. You could give extra treats or pats when they wag their tail, nuzzle you, or engage positively with things around them.
Medications
If other suggestions haven’t worked, your vet may prescribe your pet an antidepressant. Some of the most common SSRIs given to animals are Zoloft, Prozac, and Trazodone. These can be given on a short-term or long-term basis, and that decision will be made by your vet.
While depression in pets isn’t very common, it’s not unheard of. It can be due to any number of reasons, and having a depressed pet doesn’t make you a bad owner. With the right steps, you and your furry family member can be back to life as usual in no time.
