15 Dec Treating Dog Depression (Part 2)

Dogs, like humans, may suffer from depression. This depression can be due to the loss of a companion, relocation, the addition of something new, or any change in their normal course of life. Dog depression can have many physical and psychological signs and symptoms. The first step is to identify their behavioral changes. We explained about these changes in detail in the previous part. Second, you need to pay attention to your dog’s body language. In this part, we will discuss the rest of the dog’s body language and other steps in identifying and treating depression in them.

Part 2: Pay close attention to your dog’s body language for dog depression.

Be aware of all the conditions of your dog.

Depressed dogs tend to remain motionless along the path with drooping heads and tails and react with difficulty to provocative actions. Your dog may be affected by your dullness and indifference to what is happening around him.

Be aware of excessive shedding.

Dogs suffer from severe hair loss when they are stressed. If you pet your dog and your hands are covered in hair, or if you accidentally have to sweep the house more than before, your dog may be depressed.

Part 3: Knowing the necessary tasks in the next step

Make sure your dog isn’t sick

If your dog’s behaviour is unusual, it’s better to take him to a veterinarian for a checkup. There’s a difference in symptoms between depression and illness. It isn’t often easy to tell the difference between the two; because dogs are prone to not eating and not doing things when they’re sick and depressed.

Know what may be depressing your dog

A healthy dog ​​is unlikely to get depressed for no reason. So if a new event hits your dog’s mental health, you can understand it easily. Dogs have a lot of perseverance and effort daily. Therefore, most of the common causes of depression in dogs are changes in their daily lives. A change in their lifestyle, which is also a cause of depression, can be caused by one following: In a dog’s thoughts, stress includes anything that distracts them from their attention. These things can be stressful for a dog: 

• An owner who has always been at home but now leaves home to work.
• Add a new baby or puppy to the family.
• The sudden loss of a friend or companion could be another human or dog.
• Changing a house,
• Misbehaviour
• Having to do something.
• Construction and renovation at home.

Spend more time with your dog

Go for more walks. Play with your dog, such as throwing a ball, fetching, or playing with objects such as ropes. Try dog ​​exercises such as agility. Train your dog to do fun things. Go to the dog park. Instead of sitting in a chair, sit on the floor to align with your dog when you watch TV. Make sure everything you decide to do is fun and entertaining for you and your dog. Having fun with you is the best way for him to overcome depression.

Make your dog more social.

If your dog has recently lost a friend, consider replacing him with a new friend. When he’s alone at home for a long time, take him to a dog shelter some days of the week or find someone to take him out for a walk. Also, plan for a walk in the park so your dog can interact with others.

Encourage your dog for positive behaviours.

One of The owner’s mistakes is to make unnecessary noise when their dog behaves abnormally. For example, if you yell at your dog when he isn’t eating, you’re telling him that he has done a wise thing. A much better way to handle this situation is to put the food container on the floor and ignore him until he decides to eat, then praise him when he starts eating his first bite. This reinforces positive and negative behaviours and helps your dog get rid of depression.

If your dog’s depression persists, see a behavioural veterinarian. A chemical imbalance in your dog’s body may require medication, which you can overcome with a behavioural modification program. To have a healthy and lively dog, you need to pay attention to nutrition, activity, health, grooming and much more. You can prevent the disease and have a healthy dog in this case. In all these steps, you can count on the specialized team of MishkaGrooming. Our experienced and precise groomers have groomed your dogs carefully and accurately to count the moments for the next session.