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Signs that your Dog or Pet is Depressed

Do you have a dog that’s depressed, or has been in the past? Or have you had a pet that has or had been depressed and didn’t know about it for quite some time? We have several notable physical signs to monitor your pet’s behavior and to detect if they may be depressed. Follow these tips as recommended and seen in Good Housekeeping magazine:

  • Usually the first and obvious sign is less or altogether stopping of eating or drinking. This will affect your pet’s health overall, if not treated as soon as possible or accurately.
  • Chewing and Destroying Items– This is very detrimental behavior that not only affects your pet, but your household, along coveted and cherished items/pieces in your home. Boredom and depression play large factors in chewing and destroying things.
  • Using the Bathroom in the House or Outside of the Litter Box– While many times pets do this is because of their mad or angry, they can also be expressing sadness.
  • Zero of Loss of Interest in Activities– This signals low feelings and sadness in pets. They may used to love to walk, run or play ball, and now they have no interest in those things anymore. Be alert to your pet’s behavior, especially when they go from doing the things they love, to having no real desire to do none of it anymore.
  • Less Tail Wagging– If your dog is no longer tail-wagging, be aware that something’s up. A happy tail wagging usually means a happy dog, and the same is meant for the opposite of he or she being sad or depressed.
  • Hiding– If your pet is hiding more often than usual, and rarely coming out for cat scratches, belly rubs, or petting, your pet is probably depressed.
  • Needs Constant Companionship– If your pet is craving constantly pet-human bonding at all times, beware that your pet is probably upset that you’re not around. When you are around and you begin to leave, they start crying, whimpering or become anxious. This is also a form of separation anxiety.
  • Too Much or Not Enough Grooming– Of course it’s normal for your pet to groom themselves, yet excessive grooming is not normal, and is indication of physical and/or emotional issues. Too much grooming can cause skin infections, and none grooming can cause excessive shedding and hair issues.
  • Increased Vocalization–  Since pet’s can’t talk about how they feel or what bothers or hurts them, they bark, whine, growl, hiss, or meow, and sometimes these expressions become increased; this is their way of telling you something is wrong.

Do you notice any other signs in your pet’s decrease in activity level. Have you experienced more or less symptoms with your pet?

We want to hear from you. Let us know in a comment on this post!

Article Source: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/pet-advice/dog-cat-depression#slide-9

dogs and cats, pet health care, pets and depression