5 Causes of Depression in Dogs

1. Physical Illness
Many health problems will cause dogs to act depressed. Contact your veterinarian right away if you notice signs of depression in your dog. It is important to first rule out a physical cause for your dog's abnormal behavior before things get worse. If your vet does find a health problem, follow the treatment recommendations. Hopefully, your dog's depression will improve once he recovers from the illness.

2. Grief
Dogs can mourn the loss of human and animal companions just as we do. Perhaps a housemate or neighborhood dog he played with is gone (vacation, moved away, died). Or, maybe a child in your home has grown up and moved out. There is no way to explain this to your dog. Losing a playmate, especially an inhome playmate can be a reason for canine depression. We may not notice it very often, but pets definitely do grieve.

3. Environmental Changes
Moving to a new home, a general change of scenery (like a renovation), or even the weather can adversely affect a normal happy dog. You can't explain the reasons for such a dramatic change. It usually takes time for your dog to adjust to major environmental changes.

4. Fear
Your dog may have a fear or phobia that makes him seem depressed. Dogs sometimes show fear in different ways than you would expect. Your dog may be trying not to appear scared since that might make him more vulnerable. Instead, he just retreats from normal activities to protect himself.

5. You (the owner)
Are you feeling depressed or are you gone a lot? Some dogs become depressed if their owner's are gone a lot. This may be similar to separation anxiety (but instead of "acting out" your dog gets depressed).

Source: http://ow.ly/cng650Er0xj

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