Mary Allen
Relatively little research has been done on what triggers depression in dogs. Behavioral biologist and zoologist Udo Ganslober told us how to recognize a mental illness, how to best help, and how to prevent burnout.
Four-legged friends are often our comforters, they are there for us when we are sad. It’s only bad when this sadness doesn’t want to go away and becomes an illness: depression in dogs.
The depressing news: We can “infect” our dogs with excessive grief, eventually causing them to become depressed too. “At least we see changes in behavior that are reminiscent of depression or a depressive mood,” says the well-known behavioral biologist and zoologist Udo Ganslober. For example, they remain listless in their baskets when their mistress or master is getting ready to go for a walk, or they completely ignore their otherwise so-called coveted favorite toy…
There are some signs. But as a two-legged friend, how do I recognize if my dog is suffering from a real depression? And above all: How can I help him?
Signs of Depression in Dogs
Most dog owners know their dogs – and know very quickly when the mood of their beloved four-legged friend is not what it should be. How exactly you can recognize depression in a dog is “difficult to say in general, since there are big differences in general activity (also from breed to breed) “, explains Ganslober and goes on to say: “It becomes clear, for example, with a real dog Separation or grief depression, when a previously happy and playful dog suddenly doesn’t want to go out anymore, doesn’t play anymore, and so on.”
Possible Triggers for Depression in Dogs
What can trigger depression? “For example, the death of an individually valuable partner (human or dog), a separation, a stay in a dog boarding house – for example with animal protection dogs that are just about to arrive in a new family,” says the behavioral biologist.
Medical causes can also underlie depression in dogs, such as hypothyroidism. It may also be informative to take a close look at the four-legged friend’s diet. For example, “a lack of certain amino acids due to – and this is type-dependent and by no means universally applicable – corn in the feed” could be a possible trigger.
And what about under-employment? Can under exertion lead to depression? Under certain circumstances yes, Udo Ganslober knows, but unfortunately, a phenomenon is also spreading in the dog world that can no longer be stopped in the world of two-legged friends: “Meanwhile we are also observing depressions from exhaustion due to excessive demands, i.e. so-called burn-outs. ”
How Can You Help & Prevent?
If we subject our dogs to too many impressions and keep them too busy so that they can no longer get enough rest ( a dog needs around 20 hours of sleep a day! ), the alarm bells should be ringing for us.
But how can mum and dad help when it’s “too late”? “Depending on the type and personality, one can help individually, through exercise, nutritional supplements, creating a sense of achievement, etc. But that depends on the personality and the cause. That’s why you should always get individual advice,” advises Ganslober, who also gives the valuable tip that you can promote self-efficacy in advance, “through tasks that the dog successfully masters on its own, self-discovered paths and thus gains control over its life .”