Do dogs get depressed?

Of course, dogs get depressed. They go through bouts of depression and you will notice your dog moping about and not wanting to play, only drinking small amounts of water, and you may even notice them losing a lot of weight. You want your dog’s mental health to be good, but how can you tell what is causing this depression?

After you have ruled out a physical aliment by taking your dog to vet; now you can look around and see what may be causing this change in your dog’s attitude and help get your dog’s mental health back on track.

Grief can cause depression in dogs just as it can in human race. Has your dog lost a playmate recently? Maybe a dog down street has moved away. Or maybe child in your family has gone off to college. Your dog longs for that companionship and now it is gone. If you have moved or have left your dog in care of others while you were on vacation this can also be root of your dog’s depression. Start helping your dog enjoy life again. Give him extra attention and love. If he has lost his doggy playmate, take him to park or to doggie daycare so he can play with other dogs and maybe make a new friend that will help him over this depression. This may just pull him out of his depression.

Cartilage is what keeps bones in a joint from rubbing together. As cartilage breaks down it causes function of joint to reduce causing pain and stiffness.

In beginning canine arthritis is uncomfortable, but in severe cases it causes extreme pain as bones are rubbing directly against each other.

Signs to watch for are favoring a certain limb repeatedly, trouble when sitting or standing, not as active, stiffness in their joints, reluctance to run or jump, and lethargy. There is no cure for canine arthritis yet, but there are several good treatments.