Sunday’s recap: mental health illnesses in dogs

Video: Therapy dogs: Researchers studying mental health benefits

Oftentimes when we here the term canine mental problems, we think of behavior problems. That’s because the two terms are commonly used interchangeably. While it’s true that mental health illnesses in dogs can cause behavior problems, they can also result in other issues as well. Mental health illnesses and behavior issues are two very different problems, and each has its own treatment.

Much like people, dogs can be diagnosed with mental health issues such as depression or a compulsion disorder. The hard part is figuring out which issues are effecting your pet. Because dogs cannot communicate with us to express their feelings, it’s often difficult to diagnose canine depression or anxiety for certain unless the case is severe.

With careful observation, you can usually tell if you’re dealing with one of the many mental health illnesses or dogs or just a common behavior problem that could be corrected with proper training and redirection. Canine anxiety and depression are the two most common mental health illnesses in dogs, but there are a few others that you should be mindful of as well.

Sunday’s Recap: Mental Health Illnesses in Dogs

This week I read a lot of great articles and blog posts about mental health illnesses in dogs. If you believe that your pet may have a mental health illness, you need to speak with your veterinarian right away. Although these types of illnesses are not uncommon, your dog’s symptoms could also be the result of an underlying health condition.

1. Dog Star Daily

The most important thing to keep in mind when discussing mental health illnesses in dogs, is that they may lead to aggression. It’s best to have your dog examined by a veterinarian or canine behavior specialist as soon as you notice any common symptoms or changes in your dog’s behavior.

As this blog post from Dog Star Daily explains, it’s uncommon, but sometimes a dog’s mental health deteriorates so quickly that it leads to uncontrollable aggression. Sometimes, a dog may even become self destructive. In these rare cases the dog would need to be euthanized as a safety measure.

• I always recommend at least a second, if not a third opinion before euthanizing and I would NEVER recommend euthanasia without first handling the dog in person. In one of the most severe cases, and unsolicited, my veterinarian did a necropsy and confirmed my suspicion — the dog had multiple lesions on his brain.

2. Animal Wellness Magazine

But, how do you tell if your dog has a behavior issue or a mental health illness? It’s not easy, as many of the symptoms are similar. This article from Animal Wellness Magazine discusses two different instances in which dogs had medical issues that led to behavior changes. It gives a great first-hand account of what you may see if your dog is experience the same type of symptoms.

Video: Dog Therapy for Mental Illness

• Mental illness in dogs can arise as an extension of physical illness (a progression of disease from the physical to the psyche), or it can actually arise in the psyche in response to external factors such as persistent grief, anger, humiliation or fright. We also need to take into account animals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury in the past. The problem with diagnosing mental illness in companion animals is that the symptoms are so varied that it makes categorizing them difficult.

3. Vetinfo shares information on common symptoms

If you’re wondering what symptoms to look for, Vetinfo.com has shared this interesting article that explains everything you’ll need to know. It explains some of the most common causes of mental illnesses in dogs. As I’ve mentioned, these symptoms are not conclusive just based on your observations. Your dog will need to be thoroughly examined by your veterinarian before any treatment suggestions can be discussed.

Video: Famous People With Serious Mental Disorders

• Dog depression is characterized by lack of interest in playing, apathy, recurrent behavior of searching and sniffing, isolation, lack of appetite, and in some cases, constipation. Dog anxiety is characterized by destructive behavior, urinating or defecating indoors, diarrhea, and vomiting. In some cases, such as in the case of separation anxiety, the dog might vomit in the owners shoes or some other item that he may associate with his owner leaving him alone.

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