Dogs can also suffer from depression

Compassionate four-legged friends

Dogs can also suffer from depression

Many suffer from depression in winter. However, it is not only the people who are affected, but also their four-legged friends. Because dogs are not only masters at reading human emotions, they even get infected by them.

Dogs and their caregivers often have very special relationships. Even the smallest emotions are noticed. Also can Dogs get infected by human emotions. But there are other reasons why four-legged friends suffer from melancholy.

The causes of depression in dogs

According to the veterinary foundation PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals), loneliness is the leading cause of depression in dogs. The researchers came to this conclusion when evaluating a study in which 31,500 dog owners took part. Around 2.3 million dogs are regularly left alone at home for more than five hours. According to the study, 28 percent of dog owners in Great Britain are of the opinion that it is not a problem for the animals to be alone between six and ten hours a day. According to veterinarians, dogs can only endure a maximum of four hours of loneliness.
“These are very worrying results. The fact that people feel they can leave their dogs alone for so long is particularly worrying,” said PDSA veterinarian Vicki Larkham-Jones. “Lonely, frustrated dogs are more likely to cause problems and exhibit unwanted behaviors. Over the past two years, more than 50 percent of British veterinarians have observed that dogs are increasingly being euthanized because of behavioral problems.”