Doggie Depression

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  • LindseyD
    Participant

    Ok, so I know this is a homeschooling forum, but surely you all have animals too! We got our family a dog for Christmas, a 2yo bearded collie whom we have named Layla. She was a rescue dog from the Bearded Collie Club of America. Being with us is the first time in her life she’s been an “only dog”. She is in a major depression that’s getting worse and worse. She stays in her bed and does nothing all day. Just recently, she figured out how to get under our beds, and we have the hardest time getting her out. She hasn’t eaten much of anything in two or three days. We are really getting worried about her. We are looking into getting another dog to be a companion to her, but we have to find the right one. I’ve even started giving her our grass-fed soup bones and fat to help her put some weight back on. I have called the vet, but of course, she just wants to stick our dog on antidepressants! No thank you.

    Anyway, if you have any insight, I’d appreciate it. We’re open to just about anything at this point.

    Thanks,

    Lindsey

    Does she show any fear at all….if she does I can recommend a good calming medicine which may give her the confidence to come out and do things….Linda

    Questa7
    Member

    Hey Lindsey…we have two dogs with issues ourselves–one with a seizure disorder, and one with major anxiety/depression issues…mainly anxiety.  The anxious one is six and a half years old, and has been with us nearly his whole life.  He does however have some very bad memories/associations that have persisted from early on.  And currently he is in a depression because my husband is out of town.  He does nothing but lie on the bed…he doesn’t even eat.  One thing that I’ve found that works for him is to bring him out of the bedroom AFTER Little Guy goes to bed, and have him sit with me in the dark while I watch a movie or something…and I’ll just stroke him, tell him he’s a good dog, have some relaxed one-on-one time with him.  He’ll start flapping his tail and responding, and it really seems to help.  Also, he’s not big into toys, but if I buy him a stuffed animal (once in a blue moon), he will take it to his hide-out spot and just cuddle with it (he’s not a chewer like my other dog.)  It seems to give him some security.

    Other than that, the big thing is exercise, exercise, exercise. I think most dogs, even when in a funk, loosen up within a few minutes of being put on a leash and being out in the open air.  If you can take her on LONG walks, all the better…it’s more time out from under the bed, and energy begets energy, and so on. 

    I think you’re doing the right thing with the feeding…I just recently started giving our dogs the leftovers when I make stock.  They love it!!  Maybe when she comes out to feed, you could try shutting the bedroom door so she can’t run back right away, and then coaxing her into some exercise or at least cuddling, maybe in a cozy corner?  When our other dog is terrified of thunderstorms, he always wants to be near me, but always by or under something.  So sometimes I will just get down on his level and sit in the corner, by the bed, or even under the table…somewhere he feels safe but will still interact.  And he tends to get over the fear a little more quickly.

    Also, I noticed from your blog…hadn’t she run away recently?  If the behavior is new since the run-away, maybe something traumatic occurred while she was gone. And unfortunately you may never know what.  Just watch for anything that seems to be a trigger for anxiety (brooms or other long hard things, people of one gender as opposed to the other, other animals, etc.)  It may help you to help her.

    If the issue persists, you may want to get some blood tests for thyroid issues, etc.  Good luck!  Poor little girl! 

    LindseyD
    Participant

    She has always been timid. She was raised in a cage in a puppy mill until six months ago when the USDA shut it down and fostered out all the dogs to rescue programs. Her mother, her three sisters, and her were rescued and fostered to the same home. They have all since been adopted out, with Layla being the last one to go to us. What type of calming med would you recommend?

    Questa7
    Member

    Hey, Lindsey…was just wondering how your pup is doing?

    LindseyD
    Participant

    Thank you for asking! We think she is doing better. We ended up getting another dog, a 3yo Boston terrier, to give Layla a friend. Although Layla is pretty indifferent to Betsy most of the time, it has caused her to be jealous, and therefore, more social. She still tries to get under the bed, but we have been trying to keep bedroom doors closed during the day to encourage her to stay in the family areas with us. She has started eating again, just in the last few days. We switched her dog food, and she seems to like it! The only problem I have with this food is that I know it’s not a good quality food, made mostly of corn and soy. The food we were giving her before was a lamb/rice formula with no corn and very little soy, and now we’re feeding her Kibbles-n-Bits! GAG! At least she’s eating!

    After talking more with the vet, we don’t feel that antidepressants are the right choice for her right now. The vet said that if Layla starts displaying destructive behaviors, like chewing on shoes or ripping up carpets, then we would need to consider meds. She hasn’t done any of that yet, so we’re hopeful that she’s on an upswing.

    Thank you so much for inquiring about our dog! Now we have two, and we’re loving them both!

    chocodog
    Participant

    Lindsey,

        I also wanted to ask you if you have a kennel in your house. The reason I am asking is because if she was kenneled most of her life it would be a safe haven for her. Whenever, she feels anxious she may want to go and hide and that is why she is going to your room to hide under the bed.

       My dog loves hers. She is out most of the time but I lock her up at night. She will go in there even just to lay down during the day. If she knows I am going to run the vaccum or if I even raise my voice in the slightest she heads straight for the cage.  She has never been beat. She just thinks of it as her tunnel. When she was a pup we put a inner tube in with her to sleep in. Now, I just buy old junkie blankets and she loves when she gets a new one for her kennel. I can’t even get it out of the bag and she beats me to the kennel waiting for me to put it in. She use to wait behind me. Now she just gets so excited she rushes in not thinking it has to go in first. 🙂

    I thought this might help if she didn’t have a cage. It also helps if they have a blanket somewhat over the top. where they can look out but they feel like they are in a den.  Kind of like being under the bed. 🙂

                            Glad to hear your addition to your house was just added by 4 feet! 🙂

     

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