Depressed: when should you worry?

[Peggy Jensen]

I was just reading the post about the possibly depressed dog. I sometimes worry about Mickey being depressed. He seems to eat pretty good and drinks plenty of water, he will play when prompted, but doesn't very often start it unless he has been ignored for a long time, like if I have company or something. But if I am busy I will look for him and find him just laying in front of the sliders looking out or in the middle of the floor with his chin on his paws looking very sad. My kids tell me I worry way too much and what else does he have to do if nobody is paying attention to him.
Is there some type of clinical description of what to look for or when to worry about it?

[Daniela Jantzen]

I was just reading the post about the possibly depressed dog. I sometimes worry about Mickey being depressed. He seems to eat pretty good and drinks plenty of water, he will play when prompted, but doesn't very often start it unless he has been ignored for a long time, like if I have company or something. But if I am busy I will look for him and find him just laying in front of the sliders looking out or in the middle of the floor with his chin on his paws looking very sad. My kids tell me I worry way too much and what else does he have to do if nobody is paying attention to him.
Is there some type of clinical description of what to look for or when to worry about it?
Peggy,

How old is your dog? Since when is he displaying this tpy eof behaviour?
Have you ever had him checked through by the vet?
A state of lethargy and obesity can be signs for hypothyroidism, a malfuntion of the thyroid gland. In this case the thyroid gland, which is resonsible for the whole metabolism, is not producing enough of the hormone thyroxine. This can cause behaviours similar to a depression.
To be 100% sure your dog is not just a comfy couch potatoe, have the vet run a complete checkup incl. bloodwork and thyroid pannel test on him.

Danny

[Peggy Jensen]

The vet has done all the tests including the thyroid pannel, so I don't know what else to do. It is not like I think of when a person is depressed, he perks right up when you pay any attention to him, I just wonder what dogs are supposed to do when you are busy with other things.
He is 3 years old and has been acting like this probably for the maybe ast 6 months or a little longer.
Other than that he seems healthy except for his bouts with diarrhea that I have posted here about several times, by the way that seems to be under control, it has been a whole week with no problems at all. YEAH!!

[Renee Premaza]

Hi Peggy,

If your dog is normally active, alert and plays and eats well, you just might have a very calm and relaxed dog when nobody is engaging him. As long as you're sure he's healthy, go over and tell him he's a good boy for waiting so patiently for someone to pay him attention. I wish we could clone him!! Could just be a result of reaching adulthood.


The vet has done all the tests including the thyroid pannel, so I don't know what else to do. It is not like I think of when a person is depressed, he perks right up when you pay any attention to him, I just wonder what dogs are supposed to do when you are busy with other things.
He is 3 years old and has been acting like this probably for the maybe ast 6 months or a little longer.
Other than that he seems healthy except for his bouts with diarrhea that I have posted here about several times, by the way that seems to be under control, it has been a whole week with no problems at all. YEAH!!