People aren't the only ones that get depressed. Pets can suffer from depression too. Depression in pets can be caused by a variety of factors such as grief over the death of a human member of the household or another pet. It can also be the result of a move or other break from regular routine. If you work long hours and your pet is left alone for long periods of time, he can become depressed. There are usually several signs that may indicate your pet is suffering from depression. Many times a pet will get depressed if someone new comes around and they feel replaced, whether it's another pet or a person. So be sure to include your pet in activities with the new person or pet in your life. Don't leave them out. You can also help your pet get use to the new person or pet by allowing them time to get to know each other without you around. Be sure to continue your regular activities with your pet that you engaged in before the new person or pet arrived. Take walks and play at the same time and for the same length of time. If there will be a new baby in the house, get your pet use to the sounds and smells of a new baby as best you can. Some signs of depression in pets may be:
Eating and drinking less often - A depressed pet will begin eating less and sometimes stop eating entirely.
Chewing and destroying things - When pets are depressed, they take up destructive behavior as a cry for help.
Going to the bathroom inside the house or outside of the litter box. This doesn’t just indicate bad behavior in mad or angry pets - bathroom “accidents” may not be accidents at all - your pet may be too sad to get up.
Loss of interest in Activities - Lethargy and lack of interest are telltale signs of depression in humans and animals alike.
Dog is wagging its tail less - Happy dogs wag their tails.
Hiding - When your pet starts making a home out of the dark corners and spaces in your house (closets, under your bed), and takes up residence in an area they don’t usually frequent, this could be a sign that they’re depressed.
Not wanting to be left alone - Like their human counterparts, when feeling particularly sad, some pets do not want to be left alone. Separation anxiety is signaled by excessive crying and whining when you attempt to leave the house. This is often accompanied by #2, chewing or destroying things.
Too little or too much grooming - Cats have a tendency to under-groom when they are depressed, but once in a while, you’ll get a pet that does quite the opposite. Watch out for skin irritation and shedding.
Increased vocalization - If your pet is crying, whining, or barking more than usual it’s possible there is something wrong and they are trying to communicate with you the only way they know how.
One of the deepest sympathies we have as humans is for a mother who is carrying a baby or babies inside her, and that naturally extends to a doggie mother too, but this story tells of a time that such things made no difference at all to the awful decision! The mother, in this case, was a pregnant pit bull, in the Texas area and it was reported that she was euthanized while she was still in labor, we are really shocked, even more than any other time, aren’t you? Well, it seems people are certainly feeling emotive towards this case because it’s going viral all over the place, and that doesn’t surprise us at all! Amarillo Animal Management and Welfare volunteer, Dacia Anderson, posted a photo of the doggie and a story about what was ha happened that day. To read more on this story, click here:Put To Sleep While Giving Birth, Rescue Center Says It Was The Right Call!
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Beloved American prize wizard Bob Barker used to give us a daily reminder to spay and neuter our pets but, if this latest trend hits the mainstream, we should probably just start sterilizing all humans. A glittered dog scrotum. That’s where we’re at as a society. We’re so far up Maslow’s pyramid that we’re not even dipping our own nutsacks in glitter. We’ve moved on to our dogs. How far removed from the threat of starving to death to do you have to be to pay to have someone do this? This is the type of thing that’s so unnecessarily extravagant that when the working class sees it they start getting an urge to cut off the heads of the rich. To read more on this story, click here:Putting Glitter on Your Dog’s Testicles is a Trend Now, Apparently
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Our relationship to animals has a profound effect on the biochemistry of our brains; here’s how: An oxytocin boost There are documented physiological changes in people who spend as little as 15 minutes with a dog or cat or participate in equine therapy—Their oxytocin levels increase. Dubbed the “love” or “hug” hormone, oxytocin creates a profound sense of peace and comfort. It also slows the heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure in addition to reducing stress hormones. Normalizing brain chemistry A study by University of Missouri scientists documented that petting a dog can cause a spike in one’s serotonin level, the neurotransmitter that most antidepressants attempt to increase. Pets can profoundly change the biochemistry of our brains, so it’s no wonder that pet-assisted therapies help people with autism and those suffering from PTSD and drug addiction. To read more on this story, click here:How Animals Help Brain Chemistry
If more people would just be a little bit braver and do the right thing and give their unwanted animals directly to the rescuers, it would be so much better, this poor little pup was left, we wonder if the person was ashamed? Taking a break from his work at the time, Eddie Olivarez worked at Albertsons, a grocery store in Arcadia, California, he found the little pup. He found the tiny pup in a shoebox left on the ground by the dumpsters, he could have easily thrown the box into the dumpster, not realizing… But his senses took over and he realized that the box had to be opened, and sure enough there was something incredible inside a one pound pup desperately in need of help! To read more on this story, click here:Tiny Little Pup Left In A Shoebox By A Supermarket Dumpster
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When Philippines resident Sandra Pineda’s father first saw a picture of the xoloitzcuintle, an incredibly rare Mexican-originated breed of dog, he was immediately in love. The family searched far and wide for a breeder that could sell them a xoloitzcuintle, which are incredibly rare on the East Pacific island. They ended up with Piper, who arrived with her new family at just 8 weeks old—but little did they realize that a photo of their precious new pup would catapult the family to internet fame. The reason? Thanks to a unique lack of fur for the North American breed, people thought the photo was of a statue! The xoloitzcuintle is also known as the Mexican hairless dog, and is common in its native country but incredibly rare around the world. Characterized with incredibly sparse or completely absent hair and a condition known as oligodontia, which causes the dog to lose at least six teeth over the course of its life, the pups are certainly a fascinating specimen. To read more on this story, click here:Incredibly Rare Puppy Is So Shiny That People Mistake Her for a Metal Statue
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LOS ANGELES (CBS/CNN) — Get your tissues ready. If the January blues hadn’t already got to you, the world’s cutest dog, Boo, has died of a broken heart. The Pomeranian Boo and his companion Buddy, who died last year, became internet sensations when their American owners started sharing pictures of their adorable antics. His death was confirmed in a post made by his owners to his 16 million Facebook followers. He was 12 years old, in human years. “Shortly after Buddy died, Boo showed signs of heart issues. We think his heart literally broke when Buddy left us,” his owners wrote. “He hung on and gave us over a year. But it looks like it was his time, and I’m sure it was a most joyous moment for them when they saw each other in heaven.” “Our family is heartbroken, but we find comfort knowing that he is no longer in any pain or discomfort,” they added, noting that Boo “brought joy to people all over the world. To read more on this story, click here:‘Boo,’ Crowned The ‘World’s Cutest Dog,’ Dies Of A Broken Heart At Age 12
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Recently, wildlife photography aficionado Simon Dell stumbled upon the family of a cute mouse running around his garden. Instead of reaching for the traps, however, he took out his tools. Dell built the mice a miniature village, and they repaid him by posing for adorable animal photography shots. “I was out one day just taking photos of the birds in the garden and having just cut the grass I noticed something moving on the ground,” Simon told Bored Panda. “I pointed my camera at the ground and was shocked but very happy to see a very cute little house mouse standing up just like a meerkat in the fresh cut grass.” To read more on this story, click here:Man Discovers A Family Of Mice Living In His Garden, Builds Them A Miniature Village
Kittens already have cute little whiskers but can you imagine coming across a kitty that has a perfectly, gentleman-like mustache printed on his furr? This is what happened to Dali the cat’s humans’ when they found and adopted him, he stood out with his wonderful stache! Not only does Dali look like a gentleman, he acts the part, being a super chill cat, always watching over his human and just being one handsome kitty. To read more on this story, click here:Family Adopts A Tuxedo Cat With The Most Perfect Mustache
BALTIMORE (WJZ) –– As Maryland deals with an arctic blast for the next few days, pet owners are reminded to bring animals inside. Pets are also at risk for hypothermia and frostbite, due to the colder temperatures. Bring pets in from the cold or have a dry, draft-free shelter for them with access to food and water. The Maryland SPCA offers the following tips to keep your pet safe this winter: Pets should not be left outside for extended periods of time. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. I there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape. To read more on this story, click here:Pets Can Get Hypothermia, Frostbite Too
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UPS Driver, Ryan Arens is a hero after he stops delivering packages to save the life of a dog. A few days before Christmas, Arens was delivering packages on his route in Bozeman, MT when he heard a dog yelping and crying. The sun was setting and at first he did not see the dog. He jumped into his truck and drove around the nearby pond until he spotted the struggling dog. “I could see the dog trapped about 10-15 feet off of shore, with ice all around it,” he told Great Falls Tribune. As he exited his truck, he noticed an elderly man in a row boat attempting to break the ice and get to the dog. Arens sprung into action and removed his pants before rescuing the man. Then he used the boat to get close to the dog. The ice became thiner and he fell out of the boat and into the frigid pond. He decided to swim the remainder of the way to the dog. He arrived just in time because the dog was starting to go under. He grabbed the 2.5-years-old Wirehaired Pointing Griffon by the collar and swam with her to solid ice. Then he lifted the dog and slid her to shore across the ice. He pulled himself out of the water and was greeted by a neighbor with a blanket. To read more on this story, click here:UPS Driver Dives Into Icy Pond To Save Dog
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The image of a young boy walking a blind deer through a busy Chicago neighborhood is taking the internet’s emotions by storm! Originally posted to Imgur, and later shared on Reddit, the photo was captioned with the following: “There is a blind deer in our neighborhood and this boy (10 yrs old) walks her from one grass patch to another every day before school to make sure she finds food,” wrote Redditor u/bluecollarclassicist. “My wife and I took this photo yesterday after seeing this happen for a few days. My wife called the local wildlife rescue group a few towns over. They have a vet on staff and will be picking the animal up today to bring her a forest preserve where she can be looked after and stay out of traffic. I hope she does OK because she was so docile.” The Redditor who shared the image later said that an IDNR licensed wildlife rehabilitation group retrieved the deer from its urban habitat. To read more on this story, click here:10-Year-Old Boy Walks Blind Deer Across The Street To Find Food Everyday Before School
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An IT company in Japan has become 100% rescue cat-friendly, and for friendly we mean they’re literally paying their employees to adopt and rescue cats. The said company, Ferray Corporation, is now home to many rescue cats. The presence of cats makes the employees happier, more efficient and helps to cure their stress, and the company believes that it could actually be the cure for Japan’s workaholic culture. Working in an office where cats roam around has increased the employees’ productivity and lowered their stress levels. To motivate workers and encourage them to rescue every cat they could find, the company pays them 5,000 yen or $45 for every cat they’ll adopt or rescue. In this company, it’s ‘Bring Your Pet to Work Day’ every day. The story is quickly touching the hearts of many and inspiring them to do the same and help cats in need. If you’re curious to se more of these office cats’ daily life, take a look at their Twitter account. To read more on this story, click here:Japanese Company Is Paying Its Employees For Every Cat They Rescue
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A 15-year-old girl recently lost her “little hero” after someone fatally shot her diabetic alert dog outside her family’s home in Quinlan, Texas. Hannah Westmoreland was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 8, but it wasn’t until a few years later that the family raised money to get her a service dog. Her mother, Tina Westmoreland, started a fund that brought in $10,000 from community members looking to help Hannah. Ultimately, a golden retriever named Journey came into her life. “He was my best friend,” Hannah told CBS Dallas about the dog. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the Westmoreland family on Sunday when 4-year-old Journey’s life was cut short. According to the local Texas news outlet, Journey was let out for his regular dip in the family’s pond before he was found bleeding from a gunshot wound. To read more on this story, click here: Teen's Service Dog Shot, Killed Outside of Family Home: 'He Was My Best Friend'
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People aren't the only ones that get depressed. Pets can suffer from depression too. Depression in pets can be caused by a variety of factors such as grief over the death of a human member of the household or another pet. It can also be the result of a move or other break from regular routine. If you work long hours and your pet is left alone for long periods of time, he can become depressed. There are usually several signs that may indicate your pet is suffering from depression.
