I have two very spoilt labradors, who's diet constists of fresh lamb and rice, beef and vegetables, chicken and pasta, fresh bones and meals that aren't from tins or packets. They have been eating this diet since they were puppies (now 4 years old).
I play with and swim with them often and give them lots of attention.
My problem is with my work I have to leave home sometimes for days at a time. And leave them with a very reliable babysitter. When this happens the female dog moaps around, sleeps a lot and gets a bout of diarrhea and vomiting. Each time she was taken to our local vet, and at first he thought it was a virus, but after trying many different types of antibiotics, the real diagnosis was depression from when I go away. Has anyone else had the same problem with there dog or am I just spoiling them too much?
2006-11-04 13:00:17 · 11 answers · asked by ang_172 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
She loves you very much and just misses you when you are gone. I have the same with my dog. It's the same with people. It's hard to deal with, but she'll get back to normal when you are home. It's good that you have a babysitter, someone she knows, rather then having to stay in a strange, impersonal kennel.
2006-11-04 13:06:12 · answer #1 · answered by dgm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your dog must really love You!!! I know your problem my dog gets sad when we leave and when we get home he is so happy!!! But you might be spoiling your dogs WAY to much try to spend time with them enough so that during the days they aren't depressed when on Sunday you are with them 24/7 and hte Monday you are hardly with them. Also try to narrow down the human food. Get dog food feed the lab 2 times a day, in the morning and at night around 6:00. When you cut cheese give them about 1-2 slices each. When you leave the house for wok get about a 12' bone for each and put peanut butter in it. If you need anything else ask and I will answer. P.S. I am not making this up my dog is a Labrador and this is what we do...
Good Luck! =)
2006-11-04 21:33:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you treat them more like people than you do dogs. I watch "The Dog Whisperer" on one of the discovery channels...and the one thing the dog trainer has said is to stop treating your dogs like people. Watching this will give you a lot of tips. And he's got a website too. You could purchase "People Training for Dogs". http://cesarmillan.infomercial.tv/ He is amazing!
Also, there is a great dog food brand I use I use for my lab. It's called "Nutro Natural Choice" I get the Large Breed Adult formula. You might have to shop around to find it. A regular grocery store won't carry it. My lab has a very shiny coat, good weight, and her bowel movements are after her meals. I mention that, because it means that she's getting alot from her source, and it also means there aren't any fillers in the food that create more waste than necessary. It is a very healthy dog food. And also in the formula it has Glucosamine and Chondroitin for healthy joints. This is good for large breed especially. She has had this since she was a pup, and she is very healthy. This was recommended by a professional dog trainer.
Check out the website or the shows, if you have access those channels. You might get a lot out of it. Good luck.
2006-11-04 21:31:19 · answer #3 · answered by sweeta : 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's a big difference between spoiled and well-cared for... it's not clear to me that your dogs are spoiled.
Absolutely your girl could be depressed, especially if you travel often. One dog of mine (happened to be a lab mix, and we lost her at age 15 just about a year ago) used to get incredibly depressed if she didn't get out on regular walks. That was her thing -- she needed to go exploring. It was not enough for her to have a yard or even to take a simple walk around the block; she needed variety and to go different places. Too long of being housebound, and yes, she would get physically depressed.
I do try to be careful not to anthropomorphize and read too much into what our animals are "feeling". They are not human and do not have human emotion. However, it is also obvious to anyone with any sensitivity at all that animals are not machines, either. They may not "feel" the way humans do, but they most certainly can be affected by their environment. It is perfectly reasonable to think that your girl has trouble adjusting to your frequent absences or other lack of predictability in her world.
How flexible is your dogsitter? Do you feel comfortable that meals are being handled consistently when you're traveling? Or maybe from a different tack, have you tried keeping her food extremely simple and bland while you're traveling, like just the chicken and pasta or rice the entire time (or if you're doing raw feeding as it sounds like maybe, then just chicken)? Are their routines kept as consistent as possible? Does she do "fun" things with them while you're gone? Is it possible to have her do more interaction, or introduce things like extra walks or clicker training games? Any chance that there's something particular she might find stressful when staying with the sitter, such as if the sitter has a dog that pushes her around or lives near noisy train tracks? It may simply be that it will always be a challenge for your girl when you go away, but perhaps there is more that your dogsitter can do to bond with her when you are gone and keep her mentally distracted?
I wish you luck... it certainly sounds like a tricky situation to work with, but you sound committed to doing what you can.
2006-11-04 21:25:36 · answer #4 · answered by FairlyErica 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they do get depressed. Dogs are very attached to their owners. When the owner is absent, it disrupts their life. My husband was in the hospital earlirt this year for 10 days and the dogs missed him very much and they got depressed too. When I would come home, they looked for their daddy and were so disappointed that he wasn't with me. Everyone was so happy when daddy came home.
2006-11-04 21:05:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. Someone once gave me a labrador with the saddest eyes I ever saw. The person who gave Zoe to me could not take care of her and kept her in a garage for several weeks. But after Zoe had been with my family for a week, the sadness in her eyes disappeared. No mistake - Zoe was depressed before she was given to me.
2006-11-04 21:05:37 · answer #6 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your dog can get depressed, does she have a favorite toy or article of clothing that belongs to you? you could try leaving something of yours with her, my dog whines when I am gone, it doesn't mater who I leave him with either away or here at home, he won't even consider eating unless I feed him and stay in the kitchen with him while he eats....SPOILED ROTTEN he will stay in my room the entire time less going potty.
2006-11-04 21:46:53 · answer #7 · answered by JO K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs do get depressed, it's sort of a form of seperation anxiety. If your babysitter treated the dogs like you did, they wouldn't get so upset at the fact that you're leaving.
2006-11-04 21:13:56 · answer #8 · answered by realdusi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My old english bulldog goes through the same thing. She gets so depressed when she gets left home by herself. It is part of her being so spoiled, but it also is part of the personality of the animal itself. They get over it and are ok in the end, just make sure when you return to give them extra cuddles and they tend to be fine.
2006-11-04 21:27:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leave a toy with your sent on it.
2006-11-04 21:05:59 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋