Depression?

[mary]

My Cairn is a year old, and usually has boundless energy. He's been listless and lethargic for the last two weeks. I've taken him to the vet and he's healthy.

Do Cairns have problems with Depression? and if so, what can i do to make him feel better?

[Susan]

Mary,

You know your Cairn and his moods best, and if you think he's acting depressed, then he probably is. I don't think I've heard of depression as being a problem with Cairns, per se. They're usually quite happy-go-lucky dogs.

I can usually pinpoint it when my Nikki seems down. Sometimes it's because she is on prednisone periodically for allergies, and steroids will tend to depress a dog. Other times, it's because we've had guests for a while and she's gotten a lot of extra attention, and she feels sad when they leave. So I wonder if you can pinpoint something with your dog, like the loss of another pet or a big change in your household? Or is he on any medications that could cause this as a side effect?

To help him, I would do what I'd do for a person who is depressed...get him active. Take him for long walks in the sun, play with him with his favorite toys, give him some extra loving and treats, and generally pay lots of extra attention to him right now. And if this still doesn't help, then I would take him back to the vet and look again for a physical reason.

Take care! Susan

[mary]

the vet gave him a steroid shot last visit, about a week ago, so that's probably it... thanks!

[Susan]

I'm glad it was something that will just wear off. Next time, see if you can use pills, because you can control that dosage a lot better and back off on them if you see some depression. The shot was way too much for Nikki too, and it broke my heart to see her looking so down!

And if he's eating and drinking and peeing a LOT, that's the steroid too, just so you know.

Take care! Susan