Cancer among dogs has increased in recent years with many veterinarians unable to pinpoint specific health risks for malignancy. If your dog has been diagnosed with cancer, you may be quite surprised by the diagnosis and even more surprised by the limited offerings of treatment made available. As a dog lover, it is important to understand not only what physical health treatment is available to canines with cancer but also the psychological effects and treatment that may arise.
Depression among human cancer patients is quite common. Just as in humans, dogs diagnosed with cancer also have an increased risk for depressive symptoms. While those depressive symptoms in your dog may be vastly different than what you may see in a person with cancer, it is depression nonetheless. In fact, some of the initial symptoms may be quite familiar to you.
Signs of depression in a dog with cancer will often first appear as lack of vitality. While the cancer complication and associated medical treatment can certainly attribute to your dog’s depression and lack of vitality, there may be a general change in neurochemical composition which also exacerbates your dog’s mental stimulation. If your dog appears more fatigued and disinterested than usual, this is definitely a sign of doggie depression. As a dog owner, you will want to talk with your dog’s veterinarian about the treatment options from a psychological standpoint.
When we reference psychological treatment for dogs, we are, obviously, not recommending talk therapy. Instead, dogs and learn to overcome depressive symptoms, in response to cancer, by engaging in other types of doggie therapy. Therapy for canines may include, for the most part, play therapy. A component of music therapy can also be included which would involve exposing your dog to specific types of music which are believed to be mentally stimulating. To help you out, [google_bot_show][/google_bot_show]look at these guys for more helpful and reliable information on how you can deal with your dog that has depression and cancer. Always look for articles and content online that can help you to do the right thing.
In some doggie daycare facilities, there are combination approaches to managing dog’s with depression and cancer. For example, dog daycare locations may offer individual play therapy and group play therapy for your dog, engaging them in activities with other dogs. By combining music, your dog is mentally stimulated. At home, you can mimic these same programs by engaging your dog in activities that are suitable to their physical activity level. If, however, your dog is physically unable to engage in activity, even playing music and entertaining your dog with your own play or dance can be mentally stimulating.
Cancer is a challenging health complication to treat in dogs. In many cases, dogs succumb to the health complication often experiencing a reduced quality of life due to psychological complications that arise as well. To assist your dog through this health transition in his life, consider therapy programs that are designed to mentally stimulate your dog as this will help to reduce the cancer-related depression and associated depressive symptoms in your dog.