Can dogs get depressed? A new study says yes.
Research by the U.K. charity Guide Dogs suggests that nearly 75 percent of dogs may display symptoms of anxiety or depression.
On the Big K Morning Show, Dr. Mike Hutchinson of Animal General in Cranberry Township says anyone who owns a dog already knows this first-hand.
“They want to be attached to the hip and when they leave or they change the habits, the dogs they go into a state of depression, they get real quiet,” said Dr. Hutchinson. “It’s that anxiety they sometimes get with separation so it’s like when the kids go back to school, those same things start to occur.
Hutchinson says one of his dogs gets that way when his wife isn’t around.
Experts recommend giving your dog a special treat each time you leave. ...or leave some recently worn clothes out that smell like you.