Is my dog depressed and at risk for cancer?
ByIn the last post, I brought up the fact that chronic stress and depression are linked to cancer development in people. If we are interested in attacking cancer in dogs, we need to start to look at the big picture with them too.
A common reaction is, “What does my dog have to be stressed or depressed about?” Good point, from the perspective of a human. Three squares a day, no rent or mortgage…pretty sweet deal overall, I’d say.
Problem: we are not looking at it from the perspective of a dog. Dogs have their own needs, and they are different from ours. Dogs are pack animals. Translation: they are almost never truly on their own unless exiled. This leads to a bad mix with modern Western living. We go off on our day, leaving the dog to his or her own devices, alone.
So here we have an inborn, genetic trait, violated by modern lifestyles. Dogs are capable of emotions, as we all know. Look at a wagging tail or a snarl and it is quickly obvious this is true.
When a dog is left by himself or herself for long periods, their built-in social needs are not met. What happens to you or I when we do not get our needs met? Depression and stress. How many of us are in search of a mate? How many of us are lonely? How many of us are not happy with our position?
Yes, stress and depression are real in dogs. We may not necessarily see it in their behavior. It is on the inside, just like in people. And when it happens, critical cancer-fighting cells go dormant. On top of that, dogs’ bodies release signals (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that stimulate cancer cell growth directly. This is something to pay attention to!
Don’t worry, I will not ask you to give up your job. There are ways to overcome stress and depression in dogs while living in the modern world. Stay tuned!
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
3 Comments
July 20th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I somehow agree with this fact. I work at home and been with our dogs since they were 2 weeks old.These are mix pups from Humane society that we fostered. One dog grew up to be quiet type and keep his emotion inside. The brother has always been vocal and easy going.
I have been taking them to all sorts of rides,pet store, etc I can take them while growing up, later being tired of traffic and rude drivers, I finally started doing business online – banking, purchases, delivery, stamps. You name it I have done it without traveling (except for buying food). This dramatic decrease in activity somehow made the youngest one neurotic and scared, and as he never really barks and always been timid. I think this developed to some sort of brain problem that might have been linked to cancer. I finally figured out what was wrong with him, and started taking him again on daily walks and mental stimulation. This increased activity and communication finally helped him back to his own self again, but later he succumbed to cancer. He’s definitely missed a lot and wish I have spent more time playing with him.
July 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Nelly,
You are very perceptive. Not many would identify a problem like this without a professional trainer helping. I am sorry to hear of his passing. You did good.
Dr D
February 9th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Hi, cool site, good writing