Vets use to prescribe Prozac (antidepressant) for dogs that seem depressed, even though the real solution is pain relief for dogs. Studies show that the pain of arthritis or other chronic conditions causes depression in people. According to the web site of one of the best health facilities Mayo Clinic "Chronic pain is stressful and depressing in itself". It is widely accepted in the medical community that pain can cause depression in human being. The same will go for dogs.

Using diagnosis generally vets cannot predict whether your dog is depressed because of pain or by some other factor. The symptoms of pain in dogs can be misinterpreted as depression. If your dog becomes reluctant to play or take walks, that is not necessarily depression. It could very well be pain. Don't decide automatically that your dog is depressed and that a good run will get make him or her feel happier. If your dog is in pain because of a knee problem, a good run is the last thing he or she needs.

It's useful to look at the signs of depression in human beings and consider them in terms of your dog's behavior. Many of the signs for human beings are irrelevant to dog, of course, dogs can't cry, think about suicide, have feelings of uselessness, or have trouble concentrating.

Certain symptoms of depression in people are relevant to dogs. Studies show that people may be depressed if they are irritable and get angry quickly. Depressed people may also be very tired or very restless and they usually lose interest in activities they used to enjoy. It's important to know that these are all symptoms of pain in dogs. Pain relief for dogs may very well be needed in these cases, not antidepressants.

If your dog have these symptoms, don't just assume that he or she is depressed. Some people are too quick to jump to the assumption, that the dog is depressed because changes have occurred in their dogs' behavior. It could just be a coincidence. If your son just went off to college, your dog probably does miss him. However, if your dog is always in rest or loses interest in walks, you shouldn't automatically think that he or she is depressed. Perhaps your dog has a physical problem and particularly it would be pain.

Many problem will raise if you give your dog Prozac rather than pain killer that provide pain relief for dogs . Firstly, we all want our dogs to live without pain. Secondly, antidepressants typically have side effects like weight gain. If your dog has arthritis, you don't want him or her to gain weight because that puts more stress on dog joints. Thirdly, a mistaken diagnosis of depression in your dog may delay treatment that could save his or her life, especially if the problem is bone cancer. It's best to check out whether you dog is in pain before assuming he or she is depressed.

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Written by Derrick Mcgee using tags: cat pain relief, dog pain killers, dog pain relief, pain killers for dogs, pain relief for dogs, pet, pet pain relief, Pets, pets_and_animals