Why the droopy eyes?

The Lonely Pet Syndrome could strike your beloved pooch. Ignore at your own risk

WHEN YOUR FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILD SULKS, you know she is seeking a little attention from her ever-busy par-ents. But has it ever occurred to you that your pet Pomeranian, quietly watching you from a corner, could be craving for its rightful share of love and affection too? Like children, ne-glected pets can also develop chronic psychological and behav-ioural problems. An increasing num-ber of pets in modern nuclear fami-lies are prone to what experts call the Lonely Pet Syndrome.

8216;8216;Every month, I treat at least three dogs suffering from depression. Peo-ple keep dogs as status symbols and have no time for them. Some pets are so disturbed that we ask the owners why they even bothered to keep one,8217;8217; says Delhi-based Dr S K Choudhary.

Understandably, single pets are more prone to psychological prob-lems. 8216;8216;In families where everyone is working, it8217;s advisable to keep more than one pet,8217;8217; explains Dr Satbir Josan of Gurgaon. Though the usual symptoms of depression are lack of appetite and lethargy, chronic cases may even lead pets to self-mutilation. Says Dr Sagar S Wakle, a Mumbai-based practitioner who receives at least 10 cases of psychologically disturbed dogs in a month: 8216;8216;A dog brought to us was in the habit of biting its paws. Twice or thrice, we administered medicines on the wounds. Later, we realised that the dog was neglected by the family and usually left it at a farmhouse, in the care of servants.

When alone, the dog would go in to a self-destructive mood, but would be well behaved in the presence of the owners. We gave some homeopathic and ayurvedic anti-depressants to the dog and after one-and- a-half months of treatment, he is nowfine.8217;8217;

Though neglect can hurt, separa-tion is also an equally strong reason. Says Delhi-based Dr G D Bhatti: 8216;8216;Ani-mal shelters are very popular now. A lot of people leave their pets behind, when going on holidays. This hurts the animal more than you can imagine.8217;8217; And interestingly, lack of exercise can also lead a pet to depression.

8216;8216;Unfortunately, most people in our country do not re-alise the impor-tance of exercise for pets. For example, a big breed needs at least five to ten kilo-meters8217; walk every-day. Physical inac-tivity can make them very dull and frustrated,8217;8217; explains Dr Choudhary.

However, when love8217;s magic fails to work and exer-cise does not bring in the desired re-sult, anti-depressants have to be ad-ministered. The cases of psychologically disturbed pets are so much on the rise that some prac-titioners in Mumbai have taken to counselling the owners. Says Dr Wa-gle: 8216;8216;We ask the owners about their routine and the amount of time they can devote to the pets. The breedsare suggested accordingly. For ex-ample, smaller breeds need more at-tention than the larger ones. Breeds like Labrador usually adjust to all kinds of environments.8217;8217;

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Cases of depression are mostly found in sentimental animals like horses and dogs, say experts. Cats, who do not get easily attached to their owners, are tougher.

Meanwhile, there are doctors who strongly disagree with the de-pression theory. Says Dr Sunil Nag-pal, a Delhi-based practitioner: 8216;8216;There is nothing like a psychologi- cally disturbed dog. When we fail to diagnose its physical ailment, we at-tribute it to an ailing mind. Lack of appetite and lethargy are very often caused by hormonal imbalances.

Animals are more prone to hor-monal imbalances since they age faster and have a shorter life span.8217;8217; Maybe. Since animals won8217;t ever participate in this discussion, chances are we8217;ll never know. However, the next time you see that pet poodle looking at you with longing, do show that you care. There8217;s nothing harmful about an overdose of love!

COMMON PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN PETS

DEPRESSION Could be caused by neglect, death of the owner or separation from him/her, illness, or the presence of a new pet. ANXIETY There are various kinds of anxieties.

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SEPARATION ANXIETY: This is mostly seen in dogs that have had more than one owner or have been abandoned.

NOISE ANXIETY: Seen when exposed to loud noises all the time.

SOCIAL ANXIETY: Happens when the dog has no social life. Such pets turn aggressive when intro-duced to outsiders suddenly.

AGGRESSION Various reasons could make your dog aggressive.

PAIN: Physical discomfort can make an animal irritable. Lack of obedience training is also a ma-jor reason. Without proper guid-ance, pets can misbehave.

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DOMINANCE AGGRESSION: This hap-pens when a new dog suddenly enters a pet8217;s territory.

CHAINED REACTION: If you confine your pet to a limited space, deep frustration and aggressiveness will be the result.

POSSESSION AGGRESSION: Sharing may not come easily to your dog if it has been a single pet for a long time. It8217;ll fiercely guard all its possessions, including you.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISOR-DERS Seen in stressed, anxious and bored dogs. Obsessive dig-ging and attacking inanimate ob-jects are some symptoms.