Schizophrenia In Dogs?
Sometimes, we hear about schizophrenia in dogs because of strange attitudes displayed by them, including aggressive attitudes that some dogs had towards their owners or people around them. Is it possible that these little animals suffer from this disease?
Knowing the answer to this question can resolve many of the questions you have about your pet’s behaviors. Therefore, we found it necessary to give some information on the topic.
Can Dogs Really Suffer From Schizophrenia?
Several times we talk about diseases that affect human beings, but that can also manifest themselves in animals, including depression and stress.
According to scientists’ opinion, dogs can suffer from mental disorders in the same way as humans. In the words of neurosurgeon Phil Weinstein: “deep brain structures involved in responses to many situations are not as different as they may seem.”
In other words: the brain “hardware” of animals is not that different from ours. Therefore, they can develop the same response to emotions as human beings. This happens in both intelligent and non-intelligent animals.
Schizophrenia, according to studies done on the disease, affects complex ways of thinking, that is, we can easily come to think that it only affects human beings.
However, a study that was published in the scientific journal “Frontiers in Human Neuroscience” analyzed several genes associated with this disease, belonging to 45 classes of mammals.
He proved that animals, including dogs, can indeed suffer from schizophrenia and other types of mental disorders.
How do I know if my dog has schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is identified by the actions taken by the dog. Watching your dog constantly can help you know if he has this disease. An unusual change in behavior can make it clear that he suffers from this condition. These are some of the possible changes in behavior:
- Be debating. If your dog suddenly starts hitting his head or any other part of his body against objects or against a wall, and he does so deliberately, it is a sign that something is not right.
- Aggressiveness. Your pet should receive displays of affection from you and other family members. If you’re petting him, and he suddenly starts grunting or even biting, it’s possibly a sign of schizophrenia in dogs.
- Fights. If he tries to fight with all the dogs in a way he never did, or even with his friends or houseguests, it may be that something is not right with his little head.
- Meaningless barking. If your dog only barked when he heard noises or when someone came to your house, and now he does it all the time and for no apparent reason, maybe it’s time to take him to the vet to examine possible causes.
These are some signs that your dog may be suffering from this disease. However, to accurately determine that your puppy is suffering from schizophrenia, you need to consult a veterinarian.
The veterinarian will carry out accurate tests to make a safe diagnosis, and will try to treat the disease with the proper medication. Unfortunately, for many dogs who have suffered from schizophrenia, the only solution has been to put them down.
Other mental disorders in dogs
In addition to schizophrenia affecting dogs, they can also suffer from other mental disorders that lead to strange behaviors. Unlike schizophrenia, which arises for no apparent reason or for a genetic reason, these other illnesses have causes that we can treat.
For example:
- Stress. This mental disorder is caused by changes in the animal’s routine, or when he spends too much time alone or gets too bored. An extra pet would be a way to treat this ailment. In addition, it is important to give him a lot of affection and offer him lots of pampering.
- Depression. The death of a family member, like a divorce or the death of another household pet, can cause depression in your pet.
