is my yorkie depressed?

[ferretgrl05]

Hey all! I am very frustrated and worried because my yorkie stella is very mopey. She eats well and her stool is solid and she drinks well. For about a week and a half now stella energy-wise has not seemed herself. It started out where she was just sleeping all the time at my mom's when i went to clean and then playing at home but now it is hard to get her interested in playing like normal at home. She will play some but it takes coaxing. Could she just be depressed? Like I mentioned she is eating and drinking well and no worries with her poo either. I might mention that their normal schedule of getting to go on walks everyday has changed because it has been in teens and minor digits.so walks are hit and miss. If I take her outside she seems like her normal self. But when we are inside she lays down and looks sad quite a bit. She is a very anxious dog and has some gas issues. Sunday I took her to the park and she ran for 20 mins like a mad dog (was the first time in quite awhile the temp was good enough.) Any thoughts? I cant seem to stop worrying.

[Mdyorkies1]

Sounds like cabin fever

[yorkietalkjilly]

Vets always say to get any unexplained change in behavior checked out medically first thing. Just to be on the safe side, I'd get the vet to check her out and get some blood work/exam. Lethargy is one symptom of several medical conditions that aren't too pleasant. And you know, if you've had very much contact with dogs, that even a sick dog can be excited by being outside, a visitor to the home, etc. and play and eat normally for a time. But once the activity or the stimulus is past, a dog who is having medical difficulties will go usually back to his lethargic state.

Dogs are stoic by nature and routinely don't show chronic/continuing pain or nausea, feeling ill, etc., except by their behavior. So if the lethargy and disinterest in life in general returns except when incited or stimulated, get her to the vet for a good check-up. A normal dog sleeps a lot but then they are busy baiting you to play with them, notice and interact with them, patrolling the house, watching out the windows and barking at squirrels, cats and passersby, hunting out and finding their toys and playing with them or trying to get you involved with them, following you around all day and watching everything you do and generally busy being an active dog, not lying about all day.

If she checks out medically, then you can begin to consider whether or not her life is so dull and uninteresting to her and with so little enrichment that she's just given up but not until she's gotten a clean bill of health. Some highly intelligent and hyper dogs do need a lot of interaction and many varied activities with their person in order to feel important, needed and vital and may give up if they aren't getting the lifestyle their particular nature requires.

[Lovetodream88]

It could be that she is bored and maybe some doggy puzzles or a kong would keep her busy and less bored. It could also be something physical so you might want the vet to just check her out.

[ferretgrl05]

Thank you for the advice everyone! I was thinking i should probably just get some bloodwork done. Even if it comes back fine that could give me piece of mind. I can't seem to catch a break with the expensive vet bills. My other little girl Sony was sick for two months with a uti and clostridium bacteria... That was decided after hoards of expensive tests done. I finally got a carecredit credit card which really helps but doesnt undue the scary amount of money i spent to get her well. I love my babies so much.
I guess i should've given some background... Stella just turned 2 on January 16th. She has always been kind of "moody." She has days where she is really playful and days where she is not. She has been that way for the majority of her life. It has just been uncommon for her to go so long mopey. This winter has been crazy with the weather temps. My yorkies are spoiled rotten... They are fed orijen food. I just decided to start switching to an acana food with different animal proteins to see if it has any affect. They have loads of toys and get lots of attention. In fact, i drive my husband nuts because he says all i talk about and think about are the girls.
To an extent that is true... I am constantly worried about them... whether they are healthy or not. In Stella (2 years) and Sony's (1 yr and 4 months) of life i have contended with tonsillitis... a stubborn case of ringworm.... a uti.... a cyst on the eyeball.... claustridium bacteria... and the list goes on. I do everything i can to keep them healthy and entertained and happy. Just doesn't seem to work Hopefully nothing is seriously wrong with her or it will crush me.
She has played today some Just in multiple not as intense bouts. She still wrestles with her sister and everything. Just worried she seems not as active and looks sad sometimes when she is resting. I was just at the vet today to get sony a second round of antibiotic and panacur and got Stella's anal sacs emptied. I should've got things checked out then.
I can't enjoy life with my girls because they are always puny

[ferretgrl05]

I am wondering if she has food allergies? She has bad gas and itchy eyes

[yipyap]

My 3 year old yorkie, Taffy, changed his own activity level quite a bit after I became diagnosed with advanced degenerative disc disease. The early pain-shot treatments only made things worse in the long run. Poor Taffy, who was used to a bouncy owner during his first 2 years--someone who took him out in the yard a lot and was always taking him places--like to the big pet stores or the park in good weather, now patiently sits with me in our den or follows me slowly about in the house. If my pain meds help, we do get to throw toys and play tug and do his favorite commands for treats. But on other days, I have to stay quiet with heat packs. I have noticed that my husband has tried to step in and play with Taffy much more, and he even takes him outside to "pee"--shock! Taffy now gets excited when Hubby comes home as he gets some "extra physical play". It is interesting to see how Taffy has tried to adapt. He is quieter with me and follows me everywhere in the house. He loves to play with Hubby and sits both with him and with me during our evening t.v. time. When I have to go to bed earlier, he always follows soon after to join me on my bed upstairs. It is interesting to see how he has adapted his "rough and tumble" to my Hubby, and then his quiet times to sit with me. He too eats well, drinks well, and pees & poos, but I can tell he is a quite a bit "toned down" around me, though he surely would prefer to have me as I used to be. He empathizes with my limitations, though I'm sure he gets bored. I use both perky & quiet voices with Taffy, he can distinguish my mood and activity ability very quickly now. He is a wonderful companion! - Sue

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by ferretgrl05

Thank you for the advice everyone! I was thinking i should probably just get some bloodwork done. Even if it comes back fine that could give me piece of mind. I can't seem to catch a break with the expensive vet bills. My other little girl Sony was sick for two months with a uti and clostridium bacteria... That was decided after hoards of expensive tests done. I finally got a carecredit credit card which really helps but doesnt undue the scary amount of money i spent to get her well. I love my babies so much.
I guess i should've given some background... Stella just turned 2 on January 16th. She has always been kind of "moody." She has days where she is really playful and days where she is not. She has been that way for the majority of her life. It has just been uncommon for her to go so long mopey. This winter has been crazy with the weather temps. My yorkies are spoiled rotten... They are fed orijen food. I just decided to start switching to an acana food with different animal proteins to see if it has any affect. They have loads of toys and get lots of attention. In fact, i drive my husband nuts because he says all i talk about and think about are the girls.
To an extent that is true... I am constantly worried about them... whether they are healthy or not. In Stella (2 years) and Sony's (1 yr and 4 months) of life i have contended with tonsillitis... a stubborn case of ringworm.... a uti.... a cyst on the eyeball.... claustridium bacteria... and the list goes on. I do everything i can to keep them healthy and entertained and happy. Just doesn't seem to work Hopefully nothing is seriously wrong with her or it will crush me.
She has played today some Just in multiple not as intense bouts. She still wrestles with her sister and everything. Just worried she seems not as active and looks sad sometimes when she is resting. I was just at the vet today to get sony a second round of antibiotic and panacur and got Stella's anal sacs emptied. I should've got things checked out then.
I can't enjoy life with my girls because they are always puny

If it turns out she's healthy and isn't having any other symptoms, she might need more out of life if she's a very bright dog. She might just need more structure to her life such as a regular schedule of training and puzzles/games to keep her working, learning and feeling good about herself. Really intelligent dogs have to be constantly challenged to stay happy - I have had a few in life & have one of those types now. Without his almost daily training or some type of puzzle to work out, he's bored silly and tends to bait me to train him, play with him or mope unless he's working at learning something or we're out and about a lot, which we haven't been able to do lately so I have to train him more to keep him happy. And I play puzzles with him where he has to scent out his hidden treats and toys and a big celebration when he sniffs them out in the other room or down the hall or find his treats in his puzzle game. He adores those! He's a very bright dog but he's probably one that would just give up if he didn't have someone to give him structured learning activities and puzzles to work out.

Tibbe has MVD but it didn't really show up until he was 3 - 4 years of age. He started by spitting up occasionally, a bout of diarrhea and not eating for a whole day, sleeping all the time, lethargic though he would go on walks and play normally. After his routine liver blood work turned out to be normal, Crystal/Ellie May(a member here who is in veterinary medicine studies) told me that even normal liver studies doesn't mean a dog doesn't have liver dysfunction and recommended Bile Acid Tests to see if he possibly had liver shunt or, MVD that was causing his occasional symptoms. His Bile Acids were high, so he got a nuclear scintigraphy/abdominal sonogram and was found NOT to have liver shunt but it was highly suspected he had MVD so he was started on a hepatic diet which he loves and almost instantly his occasional bouts of spitting up and lethargy were over and he was feisty and very, very playful once again at age 6 years!

So any time a dog is lethargic and not behaving normally, it never hurts to get them tested out by the vet, give any and all symptoms, take in a video of any odd behavior to show the vet and have an exam done just in case there is a mild condition or disease process such as Tibbe had lurking in the background.

[Patti]

My Pixie who just turned 8 has been acting depressed lately. She was never a high energy dog, not even close. But the only way I could describe how she is acting is depressed. She is eating and pooping normal.
I took her to the vet last week and they found protein in her urine and that her blood pressure was very high. Her blood work was normal except for her HCT and a low T4. My vet put her on medicine for the blood pressure and she is a little more engaged in life. They also referred her to an Internal Medicine Specialist for an ultrasound and additional blood work. She goes next week for that. It seems odd to go in and say your dog is acting depressed but we know our babies. My other 2 sleep a lot too but Pixie's was more depressed than sleeping.
I hope Stella is just a little bored and will perk up soon. I think getting her blood work done is a good idea. I hope it comes back normal.

[ferretgrl05]

Thank you very much! I am starting to think something is really wrong with her. I hope it turns out to be something little but i am afraid it will be really bad I have spent so much money and emotions on my other yorkie Sony lately with medical things that this is really stressing me. Both my babies are young and get fed really great food and are spoiled and get lots of walks and exercise but i cant seem to keep them healthy

[yipyap]

Dear FerretGirl-- I forgot to ask you this, but are both of your girls from the same breeder? I just wondered if the girls had problems due to inherited genetic backgrounds. Just a question, because I was not sure when and where you got your two girls. If they are from related backgrounds, it could explain things if the girls inherited similar genetic issues.

P.S.--I was interested to read that Another Owner in this set of answers said that their dog began to have issues with "vomiting" when the dog got to 3-4 years of age. Our Taffy has started doing this too, every once in a while. He was 3 yrs old this past July. About once or twice a week, usually in the mornings, Taffy will suddenly begin to gag and then spits up a small amount of yellowish bile. I had thought perhaps it was happening because his stomach may have gotten empty overnight and by 9:00 a.m. maybe the acid in his stomach was acting like "acid reflux" does with humans, and coming up into his throat-?
He seems fine once he spits out this little bit of stomach acid or bile. He goes trotting off like nothing else bothers him. I make him drink a bit of water after these little incidents, thinking it will make his throat feel better. He shows no signs of diarrehea or any body weakness. Some days he will eat two 1/2 cup meals, and on other days, he may only eat one meal very late. Will ask his vet (when he has his check-up for his heartworm bloodwork done & gets his Heartguard medicine) if there is any reason for his vomiting once or maybe twice a week. Hope there is nothing serious causing this to hapoen to him.
We just thought at first he was perhaps getting some "fuzz" off a toy that would get into his mouth or his throat and cause him to cough--which Has hapoened from his wet ball pickjng-up lint and "fuzz". Now, I am wondering if he has something that is causing this excess bile which makes him have to spit it up. -- Does anyone else notice this issue with their Yorkie? -- Sue & Taffy

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by yipyap

Dear FerretGirl-- I forgot to ask you this, but are both of your girls from the same breeder? I just wondered if the girls had problems due to inherited genetic backgrounds. Just a question, because I was not sure when and where you got your two girls. If they are from related backgrounds, it could explain things if the girls inherited similar genetic issues.

P.S.--I was interested to read that Another Owner in this set of answers said that their dog began to have issues with "vomiting" when the dog got to 3-4 years of age. Our Taffy has started doing this too, every once in a while. He was 3 yrs old this past July. About once or twice a week, usually in the mornings, Taffy will suddenly begin to gag and then spits up a small amount of yellowish bile. I had thought perhaps it was happening because his stomach may have gotten empty overnight and by 9:00 a.m. maybe the acid in his stomach was acting like "acid reflux" does with humans, and coming up into his throat-?
He seems fine once he spits out this little bit of stomach acid or bile. He goes trotting off like nothing else bothers him. I make him drink a bit of water after these little incidents, thinking it will make his throat feel better. He shows no signs of diarrehea or any body weakness. Some days he will eat two 1/2 cup meals, and on other days, he may only eat one meal very late. Will ask his vet (when he has his check-up for his heartworm bloodwork done & gets his Heartguard medicine) if there is any reason for his vomiting once or maybe twice a week. Hope there is nothing serious causing this to hapoen to him.
We just thought at first he was perhaps getting some "fuzz" off a toy that would get into his mouth or his throat and cause him to cough--which Has hapoened from his wet ball pickjng-up lint and "fuzz". Now, I am wondering if he has something that is causing this excess bile which makes him have to spit it up. -- Does anyone else notice this issue with their Yorkie? -- Sue & Taffy

Tibbe began with the same type symptoms, not eating until late in the evening, not acting himself, clingy, some reverse sneezing, spitting up some days 2 or 3 times a day and sleeping all day with little playfulness unless I baited him to play. He had days where his usual friskiness was just gone. He scratched/rubbed his head on furniture from time to time and when I put it all together, it sounded like liver shunt or MVD, thanks to reading alot about it on YT and all the wonderful YT members' input. Trouble was, all his liver studies were normal.

Ellie May, a member here on YT who is in veterinary studies, suggested that even with normal liver studies, he could still have a liver problem with the symptoms he kept having and suggested a Bile Acids test. Neither of his vets had ever suspected he could have a liver problem but YT members who'd been there before did. We did the BAT and his Bile Acids were high so a nuclear scintigraphy/abdominal sonogram were done and ruled out liver shunt with MVD the likely condition that it was suggested Tibbe had - an inherited liver dysfunction making his liver unable to clean proteins from his blood normally.

MVD is only diagnosed with a liver biopsy but the radiologists or vets didn't think he should have to go through a surgical procedure when his condition was relatively mild. Once he went on his special diet, he returned to normal. He's back being frisky, not sleeping all the time, eating breakfast and dinner and no more regular spitting up. Having a compromised liver, he does still have tummy upsets when he gets into something he shouldn't outside or just because but they are rare and he's no longer head-rubbing, lethargic, anorexic some days or having all those symptoms he had before the diet change.

So even if the routine liver blood tests are normal but your dog is still regularly spitting up and not eating normally some days(perhaps due to nausea), I would demand my vet perform a BAT on my dog to see how his bile acids are handling the food he eats. If it's WNL, then you probably don't have anything to worry about, but if they are high, you'll need to consider maybe those spit ups and lack of appetite some days are due to nausea from an inherited liver condition. In Tibbe's case with his MVD, only a low protein diet was necessary to change his life and make him feel good again with only the occasional bad day that I treat with nausea medication.

[yipyap]

Dear Jeanie,
Thank you for the really good details and names of the tests I will ask our vet to do on Taffy. I have a feeling that the vets are used to looking for Yorkie problems with "liver shunts", but not the high bile from liver disfunctioning.
It would make sense if he is skipping meals from nausea. (I have nauses problems myself from a bad neck that can affect my inner ear balance, so I have anti-nausea medicine that helps me alot.)
Hate to think of Taffy feeling sick to his stomach causing him not to eat, poor baby!
Thank you for this valuable information.
I WILL CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP WITH THESE CHECK-UPS!!.-- Sue & Taffy

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by yipyap

Dear Jeanie,
Thank you for the really good details and names of the tests I will ask our vet to do on Taffy. I have a feeling that the vets are used to looking for Yorkie problems with "liver shunts", but not the high bile from liver disfunctioning.
It would make sense if he is skipping meals from nausea. (I have nauses problems myself from a bad neck that can affect my inner ear balance, so I have anti-nausea medicine that helps me alot.)
Hate to think of Taffy feeling sick to his stomach causing him not to eat, poor baby!
Thank you for this valuable information.
I WILL CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP WITH THESE CHECK-UPS!!.-- Sue & Taffy

My vets just weren't really thinking "liver" yet, despite Tibbe being a Yorkie, thinking he was just foraging in the backyard & that was causing his tummy problems but when I said I wanted Bile Acids tested thanks to Ellie May's suggestion on YT, we were on the right track from that point on and he's doing way better now.

[BiscuitsMom225]

Thyroid? That will do it.