Depression in Dogs

Bernie’s Perfect Poop helps battle depression in dogs

Photo of Bernie's Perfect Poop grass bits up close. When your dog suffers from depression, it makes you sad too. Our dogs are the lights of our lives, and when they’re not happy, we want to help. Bernie’s Perfect Poop can help address factors that cause depression in dogs.

Good dog gut health is critical for your dog’s mood and to reduce depression. The gut is often called a ‘second brain’ as it makes many of the same neurotransmitters that the brain does. These neurotransmitters—serotonin, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—play a key role in your dog’s mood and depression. A dog suffering from depression may lead to more serious health conditions, so good dog gut health is vital.
Food and diet impact your dog’s mental health and mood. Dogs suffering from depression may not even have appetites, and won’t receive the nourishment they need. Or, if he’s not able to digest and process the food you’re giving him, his gut health will not be as strong as possible. This can affect how his mental health is regulated, and poor gut health can look like depression in your dog. Bernie’s helps your dog digest his food better, and helps his gut be a healthy microbiome for better mood regulation.
Quality fiber supplementation helps your dog digest his food and feeds helpful bacteria in his gut. Good bacteria feed off the waste of quality fiber and create a healthy microbiome. The perfect combination of Miscanthus grass, pumpkin and flaxseed in Bernie’s gives your dog the fiber they need to battle depression and stay his happy, healthy self.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop combines prebiotics and probiotics to help create a perfectly balanced gut microbiome. Research continues to show the bi-directional communication between a dog’s brain and his gut (the gut-brain axis). A healthy gut can battle depression by ensuring your dog’s brain is producing balanced hormones for mood regulation. If your dog’s gut is imbalanced, harmful bacteria disturbs important gut-brain axis communication, and you may see lethargy and depression in your dog. The prebiotics and probiotics in Bernie’s encourage the best dog gut health for the best mental frame of mind for your dog.
Each cell in your dog’s body needs nourishment and nutrients. If your dog is depressed, there is a likelihood he doesn’t have an appetite and doesn’t want to eat. This means he won’t get the nutrition he needs to keep his gut and his body healthy. Even if you are able to get him to eat, if he doesn’t break the food you give down, he won’t get the right nutrients. The combination of enzymes in Bernie’s helps break the food you give your dog down and encourages optimal nutrient absorption. Healthy bodies have healthy guts, and healthy guts ward off depression in dogs.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop is a 4-in-1 combination of fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes. Good dog gut health is the key to a happier, healthier life for your dog, and that is especially important for their mood and mental health. Many times, depression in dogs stems from poor digestion. Bernie’s helps balance the digestive tract and provide a better gut microbiome.

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What is depression in dogs and what are the symptoms/signs?

If you have a dog who is suffering from depression, it probably breaks your heart. They don’t have any interest in playing or things that usually make them happy, and they seem like life is just…hard.

A dog suffering from depression likely has a poor appetite, sleeps most of the day, and doesn’t take enjoyment in the things that most dogs do.

And since dogs are known for their happy-go-lucky dispositions, it’s worrisome when they aren’t happy. They’re pack members who love to bring joy to their humans and when they’re not? It’s just gut-wrenching.

The symptoms of dog depression include:

Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Withdrawal from family
Change in sleeping habits
Whining/pouting/moping
Wheezing
Loss of interest in play or interaction
Excessive paw licking

Causes of dog depression

There are many reasons experts believe your dog may suffer from depression. The most obvious reasons are changes in a dog’s lifestyle. This may include moving to a new home, a new family member (spouse or baby) joining the family ‘pack’, adding another pet or even a change in their human’s work schedule throwing them off and making them lonely. Dogs are social creatures and they are creatures of habit as well. When what they’re used to changes, it can change their outlook and that can lead to depression.
Sadly, the two biggest triggers of dog depression are when they lose a fellow companion animal—their ‘fur’ sibling, if you will, or when they lose their owner or another they consider ‘their human’. Dogs pick up on our emotions, so when we’re sad, they’re sad. When we recognize loss and grieve, they do too.

But because dogs are also sentient, social creatures, they have bonds with fur siblings and us, their owners. When those bonds are lost, due to death or family life changes, dogs may feel those losses too. It’s not uncommon at all for a dog to simply stop eating when his fur sibling or owner has passed, and often, it can be for extended periods of time. During times of human grief, dogs may also not get the same attention they may be used to, and that could cause them to be sad as they try to make sense of the changes.

More and more, though, researchers are finding that the gut influences the brain, and this gut-brain axis is key to your dog’s mental health and state of depression. Study after study done on animals and even humans continues to find happier states of mind when the gut microbiome is healthy and thriving. Your dog’s healthy gut gives normal neural responses to your dog’s brain. This is what keeps your dog’s brain feeling like all is well in their world, and wards off depression.

When your dog has a healthy gut, his microbiota can produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). These SCFAs are super important in brain function, especially the production of your dog’s serotonin and dopamine levels. These are critical mental health neurotransmitters and hormones. A healthy gut means your dog’s brain receives more favorable levels of both, and keeps anxiety at bay. A healthy gut that has thriving colonies of certain microbes (coprococcus and Faecalibacterium specifically) break down dietary fiber in your dog’s gut. This produces an anti-inflammatory compound called butyrate that keeps their physical and brain health protected.

Causes of dog depression	Can Perfect Poop help?
Poor gut health	Yes
Poor digestion	Yes
Poor nutrition absorption	Yes
Separation anxiety	Yes
Age-related cognitive dysfunction	Yes
Physical ailments
Loss of animal companion
Loss of important human

Illustration of Bernie sitting and smiling.

Warning: If your dog has depression

If your dog’s depression prevents him from finding any enjoyment in his day-to-day routine, particularly if he’s not eating or drinking, it’s important that you address the issue with your vet. Your dog may be depressed because he’s physically ill, and your vet needs to make sure there’s no issue that’s causing his depressive behavior.

More information about viral infections in dogs

Good dog gut health is pivotal to overall physical and mental health in your dog. Good nutrition isn’t just what fuels your dog’s body; it’s what keeps his gut healthy and happy. A strong microbiome connects with your dog’s brain in positive ways, and keeps your dog from feelings of depression.

Fiber may help with depression in dogs

Depression originates at your dog’s cellular level. Fiber is helpful with battling depression in dogs because it gives good bacteria in their guts plenty to feed on. The Gut-Brain Axis in a dog is just as important as it is in humans, as the brain is designed to control and communicate back and forth. High-quality fiber feeds the good bacteria in your dog’s gut and creates short-chain fatty acids that affect your dog’s brain. Particularly, chemical messengers called neurotransmitters can affect your dog’s ‘feelings.’ Dopamine, serotonin and GABA are directly related to your dog’s gut health, but also to his brain. Dopamine is the ‘feel-good hormone,’ while GABA blocks signals in your dog’s brain that may repress his feelings of happiness and content. The premium fiber in Bernie’s feeds the helpful bacteria in your dog’s gut, and that stabilizes your dog’s mood and feelings.

Prebiotics and probiotics may help with canine depression

Prebiotics and probiotics are key supplements to helping your dog’s gut health be at its best. Prebiotics and Probiotics balance out your dog’s digestive tract bacteria and microbiomes. As we learn more about the gut-brain axis, we also learn more about how to keep your dog’s body and mind healthy. The prebiotic in Bernie’s is Inulin, which acts as a fertilizer to feed the good bacteria in your dog’s lower digestive tract. When the good bacteria in your dog’s digestive tract gets the right nutrition, they thrive and keep any additional harmful bacteria at bay. Your dog is able to produce appropriate levels of feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters, and the prebiotics and probiotics in your dog’s gut are key factors in this. When they thrive, there is little room for any harmful bacteria to affect your dog’s physical or mental state of mind. Your dog’s gut is healthy and balanced.

Enzymes may help with dog depression

Enzymes in Bernie’s Perfect Poop will help your dog’s digestive tract break food down better. Plain and simple, when your dog’s body is fueled and nutrients are absorbed appropriately, their gut health is stronger. Digestive enzymes are microscopic molecules of protein that are found all over your dog’s body. Each enzyme has an active site that helps break down food molecules into usable parts, if you will, that can be easily absorbed through your dog’s bloodstream and gut for the best health and regeneration.

Digestive enzymes like the ones found in Bernie’s allow your dog’s gut to be his healthiest and strongest. The stronger his gut health, the better the gut can serve all the body’s organs and brain. This will mean less depression for your dog. He’ll be healthier AND happier.

Other ways to help

Give your dog plenty of attention and quality foods
Give your dog plenty of exercise to increase endorphins
Try to engage your dog in some games or tricks
Play music when you leave your dog at home
Consider crating when you leave
Make sure your dog is hydrated
Feed quality foods
Feed smaller meals many times a day

Additional reading

Related terms

Canine depression
Doggy depression
Holiday blues in dogs
Dog grief
Separation anxiety in dogs