How Do You Treat Mental Illness in Dogs

Abstract

Despite the large amount of influence and acceptance dogs have in today’s society, little is known about common mental disorders that affect them. Common disorders such as CCD (Canine Compulsive Disorder) and Schizophrenia affect dogs as they do with humans. However, finding methods to counteract these disorders is much more difficult in dogs than it is humans due to of the lack of knowledge of why they happen. Some studies show that these types of disorders are caused by genes passed down through years of inbreeding; others show that it can be brought up or exacerbated by the dog’s environment. Major methods for helping dogs with these disorders have been shown by using a variation of the TENM3 gene which allows the dog to dampen its stress response, showing improvement on CCD; however, this has been shown to cause schizophrenia in some cases. In addition, raising dogs in proper environments, ensuring routine veterinary care, and providing appropriate nurturing have been good preventive methods.