Daschund Depression

Okay, so I hate to be a Debbie Downer and write about a depression-related topic again, but I feel the need to do so anyway.

My dog is depressed. That sounds stupid but it's kind of true.

My mother called me the other night and began the phone conversation with "Sadie's not well." I thought oh great, her back legs gave out again. Twice in the past her back legs quit working and she's had to drag her little body around using only her front two paws...it's the saddest sight I've ever seen. Actually, it's quite common for daschunds to have back-related problems since they're so long.

Anyways, my mother said that there was no noticeably physical reason for Sadie's behavior. She said that she just lays around moaning and whimpering all the time. She gets around fine, but she's just not her usual self. I thought maybe it might just be that's she's slowing down because of her age. We also thought that it might be because she's fat for a dog her size. She's a miniature daschund, but there's nothing miniature about her. Metaphorically speaking, she's supposed to be a cocktail weenie, but is rather the size of a jumbo-sized, cheese-filled Johnsonville Brat.

My mother brought Sadie to my grandparent's house here in Seward so that I could see her. After spending some time with her I'm convinced that her problem is psychological. When I first got her seven years ago I was told not to "baby her" too much because daschunds can occasionally become depressed if talked to in a certain way. I'm thinking that perhaps my mother has been babying her a bit too much and now she's an insecure little pup.

So I don't know what to do. I feel like a bad owner...I let my dog develop depression. Perhaps I should take her to the vet and get her some canine-Zanex. Poor dog.