For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, the sun has been slipping further and further south along the horizon ever since the Summer Solstice. The pattern is exactly the reverse for inhabitants of the southern hemisphere.
Along with decreased intensity and duration of sunlight, some of us are sleeping longer and moving less; our roar shrinks to a murmur. The closer we live to the poles, the more pronounced symptoms can be.
Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) — the moodiness and languor brought on by reduced exposure to sunlight — affects an estimated 10 million Americans. Additionally, about a third of pet parents swear that their dog or cat exhibits the same symptoms reported by humans. Can pets get an actual diagnosis of SAD, or, are they simply mirroring the behaviors of their humans?
Literature on the subject is scant or lacking science. In the UK, the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals conducted a survey of pet parents’ perception of their pet’s affect during darker months. A correlation between reduced sunlight and bleak moods was noted, though the survey was subjective.
However, a study published by PubMed revealed that hamsters and grass rats acted “depressed” when exposed to less sunlight. This was due to shrinking of the hippocampus, a part of the limbic system of the brain that regulates motivation and emotion as well as learning and memory.
Humans and dogs share much brain chemistry including the presence of the neurotransmitters, melatonin and serotonin. With decreased daylight, serotonin production decreases and melatonin production increases resulting in depressed mood. Still, there have been no studies to date suggesting a direct relationship between increased melatonin and sluggishness in dogs or cats.
Some scientists suggest that a pet’s mood and lack of energy may reflect our own. A study by the University of Lincoln in the UK suggests that dogs can cognitively recognize emotions in humans and other dogs. This ability transcends learning behaviors; dogs can apparently recognize moods based on abstract mental representations. It could also be that pets may simply be mirroring our reduced physical activity during winter months.
Regardless of what causes our pets’ reduced energy and mopey mood there are some remedies:
Improve indoor lighting. Open drapes and shades during the day to increase natural light. Place pet beds near south-facing windows (if you’re in the northern hemisphere, the reverse for southern hemisphere). Use full-spectrum lighting to increase production of “happy” hormones in both you and your pet(s).
Get outdoors and get moving. Exercise al fresco improves circulation, exposure to natural sunlight (Vitamin D) and social opportunities with people/animals. Outdoor moods can brighten, even when it’s cloudy.
Enrich indoor activities. Hide and seek, food puzzles, shell games and others fire the synapses and challenge a dog’s or cat’s mind.
Heighten nutrition. Diets high in essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, can boost cognitive function. Probiotics improve gut health which can, in turn, improve mood. Note: Avoid Vitamin D supplements which can cause liver failure in pets.
My wife, Susan, and I have incorporated all of the above to help our Lilly, the Boston terrier, crawl out of the rut she’s been in since we moved to the Pacific Northwest this past October. Of course, she’s had to deal with more than loss of winter sunlight; she left a stable of close furry friends and has had fewer opportunities to make new ones in this climate of COVID.
Gradually, her spunk is reviving. Nice that we don’t have to wait for the earth to “lean back” on its axis for that to happen.