Light Boxes Provide Help For Depressed Pets With Seasonal Affective Disorder


Something as simple as light boxes may offer help for depressed pets suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. If your beloved animal exhibits signs of listlessness or mood changes during the winter season you may find that Pawsitive Lighting has the perfect product for you.

Max Marvin is the owner and founder of Pawsitive Lighting, a company that seeks to alleviate your pet’s winter mood swings with the use of a light box specifically designed for animals.

An article by ABC News writes that Marvin’s product was conceived through personal experience. At the suggestion of a sleep specialist he began using light box therapy to combat severe insomnia. Light boxes are also frequently used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Humans and animals alike can be emotionally and physically affected by the winter months. Shorter days bring fewer hours of sunlight which has an effect on the body’s production of melatonin. When deprived of sunlight the body can react negatively.

Those severely impacted by the change may have what is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD can bring about symptoms such as aggression, depression, and mood swings.

For Max Marvin, the light box treatments were a success that came with an added bonus. He noticed that the therapy was also beneficial for Luke, his golden retriever companion. He told ABC News of the discovery:

“Luke and I were both basking in the sun every single morning and I found that he was just completely drawn to the light. Luke would just be on his back enjoying the light, happy as can be.”

According to The Oregonian, light boxes are designed to expose the user to an artificial source of sunlight. This raises the body’s melatonin level and is thought to produce relaxation and mood boosts.

When Luke started exhibiting a positive reaction to the light box his owner decided to take things a step further. Marvin consulted with veterinarians and discovered that animals do in fact suffer Seasonal Affective Disorder in the same ways as their human counterparts.

Marvin decided to share his light box discovery with other pet owners. He partnered with a light-therapy device manufacturer out of the UK to make a light box for animals. The Sol Box is billed as the first of its kind, specifically designed to provide your pet with a dose of artificial light equal to the sun’s luminosity.

If you feel like your pet is depressed or suffers from SAD, the light boxes are available online and retails for $199.

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