We are well aware of the fact that humans experience a range of emotions, especially anxiety from time to time. But it’s also a common occurrence for dogs to have anxiety as well. As a pet owner, this is a very important problem for you to realize and educate yourself on for the health of your dog.
Take some time to learn about how this issue may be affecting your furry family member. Keep reading to check out some ways on how to recognize signs of anxiety in dogs so that you can give your pet the happy life they deserve.
Understanding and Causes of Anxiety
The condition of anxiety is defined as feelings of extreme worry, fear and apprehension to stressful situations. Sometimes these feelings arise due to the fear of uncertainty and the unknown. And, whether the feelings are real or perceived, will cause a ‘fight or flight’ reaction in your body due to responses of the autonomic nervous system.
You may start to see signs of anxiety in dogs due to various reasons. Dogs can experience this emotional problem when they are scared or separated from their owners. It can also begin to occur during illness or as a dog ages, which is usually related to them developing CDS, or cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
Signs of Anxiety in Dogs
There are a few different things you can keep an eye for when it comes to monitoring signs of anxiety in dogs. You should look for aggressive and destruction behaviors, especially if this is out of your dog’s character. Take precaution if your dog becomes aggressive with you or other people and animals.
Another apparent sign of an anxious dog would be urinating or defecating around the house if they are already trained. You may notice that your dog seems depressed or low in moral and confidence, as well. Changes in moods from your dog’s normal temperament are usually warning signs.
Here are a few other symptoms for you to pay close attention to:
- Excessive panting and drooling
- Overly Licking or biting themselves
- Increased barking
- Restlessness
- Frequent pacing
- Destroying objects excessively
Helping Dogs Through Anxiety
One of the most important keys of assisting your canine through their pet anxiety is to be preventative and proactive in a timely fashion. Being able to read your dog’s body language and emotions before the problem becomes too big will be a great help. Recognize any triggers and patterns of when your dog begins to show anxiety and work to decrease the stimulus.
You can also make sure you are allowing your pet to live a healthy social life by getting them out in the neighborhood to meet other dogs and animals and see different things. Try creating a relaxing environment for them and put some things in place to temporarily help with separation, such as a “doggie cam” when you’re not home.
There are also changes in diet and nutrition that can be made to help with anxiety. Consult with a vet about what types of foods and ingredients would benefit your dog. You should also consider trying cbd for dogs to help naturally ease the anxious feelings.
Get More Tips on Helping Anxiety in Dogs
Our pets are pretty much an extension of our family and the last thing we want to see is them suffering. There are many signs of anxiety in dogs to watch our for and ways that you can help if you’ve spotted these problems.
Check out this blog if you’re looking for another practical type of creating calmness in your dog’s environment.