Understanding, Treating and Preventing Dog Anxiety

Dog Anxiety Can Affect All Breeds, but if Left Unchecked It Could Turn into a Disorder

Anxiety can be a common problem in many types of dog breed and symptoms can show in a variety of ways. It’s natural for a dog whether young or old to experience anxiety at some point in their life, but if excessive anxiety is left unchecked, this is when it can become a problem.

Regular bouts of anxiety could turn into an anxiety disorder. If your pup is experiencing a lot of anxiety, this could also cause behavioral problems and even some other health issues. So how do you know if your pooch has anxiety? And if you find out he has anxiety, what can you do?

What are the Causes of Dog Anxiety?

According to expert vets, dogs can experience anxiety for three reasons.

• Separation. Said to affect around 14% of dogs, a dog experiencing separation anxiety is unable to feel safe and happy when left alone.
• Fear. This can be caused by meeting unfamiliar people, strange loud noises or a specific situation they associate with being scared like going to the vets.
• Aging. CDS or cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, can affect older dogs which sometimes leads to anxiety and confusion.

Common Symptoms of Dog Anxiety

There are a few symptoms you may notice in your pup, if he has dog anxiety. While any dog may experience these symptoms occasionally, if he starts to show these behaviors on a regular basis it could be cause for concern.

• Destructive behavior
• Unusual drooling or panting excessively
• Aggression
• Sudden depression
• Pacing and restlessness
• Excessive barking
• Repetitive or compulsive behaviors

How to Treat and Prevent Dog Anxiety

If you notice regular symptoms of anxiety in your pup, the first point of call is to take him to the vet for a check. Your vet can help rule out any possible medical conditions and pinpoint what is the possible cause of anxiety. If your dog is thought to have excessive anxiety, you can work out a treatment plan which could include;

• A natural health supplement like PetCalm. Some breeds of dog are naturally more anxious than others and a supplemented diet can make a big difference.
• A new training regime. Some training strategies for stressed dogs are counterconditioning and desensitisation. These methods include changing your dog’s response to certain stimuli and slowly introducing them to anxious situations while giving big rewards for staying calm.
• Anxiety medication. This is usually the last resort and will be recommended by your vet if your dog has developed a serious anxiety problem. Another natural health supplement is CBD oil, but it’s important to note there is currently no scientific data to show how this works on dogs with anxiety.

If you’d like to know more about natural health supplements for dogs and how they could possibly help your dog’s anxiety, check out the Silberhorn pet supplement range.