Pet Dogs Also Experience Anxiety And Panic Attacks
January 22, 2011 by Frederick Belengrous
Filed under Fitness
A little known fact about the animal kingdom is that animals just like humans are equally prone to anxiety bouts. In particular, dogs are quite susceptive to anxiety attacks showing various symptoms of the same. A thorough understanding of dog anxiety and the reasons behind it should help owners to keep their pets mentally healthy and reduce their anxiety.
Separation anxiety is the most commonly seen form of anxiety in all dogs regardless of their breed or their age. If a dog suffers from this form of anxiety then it may stop eating food altogether or may go around the house defecating in the absence of owner.
Dog’s have a far greater capacity to hear sounds beyond our frequency range. Unfortunately, this means that they are prone to anxiety attacks because of loud noises such as those during lightning and thunderstorms. This is a very common form of anxiety in dogs.
Next on the list of anxiety is one that is because of an underlying health complication such as diabetes, encephalitis, hyperthyroidism, thyrotoxicosis and many more. In these cases a dog will show some or the other symptom of anxiety as precursor to the diseases.
In all the above cases, understanding the symptoms of anxiety can really prove helpful to owners to keep their dogs mentally healthy. An anxious dog if not treated will eventually lose its temper and may do something that is totally out of its character. To avoid this, owners should know how to detect anxiety in dogs.
Whining and barking at the same time is a very common indicator of anxiety. Dogs generally love to bark but they never whine while barking. If a dog does this then it is, rest assured, because of anxiety. This type of anxiety is seen among dogs that have to stay alone for most of the day. Next, if a trained dog goes around the house scratching and chewing at doors and other things or defecating then it is anxious. An eager dog trying its level best to attract the attention of its owner may also be out of anxiety.
Most of these symptoms are exclusive to anxiety in dogs. If your dog starts showing these symptoms over a period of time, then it would be better off getting it to a veterinarian. You may just uncover an underlying health condition before it gets worse. If nothing comes out of the visit then re-training the dog is required using positive feedbacks in the form of treats for staying calm. Moreover, exercise is seen as a great anxiety reliever in dogs because the pent up energy is released through exercise and it is left with very little to get anxious over.
If you are considering getting a new dog accessory then you will discover info in my internet sites dog crates for sale and dog backpack carrier.












