How do you know if your dog has mental problems

Anxiety in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Treatment

Just like humans, dogs experience anxiety. While unpleasant, it is a normal and also healthy emotion. Dog anxiety can affect allbreeds, but may affect each individual dog differently. Although it is something that all dogs experience from time to time, if disproportionate levels of anxiety are left unchecked, a dog can develop an anxiety disorder. If left untreated, dog anxiety can lead to behavioral and other issues.

How do you know if your dog has anxiety? What can you do to treat dog anxiety? Were here to explain everything you need to know about dog anxiety common causes, symptoms, and treatments. Additionally, well discuss top tips for anxiety prevention. This way, if your dog ever does suffer from anxiety youll have all the knowledge you need as an owner to help.

Dog Anxiety: Causes

According to theMerck Veterinary Manual, dog anxiety can have a variety of causes. Some of the most common causes of dog anxiety are:

Fear-related anxietycan be caused by loud noises, strange people or animals, visual stimuli like hats or umbrellas, new or strange environments, specific situations like the vets office or car rides or surfaces like grass or wood floors. Although some dogs may only have brief reactions to these kind of stimuli, they may affect anxious dogs more consequentially.

Separation anxietyis estimated to affect around 14 percent of dogs. Dogs withseparation anxietyare unable to find comfort when they are left alone or separated from their family members. This anxiety often manifests itself in undesirable behaviors, such as urinating and defecating in the house, destroying furniture and furnishings, andbarking.

Age-related anxietyaffects older dogs and can be associated with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). In dogs with CDS, memory, learning, perception, and awareness start to decline, similar to the early stages of Alzheimers disease in humans. This understandably leads to confusion and anxiety insenior dogs.

Dog Anxiety: Symptoms

So how can you tell if your dog has anxiety? There are several important symptoms to look out for:

• Aggression
• Urinating or defecating in the house
• Drooling
• Panting
• Destructive behavior
• Depression
• Excessive barking
• Pacing
• Restlessness
• Repetitive or compulsive behaviors

Some of these symptoms may be the result of occasional anxiety-causing events, but any of these can become recurrent and therefore, result in more serious issues. This being said, by far the most dangerous symptom of dog anxiety is aggression. This aggression can be targeted directly or indirectly, depending on the situation. Direct aggression occurs when a dog acts aggressively toward people or other animals. Indirect aggression can be equally dangerous, and often happens when a person comes between the dog and the source of the dogs aggression, such as another dog. Even if a dog is prevented from harming others, aggressive behaviors such asgrowlingor barking can lead to undesirable situations for humans and dogs, alike.

Urinating and defecating in the house is a common symptom of separation anxiety. Anxious dogs often work themselves up to the point that they pee or poop in the house, even if they are housebroken. This is frustrating for owners and can cause damage to property, not to mention the unpleasantness of the cleanup.

Destructive behavior is also common with separation anxiety. The damage is usually located around entry and exit points, like doorways and windows, but dogs in a state of heightened anxiety are also at risk of harming themselves. Attempts to break out of dog crates, windows, and even doors can result in painful injuries and expensive veterinary treatments.

Dog Anxiety: Treatment

The best way to treat anxiety is to talk with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can help you identify the type of anxiety your dog suffers from and the possible causes and triggers. Your veterinarian will also be able to help you determine if the anxiety is simply situational, or if it is becoming an overwhelming issue for your dog. Additionally, veterinarians can also rule out any other medical conditions that could be causing your dogs symptoms.

Your veterinarian will help you come up with a treatment plan. Since excessive anxiety is often caused by a variety of factors, the best way to treat it is usually through a combination of training, preventive strategies, and in some cases, medications.

Training and Counterconditioning

There are several training strategies owners can use to treat dog anxiety. One way is counterconditioning. The purpose of counterconditioning is to change your dogs response to the stimuli responsible for anxiety, usually by replacing the anxious or aggressive behavior with a more desirable behavior, like sitting or focusing on the owner.

Another training strategy is desensitization. The owner slowly introduces the dog to the source of anxiety, preferably in small doses and at a decreased intensity. Repeated exposure and rewarding positive behavior can go a long way toward managing anxiety.

You might want tocontact a professional dog trainerto help you choose the best approach for your dog, as training an anxious dog is not always easy.

Anxiety Medications for Dogs

If your dog develops a serious anxiety disorder, your veterinarian may recommend medications or natural therapies. SSRIs and antidepressants are occasionally prescribed for dogs with anxiety, including fluoxetine and clomipramine. For predictable anxiety-producing events like thunderstorms, fireworks, or car rides, your veterinarian might prescribe a medication such as benzodiazepine in conjunction with an antidepressant to help your dog cope with the stress.

Senior dogs with cognitive dysfunction syndrome may benefit from the drug selegiline, which can help reduce some of the symptoms of CDS. Selegiline is also used for treating chronic anxiety in Europe.

The Merck Veterinary Manual also states that natural therapies and products can help dogs with anxiety. Some products work best in conjunction with other medications, while others can be used alone, depending on your dogs case. Natural products use pheromones and aromatherapy to reduce anxiety. Talk to your veterinarian about the natural products best suited for your dog.

Using CBD Oil for Dog Anxiety

Some dogs owners have reported success in usingCBD oilto treat dog anxiety. CBD is a compound found in cannabis and hemp that dog owners, as well as humans, have found useful for treating a variety of different health conditions. Anecdotal reports from dog owners claim that CBD oil can be effective in treating dog anxiety.

Its important to note, however, that although many humans use CBD oil for anxiety treatment purposes, there is currently no scientific data on how using CBD oil affects dogs. Additionally, CBD products are not yet regulated meaning consistency and purity are not always validated. Therefore, if youre considering using CBD oil as a treatment for dog anxiety, its best to consult with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can help you determine if CBD oil might be a good treatment for your dogs anxiety, as well as discuss different products, possible side effects, and risks.

Learn about the CBD oil study being conducted by the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

Dog Anxiety: Prevention

It can be difficult to predict exactly what will make your dog anxious, and even more difficult to determine if your dogs anxiety will develop into a more serious disorder. However, there are ways to help a dog or puppy avoid anxiety-related problems.

Body Language

One of the best things you can do is learn toread dog body language. Knowing when your dog is uncomfortable or scared can help you avoid negative experiences or use them as a positive training moment. Body language can also tell you when a dog is getting anxious, which is especially useful if your dog has a history of aggression-related anxiety.

Socialization

Propersocializationcan prevent the development of anxiety. Introducing your dog to new people, dogs, animals, places, and experiences can help avoid an exaggerated response down the road, and also helps your dog become a well-adjusted canine citizen.

Obedience

Obedience trainingis an essential tool for preventing and managing dog anxiety. It lays the foundation of a healthy relationship and establishes trust. A well-trained dog is easier to socialize than a dog without training, and obedience classes are a great place for dogs to meet other dogs in a controlled environment.

Exercise and Nutrition

Regularexercise and stimulationare crucial for a dogs development, physical, and mental well-being. A stimulated dog is less likely to pick up destructive behaviors, andgood nutritionis equally important for your dogs health. Making sure you take care of your dogs physical and mental needs can help you prevent any behavior problems that dont stem from anxiety, letting you know the areas where your dog needs the most help.

Situation Avoidance

If your dog has been diagnosed with anxiety issues, you can also try to avoid or prevent situations that trigger your dogs anxiety. For example, if you know that your dog grows anxious around large groups of dogs, you should avoid dog parks. Avoidance does not mean that you need to put your life on hold, but it can reduce some of the stress on you and your dog.

If the source of the anxiety cannot be avoided, preventive measures like leashes, body harnesses, and, in some cases, basket muzzles, can prevent dangerous situations. Once you know your dogs triggers, you can prepare for these situations ahead of time.

Dog Anxiety: The Bottom Line

Like humans, many dogs will experience anxiety at some point throughout their lives. Although not all dogs will have anxiety that leads to a diagnosable anxiety disorder, its important to know the causes, symptoms, and treatment options involved with dog anxiety. Understanding these important facets can help you, as an owner, know the best ways to help your dog in anxiety-inducing situations. If you think that your dog might have an issue with anxiety, its best to consult your veterinarian your veterinarian can diagnose your dog, rule out any other health issues, and help you develop a treatment plan that best fits your dog and lifestyle.

Recognizing Canine Mental Problems

Canine problems include physical problems such as infections and diseases, and behavior problems such as coprophagia (eating dog feces). But did you know that dogs can also have mental problems? Canine mental problems and canine behavior problems are often discussed interchangeably, but the two conditions are different and each has its own special treatment methods and medications. The key to treating canine mental problems is recognizing the different types of canine problems, symptoms of each, and possible causes.

Canine Mental Problems

Dogs can have anxiety and get depressed too. Depression and anxiety are two of the most common canine mental problems facing dogs. Although dog's cannot verbally communicate their feelings, they will show several obvious physical signs of being depressed. Dog depression is characterized by lack of interest in playing, apathy, recurrent behavior of searching and sniffing, isolation, lack of appetite, and in some cases, constipation. Dog anxiety is characterized by destructive behavior, urinating or defecating indoors, diarrhea, and vomiting. In some cases, such as in the case of separation anxiety, the dog might vomit in the owners shoes or some other item that he may associate with his owner leaving him alone.

Canine depression can be caused by:

• Traumatic experiences (physical and mental abuse)
• Solitude
• The death or disappearance of another human or dog
• Sudden changes in environment, such as moving to a different house
• Having a new owner
• Loss of freedom (confined to a small space)
• Hyperthyroidism (endocrine disease)

Dog anxiety can be caused by everything from storms and phobias to separation from their owners.

While canine depression is rarely fatal, certain behaviors associated with it can cause some serious health problems. If your dog stops eating or drinking because he's depressed, he can become emaciated and dehydrated. If your dog is mildly depressed, with regular exercise, exposure to other dogs, and lots of attention, chances are he will come out of it in a few weeks. If he is severely depressed, he might require an anti-depressant. Your vet can recommend the best types and dosages.

Traditional behavioral exercises can be effective in treating dog anxiety as well as non-sedative medications. Most vets will recommend a combination of both. Some of the most effective anti-anxiety medications include: amitriptyline and clomipramine. Unlike drugs like valium, which can cause over sedation, amitriptyline and clomipramine have very few side effects when taken as directed. If you suspect that your dog has a severe case of anxiety or depression, do not attempt to treat or diagnose him on your own. See your vet immediately.

For more information about canine problems and recognizing canine mental problems, see:

http://www.vetinfo.com/dsepanx.html

http://www.vetinfo.com/dthunder.html

http://www.vetinfo.com/ddepression.html