Would you be surprised to learn that humans aren’t the only ones who suffer from anxiety?
Your pup could also be dealing with feelings of anxiousness and distress. While their lives of sleeping, playing, and eating may not seem all that stressful, being a dog isn’t always a walk in the park.
There are several reasons that a dog may develop anxiety, like moving to a new home, the loss of a human or another pet, the introduction of a new pet into the home, or past trauma from a previous owner.
When a dog develops anxiety, it can affect her health and behavior in many negative ways. To avoid letting her symptoms go undetected and untreated, familiarize yourself with these 3 signs that your dog has anxiety.
3 Signs That Your Dog Has Anxiety
1. Aggression
Perhaps the most dangerous symptom of anxiety that dogs exhibit is aggression. In some cases, anxious dogs will act aggressively towards people or other animals by biting, scratching, or growling at them.
Such aggression can put the safety of the dog and those around them at risk. As such, it’s important to take your pup to the vet immediately if you notice that she is displaying overly aggressive behavior.
2. Loss of appetite
A common symptom of anxiety in dogs is loss of appetite. If your dog usually eats well and has started consuming much smaller portions or stopped eating entirely, try to get her appetite back up.
There are several ways you can stimulate your dog’s appetite such as by making her a mouth-watering chicken dinner or trying out a different type of dog food.
Giving your dog some CBD oil has also been known to help stimulate a dog’s appetite while reducing anxiety by inducing the endocannabinoid system and increasing the amount to serotonin in the blood.
If your dog refuses to eat for two days or more, take her to the vet immediately. Going too long without eating can pose a serious threat to your dog’s health. Overall, when it comes to your dog’s health and diet, always consult a veterinarian.
3. Restlessness
Restlessness is another common sign that your dog has anxiety. Anxious dogs may exhibit uneasy tendencies such as panting, pacing around the house, barking excessively, or engaging in repetitive or compulsive activities.
To help your dog relax, try taking her on a gentle evening walk, petting her, and minimizing loud or unsettling noises in your home as much as possible.
As always, if your dog’s symptoms of restlessness continue for multiple days, make sure to take her to the vet to get professional care.
These are very basic, common symptoms that an anxious dog might exhibit. If you have any reason to suspect that your dog is suffering from anxiety, especially for longer than a day or so, it’s always a good idea to get a professional opinion. Never wait to contact your veterinarian for guidance.
Do you live with an anxious dog?
How can you tell when your dog is becoming especially anxious? What do you do to calm her? Let me know in a comment below, or stop by my private Facebook group for dog moms and join in the conversation there.
The post 3 Signs That Your Dog Has Anxiety appeared first on The Everyday Dog Mom.
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Christina, Khareem Sudlow
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