As individuals, there are chores, duties and responsibilities that we have to attend to. Examples of this include: payment of bills, catering for your family (if you have one), meeting up with expectations at our place of work etc.
One major feature of these duties listed above is that we know what is expected of us, thus when there is a problem we can easily detect it. Also, from our interactions with others we are able to tell or we get to be informed when something is amiss.
However, when it comes to our pets, that obviously cannot communicate with us, the challenge becomes much more awkward.
Our pets can’t communicate, so even their anxious moments can look like a huge fiasco to the untrained eye. The question now is; what should one know about such situations?
Dog Anxiety Generally
All creatures experience times of anxiety, this might be caused by an occurrence like being in an unwanted situation, or because of an impending situation. This is practically the same for dogs.
It is a normal phenomenon for them to have such experiences however unpleasant it may be. In some situations, it can even be a sign of good health! You can read more about it here.
It is also important to point out that there might be slight differences on how this condition may play out in different breeds. The challenge really is that it should not be left to where this situation becomes a disorder which will now lead to some serious behavioral and other challenges.
What Causes It?
There are many things that might elicit this reaction from them. Sometimes, the cause might be obvious but at other times, it might not. With careful observation, you might detect what causes this in your own pet.
However, there are three major categorizations of what causes anxiety in dogs, they are:
Generalized Anxiety
These are usually subtle in nature and even overlooked in most cases. People mostly associate it with the breed of the dog which may or may not be so.
Its cause many a times may have not just be determined. This is because, if not in the breed, then it might be caused by a happening in the past which everyone might have forgotten.
Again it might also just be because its normal routine was disrupted or a change of environment etc.
Separation Anxiety
Dogs, being social creatures, like to interact and express themselves. They generally do not like to be so left alone which could be a precursor to boredom for them. So their freaking out in such instances might just be their reaction to being left alone, a condition known as separation anxiety in dogs.
Illness Induced Anxiety
This is usually the most noticeable of the lot because a normally quiet dog would now start reacting in odd ways which previously wasn’t normal with it. This might also result in noticeable changes such as hair loss, weight gain, awkward stance and movement, loss of vision or hearing etc.
However, in some instances anxiety can be a reaction to some previous experience that it might have had. It might also be as a result of old age and this would normally signify the onset of the deterioration of its cognitive abilities.
The above listed and more are usually signs of an underlying illness that needs to be treated as soon as possible which means it will require a veterinarian’s attention.
What Can Be Done?
Over time, many methods, tricks and medications have been used for treatment or to calm their nerves. It is also easier to treat if the condition was noticed at its early stage.
This however, does not mean that nothing can be done to remedy the situation. Some treatment methods include:
- Behavior Modification: This generally involves training it to adapt to the situation.
- Medical Treatment: Here you take it to a veterinary doctor who recommends treatment and prescriptions for the dog.
- Natural Home Remedies: This is involves having things in the house that can calm it down.
- Music: It has been proven in many studies that music has a calming effect on dogs.
- Aromatherapy: This has also been discovered to have a calming effect on them, especially since they have a very keen sense of smell.
- The CBD Treatment Option: This is by far the most trending option and for good reason too. Aside from being an all-natural option, it is highly effective.
You can read more at https://petcbdcommunity.com/home-remedies-for-dogs-anxiety/.
Conclusion
Anxious moments do not bring out the best in us neither do they in our dogs. Thus, it is important to do all that is necessary to keep our furry friends healthy.
It is only when healthy that you can enjoy its companionship. An anxious dog is no fun.