Stress Anxiety Depression Aggression in Dogs Signs Symptoms Treatment

Out for a Walk with Some of My Dogs

In this article…

1. Typical Causes of Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Aggression  in Dogs;
2. Typical Signs of Stress in Dogs;
3. Long-Term Stress is a Health Threatening Condition
4. The Use of Conventional Chemical-Based Drugs to Control Stress
5. Other Products that Claim to Solve Stress and Anxiety
6. Diet Can Create and/or Exacerbate Stress or Help to Alleviate Stress
7. Herbs Can Help Too
8. Better Communication Helps to Alleviate Stress

A situation that stresses one dog may not affect another dog and some situations will stress all dogs to one degree or another. Why the difference? Well, every dog is an individual with his/her own unique disposition, physical and psychological strengths and weaknesses. 

Dogs are subject to the same basic factors that affect our ability to remain immune to, trigger on and cope with stress - for example...

• Inherited traits;
• Acquired traits;
• Diet and nutrition;
• Available support structure, etc.

If your dog happens to have heightened sensitivity additional stress may be generated if you are not aware of and/or do not understand heightened sensitivity. If you have not had the opportunity to hone your communication skills and your own sense of self awareness dealing with your dog’s stress can be a very difficult matter.

1.0 Typical Causes of Stress, Anxiety,
      Depression, Aggression in Dogs

A partial list…

Dogs can become stressed for many reasons…

• Natural predisposition which is inadvertently enabled by the dog’s human - for example:
• A dog that has heightened sensitivity can become stressed resulting in anxious behaviour if the dog’s human does not learn to be an effective communicator;
• An unfamiliar situation:
• Vehicle, train, plane:
•  An unfamiliar environment and movement leading to:
•  Car, vehicle anxiety or over excitement;
•   Motion sickness;
• Surgery and injuries;
• Under-socialization;
• A sudden traumatic event – emotional and/or physical for example;
• The passing of a loved one - grief;
• The sudden move of a family member away from home;
• An emotionally destabilizing encounter reinforced by discomfort of the dog’s human – i.e. an attack by another dog while in a dog park;
• A violent thunder storm, wind storm, etc.
• Fireworks, gun shots, etc.
• A condition that is inadvertently created and teaches the dog to be in an altered state of normal, for example:
• Providing affectionat the wrong time;
• Greeting your dog the wrong way can create separation anxiety, as can:
• Feeling guilty about leaving your dog alone when you go out;
• Tension resulting from proximity to animate and inanimate objects – situations and locations, people, other animals, objects associated with tension that creates stress due to fear resulting in avoidance, aggression etc…
• On-leash aggression;
• Stress around children;
• Stress around other animals;
• Stress created by object guarding;
• Stress created by guarding of food;
• Stress created by guarding of people;

A condition that creates a situation where the dog is at physical and/or psychological disadvantage that results in a deficiency of the basic requirements of life…

• Healthy diet;
• A truly good diet supports a healthy mind and body;
• An inadequate diet and/or a toxic diet creates instability in mind and body;
• Safe home;
• A physically safe environment promotes confidence; an inadequate environment promotes stress;
• Structure that enables positive, balanced physical and mental output.

When parts of this formula are missing, stress and anxiety are a likely outcome even in the absence of a sudden trauma.

A psychologically safe environment in which a dog is understood, properly directed, provided with structure and both physical and mental stimulation is stabilizing and helps to build a firm foundation for weathering stressful situations.

2.0 Typical Signs of Stress in Dogs

A partial list...

Appetite

• Loss of appetite;
• Refusal to accept offered food or treats;
• Diarrhea;

Breathing

• Panting;
• Rapid breathing;
• Stress yawn;
• Withheld breath;

Body Language

• Facial Expression - tense:
• Eyes;
• Diverted eyes will not make eye-contact;
• Dilated pupils;
• Whale eye;
• Tail;
• Low to body or tucked between legs;
• Ears;
• Back;
• Head;
• Lowered;
• Turned to side;
• Body;
• Low posture;
• Weight shift to back legs;
• Stress-bow;
• Defensive aggression – barks, growls, bares teeth with fearful body
  postures (lowered head, tucked tail, ears back, whale eye) while moving away
• Offensive aggression – barks, growls, bares teeth with offensive body
  postures (high tail, direct eye contact, ears erect) while charging/moving forward

Depression

• Lethargy;
• Disinterest in activities that the dog would normally look forward to/enjoy;
• Loss of appetite;

Focus

• Demanding constant attention;
• Constant swinging of head or eyes to scan environment or lock on to objects;
• On guard looking for threats – defensive and offensive;
• Inability to focus or ‘pay attention’; 
• Fixation;

Fur and Skin

• Excessive shedding;
• Sudden shedding;
• Skin rash from excessive nervous scratching;

Mouth

• Drooling and/or foaming at the mouth;
• Licking of lips;
• Licking of nose;
• Excessive licking of paws, legs, etc.
• Excessive licking of another dog or human companion;
• Sucking on paws, tail, blankets, etc.

Movement

• ‘Hyper-activity’…
• Inability to ‘settle down’;
• Restlessness;
• Continual pacing;
• Continual scratching;
• Full body shake-off;
• Stress-bow;
• ‘Suppressed activity’…
• Slow and/or ‘slinking’ movement;
• Trembling;
• Tense and tentative movement;
• Avoidance – pulling away, slinking away, running away, hiding, etc;

Vocalization;

• Excessive or more than usual;
• Barking;
• Crying;
• Grumbling;
• Growling;
• Whining, whimpering.

3.0 Long-Term (Chronic) Stress is a Health Threatening
      Condition

On a long-term basis stress (psychological and physical – i.e. dietary insufficiency) can trigger further health issues, for example:

• Suppression of the immune system - thereby leaving the body more susceptible to:
• Disruptions in the endocrine system; 
• Inflammation;
• Infections, such as:
• Eye infections;
• Ear infections,
• Ironically when eye and ear infections are treated with antibiotics (rather than with natural remedies for ears and natural remedies for eyes), greater stress - physical and psychological results due to the fact that:
•  Antibiotics kill good bacteria in the GI tract along with bad bacteria;
• The elimination of good bacteria destroys the health-giving flora of the GI tract placing additional stress on the immune system and on the psychological state as serotonin levels in the GI tract are also adversely affected.
• Insect and parasite infestation;
• When infestation is addressed with chemical-based treatments the immune system and renal system is further taxed due to the toxic pesticides present in the treatments;
• To avoid further taxing the system it is best to use natural topical and ingested treatments such as:
• Natural sprays and dips;
• Natural spot-on treatments;
• Foods, herbs that help to repel insects and parasites;
• Natural dewormers;
• Fatigue and pain;
• Low serotonin levels - thereby affecting brain function and behaviour;
• Viruses.

4.0 Conventional Chemical-Based Drugs to Control
      Stress and Symptoms

Chemical-based anti-depressants such as Reconcile (also known as doggie Prozac, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor – SSRIs) are often prescribed by allopathic veterinarians in an attempt to control the symptoms of stress. While SSRIs may seem to provide some amelioration of symptoms for the short term, SSRIs will not cure the condition and in many cases may make the situation worse – the consequences of which can be very serious and can shorten life span. SSRIs often have severe side effects, may actually mimic some of the symptoms of the condition being suffered and may become an impediment to actually solving the root cause of the stress. 

You can read more about SSRIs here. 

There are many natural, safe ways to safely boost serotonin levels without putting a dog’s health at risk. In-fact naturally boosting serotonin levels via diet comes with other very important health benefits.

Then there are other symptoms and their ill effects that may need to be addressed. Symptoms such as hair loss and skin irritation due to excessive licking and scratching. The use of steroids such as prednisone can cause an additional burden of stress and further deterioration of health. Consider natural alternatives to steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs).

5.0 Other Products that Claim to Solve Anxiety, Stress
      and Symptoms

There are a lot of products marketed to solve anxiety, for example:

The Thundershirt

The Thundershirt is a product that has been aggressively marketed - but is it really the solution to anxiety as claimed by the manufacturer? 

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