Dealing With Canine Anxiety
Posted on : 03/13/2015 07:17:51 PM
As parents, we hope our children will live long, fulfilling
lives free from pain or chronic illness. That sentiment extends to our
four-legged children too. Naturally, new parents are unfailingly optimistic.
After all, who ever anticipates her children will be less than perfect?
With the growing number of animals in humane societies and
rescues, adoption is an excellent way to find a new family pet. However, most
shelter animals do not come with medical documentation or known histories. A
dog that may initially seem to be fun loving and healthy may turn out to have
anxiety or fear once he settles down in the household. Behaviors such as
panting, barking, or pacing may seem trivial at first, but they may be early
indications of something insidious.
Correct Bad Behavior
with Professional Training
Dogs demand discipline and structure. Without some sense of
order in her life, a dog will begin to act out, and bad behaviors will be
reinforced through an owner’s inaction or neglect. Anxious or fearful dogs that
are left to their unruliness tend to worsen their mental illnesses, leaving
their owners to wonder what went wrong.
If you suspect your pup has behavioral issues due to
anxiety, enroll her in an obedience class. It will be the first—perhaps, best—step
toward correcting unwanted behavior.
Choosing to Medicate
If your little one is not responding to training, he should
be taken to your veterinarian. The vet will examine your pup to determine his
overall health. Blood and urine analyses may be required to rule out any
physical diseases that might be responsible for stress. If medication becomes a
viable option, please proceed with caution.
For anxiety, fluoxetine (Prozac) is the standard. Though
usually prescribed for depression, fluoxetine has anti-anxiety properties.
Sedatives, such as the benzodiazepines Xanax or Valium, can also be
successfully used to calm or quell anxiety.
Under no circumstances should you attempt to medicate your
dog without consulting your veterinarian first.
Keep Yourself Informed
Anxiety manifests itself in subtle or severe ways, and may
be brought on by any number of factors. Patience and understanding, on your
part, is key. Knowing how to recognize anxiety is invaluable. Take advantage of
the myriad resources out there on the Internet. By doing your due diligence,
you could potentially save yourself and your pup a lot of heartache and frustration.
