Pets can also feel stressed or depressed like humans do. However, most of the time, stress in dogs remains unnoticed due to misconception because it escalates health and behavioral changes. That’s why it’s necessary to understand and manage anxiety in dogs to avoid long-term problems and keep your furry friend happy and healthy.
Symptoms of stress in dogs are quite hard to grasp because our dogs can’t communicate their emotions. They can’t smash the phone or throw a tantrum, so how can I tell if my Dog is stressed? Sometimes, they show behavioral changes, which could be signals of stress in dogs. Let’s figure out what are the causes of anxiety and how to identify and help our friends destress.
What Causes Stress in Dogs?
Multiple factors can cause stress in dogs, and you can’t control a few of them. We are listing the major causes here as follows:
Environmental Causes
One of the major causes of stress is environmental change, such as moving to a new home, renewing your home, or even rearranging your house furniture. Environmental changes cause sudden disruption in the routine. If you are noticing that they are less responsive to triggers such as food or toys, then it could be a clear sign your Dog is stressed from moving. Sometimes, dogs are also affected by seasonal changes.
Loud Noises/ Noise Aversion
Dogs are hypersensitive to sounds. However, this sensitivity could lead to fear-based reactions towards specific sounds such as fireworks, thunderstorms, ringing bells, or construction noises. Sudden loud noises can also trigger their stress to extreme levels, which results in body trembling, pacing, avoidance, and hiding.
Medical Condition
Underlying health problems are also one of the reasons for stress in dogs. Pain or illness causes body stress, which leads to food refusal, loss of appetite, and indigestion in dogs. These could also be a sign that your friend needs your excessive attention.
Social Stress
If you live with your Dog and often have to leave them alone at home due to work or commuting, it can cause anxiety in dogs. Besides, when they meet new pets of strangers, it can also be the reason for stress.
Non-critical Stress signals in dogs
Behavioral Signs of Stress
- Excessive barking or whining, especially in a situation that normally doesn’t trigger them.
- Pacing or restlessness by moving back and forth or don’t settle down easily.
- Avoiding by retreating to the corner
- Hiding under the furniture.
Physical Signs of Stress
- Heavy panting without any exercise or temperature
- Excessive drooling
- Extreme and Prolonged yawning can signal stress.
- Continuous lip licking
- Dogs often lower their tails when they are feeling down or fearful. If they have a tucked tail or a lower body posture than normal, it could be a sign.
- Eye movement changes such as pupil dilatation, and they show rapid eye movement when they are stressed.
- Tucked ears
Critical Signs of Stress in a Dog
Severe health issues are critical signs of stress in a dog that can’t be neglected.
- If your Dog is having digestive issues such as diarrhea, vomiting, refusal to eat or loss of appetite, then you must pay attention to the root cause.
- Frequent urination and defecation caused me anxiety
- Body trembling and shivering without cold.
- Sudden aggression toward the other pets or some people, such as biting or snapping.
- They can injure themselves by chewing their nails or paws
- Fur and skin scratching excessively
- Genitals licking and ground sniffing
How to help your stressed Dog
Stay Polite and Calm
First of all, deal with your Dog politely. Please don’t be rude; speak to them calmly because they judge your behavior by the tone of your voice. Don’t scold them over their changed behavior; it can complicate the situation. Remove the stressors such as loud voices, bells, or dogs’ stress triggers. Try to create peaceful and quiet surroundings so your Dog can feel relaxed and stress-free.
Playful Activities
You should provide proper attention; go for an evening walk, play hide, and seek to relieve stress. This will improve their physical as well as mental health. Evening walks in the park will help them to socialize and make new friends. A game of fetch or puzzle toys for dogs can also lessen tension.
Provide High-Quality Pet Food
Always provide high-quality pet food to dogs. Indigestion or diarrhea can also cause body stress due to low-quality food. Provide the Dog with fresh water and a chew treat he loves.
CBD for Dogs
CBD is the best choice to destress your Dog without any pharmaceuticals. If your dog shows non-critical signs of stress, organic hemp extract or full-spectrum CBD oil will be effective. But don’t forget to consult a veterinarian for any medication.
Medical Aid
You must consult your vet if your Dog shows critical signs of stress, such as aggression and biting. Behavioral specialists also recommend pheromone diffusers, anxiety wraps, and soothing supplements after thorough behavioral and physical examination.
How to Prevent Stress in Dogs?
Early preventive measures are helpful to avoid stress in dogs. During their development and training, you should make them socialize with other pets, dogs, and people. Early socialization helps them to adapt better according to environmental changes.
Don’t leave your dogs alone for a long time. Keep them active and playful by engaging with them in physical activities. If your Dog is stressed by strangers or new visitors in the home, try to familiarize your Dog with other pets and new family members.
If your dog is sound-sensitive, keep him away from fearful triggers, such as fireworks and construction sites. Regular veterinary checkups help to figure out underlying health issues or other behavioral changes.
Final Words
It is essential to identify and manage critical signs of stress in a dog because it impacts their overall health. You have to keep checking on their physical and behavioral clues for timely stress management. Use a proactive approach to provide calm and safe surroundings to your Dog. But if symptoms of stress in dogs remain persistent, then they must consult a veterinarian or behavioral specialist for professional health evaluation. Let’s make our Dog’s life stress-free and happy.