Is Pet Anxiety Real? 4 Signs Your Pet Has Anxiety and What You Can Do About It

Do you have a pet that you love and would like to keep happy? Well, to make sure that your pet is happy, you need to look for signs of anxiety which might lead to them being unhappy and uncomfortable. Just like human beings, animals go through anxiety and stress. It is, therefore, important to help them through recovery if you have not put up measures to avoid anxiety.

So, is pet anxiety real? Pet anxiety is real and can affect all types of pets and is very common in dogs and cats. Pet anxiety is caused by several things, one of the most common being separation. For instance, you might realize that your pet gets destructive and disruptive if left alone. In the case of a dog, you might find it urinating, barking, defecating, chewing stuff, escaping or trying to, and howling. These signs might mean that the pet needs some training, but they are also signs of anxiety in a pet.

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There are several other signs of anxiety in pets. The most common ones include the following;

Signs of Fear

There are times when your pet might start getting scared of things such as thunderstorms, fireworks, strangers, vacuum cleaners, other pets, and many things that they were initially not afraid of. Some pets such as dogs have an intense reaction to things they are afraid of and show that they are scared by hiding, whining, shaking, cowering, and being very aggressive.

Just like us, when a pet finds it difficult to understand things and situations, they get afraid of them. When your pet starts showing some of these signs, you need to help them get rid of their fears. One way of doing this is by using CBD treats for dogs that help with easing and comforting dogs. They also help in treating inflammation, seizure disorders, and pain management among others.

Excessive Grooming of Pets

Sometimes, anxiety and stress might lead to pets excessively grooming themselves. They acquire this as a displacement behavior in a bid to find something to do to help them get rid of anxiety. Grooming excessively helps them to calm down.

If you find your dog chewing or licking its front legs or your cat plucking fur from its abdomen, chances are that they are going through anxiety. Continuous irritation of the skin is dangerous and is one of the leading causes of skin infections. 

To help calm your pet down, you need to first consult a veterinarian to find out if the pet has any medical issues. If everything is medically okay, you can get a licking mat to help divert some of the pet’s attention from grooming.

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Excessive Licking of Noses and Lips

Pets, especially cats and dogs, moisten their lips and noses through the use of their tongue. However, excessively doing it might mean that they are experiencing anxiety. Most pet owners often overlook this behavior, assuming that it is a common behavior for pets.

If you see this behavior with your pet, the first thing to do is to make sure that the pet has adequate drinking water. Also, you need to check for any irritation on the mouth and the nose and treat it if there is any. If there is no irritation and the pet has enough water, you need to consult a veterinarian to help diagnose the issue. 

Showing a Side Eye When Looking at You

There are times when your pet might look at you using one of their eyes, often known as side-eye or whale eye. Pets doing this are usually experiencing anxiety. In most cases, you will notice that you can only see a small part of the white area of the eye and that the eyes are both dilated. 

In such situations, your pet is going through anxiety and you need to help get rid of it. You can do that by finding out if there is anything that might be stressing them in their environments such as noisy children or other pets and removing them (the causes of stress). You can also give the pets some space to be on their own and create a good sunroom for them.

Conclusion

Anxiety might lead to adverse health effects on pets. Sometimes, you might realize that your pet is eating less, or not eating anything at all. This will definitely affect the pet’s health and might lead to death in extreme cases. It is therefore important to take note of the signs discussed above and help your pet get past anxiety as quickly as possible.