Pet anxiety

Pet anxiety is a state of persistent fear or apprehension in a dog or cat that goes beyond a normal, short-lived stress response.

Common forms include separation-related distress, fear of noises, fear of strangers or other animals, and generalized anxiety with no single trigger. Dogs may pant, pace, whine, tremble, hide, house-soil or become destructive; cats may hide, over-groom, urinate outside the litter box or become aggressive. Anxiety often has roots in early experience, genetics or a lack of socialization, and it can worsen with age or with pain.

A veterinarian assesses anxiety through a detailed behavioral history, video where available and a physical examination to rule out medical contributors such as pain or thyroid disease, and may refer to a veterinary behaviorist. Established care combines behavior modification, environmental management and, when needed, prescription medication. Cannabinoids have been studied in dogs in a small number of trials with mixed findings, and a veterinarian is the right source of guidance for an anxious animal.