Is Your Dog or Cat Stressed? How to Tell and What to Do

Just like humans, dogs and cats can experience significant stress and anxiety. While an occasional stressful experience is a normal part of life, chronic stress and anxiety can lead to behavior problems and health concerns. It can be tough to tell if your pet is stressed, because they can't tell us how they're feeling. To help you identify and alleviate stress in your pets, check out these common causes of stress and anxiety and what you can do to manage them.

What Causes Stress in Cats and Dogs?

Some causes of stress in cats and dogs are obvious, like a visit to the veterinarian or an encounter with an unfriendly dog or cat. Other causes of stress can be much more subtle and may be difficult to spot. Some common causes of stress in dogs and cats can include:

• New pets in the household
• A person or baby in the household
• Loss of a person or pet from the household
• Separation from owner(s)
• Changes in routine
• Renovations or other disruptions in the home
• Unfamiliar dogs or cats outside
• Travel
• Moving to a new home
• Storms, fireworks, loud or unexpected noises, or unfamiliar noises
• Lack of exercise
• Lack of environmental enrichment
• Lack of "safe" resting and sleeping areas
• Changes in health
• Changes in the health or behavior of another pet
• Changes in number, location, or type of resources, such as food, water, litter boxes, etc
• And many more!

As you can see, some things that we humans wouldn't even consider significant - such as moving the litter box to a more convenient location or a change in the pet's diet - can cause significant stress for our four-legged friends. Identifying the source of your pet's stress can be difficult, but it is essential to identify and manage these triggers to reduce your pet's anxiety.

Remember that in many cases of anxiety, there are often multiple factors at play. Your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist can help you identify your pet's triggers and learn how to manage them.

Symptoms of Stress in Cats and Dogs

Many pet owners look at their dog or cat napping on the couch and think "They can't possibly be stressed!" Unfortunately, many of our pets ARE stressed and anxious - we just aren't very good at recognizing the symptoms of stress in dogs and cats. Some common symptoms of stress in pets can include:

• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Irritability
• Aggression
• Hypervigilance
• Hiding/Isolating
• Attention seeking
• Destructive behavior
• Excessive vocalization
• Inappropriate urination or defecation
• Changes in appetite
• Increased or decreased grooming behavior

In dogs, the Canine Ladder of Aggression, created by Dr. Kendal Shepherd, is a useful visual means of identifying and evaluating stress and anxiety. Early signs of stress such as yawning, licking the nose, and turning away from the perceived threat can be subtle and easily missed. If we don't identify and intervene during these early signs, the dog escalates up the ladder to much more severe and potentially dangerous methods of communication such as snapping and biting.

Similarly, the Feline Ladder of Aggression, developed by Dr. Sally Foote, describes a corresponding progression of behaviors for cats. If pet owners can identify stress in their cats and intervene when it is in the lower levels, such as ear flicking and hair raising, then they can prevent their cat's anxiety from progressing to the point of swatting and biting.

Identifying and reducing stress and anxiety for our pets in these early stages not only improves their comfort and quality of life but also creates a safer environment for the humans involved as well!

How to Help a Stressed Cat or Dog

The first step to calming a stressed pet is to identify the trigger of the stress and manage it. Often this is easier said than done, and enlisting the help of your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist can make the process go much more smoothly. Managing the stressful trigger may include taking steps such as avoiding the trigger, minimizing its frequency or severity, or implementing behavior modification training to help your pet cope with the trigger.

In addition to managing triggers, providing your pet with plenty of resources, including easy access to food and water, safe and quiet resting areas, toys, and plenty of mental stimulation can go a long way towards managing stress. For cats, providing multiple well-located, easily accessible, appropriately sized, clean litter boxes is a must to reduce stress and mitigate inter-cat aggression and inappropriate elimination issues. Your pets also require active play time and exercise during the day to keep them healthy and mentally stimulated. A tired pet is a happy pet!

Finally, if necessary, supplements or medications may be considered to help manage stress and anxiety. Always consult your veterinarian before starting any new supplement or medication with your pet, and do not give your pet any medications intended for humans unless directed to do so by your veterinarian.

CareCredit Financing for Veterinary Costs

When it comes to managing behavior issues like stress and anxiety, your veterinarian is your best resource to help you pinpoint the problem and troubleshoot solutions. Did you know that the CareCredit credit card can be used to manage the cost of veterinary consultations?* You can use your CareCredit credit card again and again to pay for veterinary care, prescriptions, and even prescription pet food from a veterinarian in the CareCredit network. To find a veterinary provider near you who accepts the CareCredit credit card, use the Acceptance Locator or download the CareCredit Mobile App.

Author Bio

Dr. Elizabeth Racine is a small animal general practice veterinarian and freelance writer. She covers both human and veterinary medicine with a special interest in nutrition, internal medicine, and veterinary behavior.