Many of us understand the impact stress has our lives. We work to keep that stress to a minimum, but it's an inevitable part of life. What most of us fail to realize, however, is how much the stress of our lives increases the stress on our pets..
What parts of our life will increase the stress of our companion pets? Here are a few examples:
- Divorce
- Troubled Kids
- Significant Loss (especially of a master)
- Moves
- Kids Goin Back to School
- Loss of Home
While these are all naturally occurring in our lives, their collective impact can be very negative for both us as well as our companion pets.
Knowing When Your Companion Pet is Stressed
There are several signs your dog may be suffering from heightened stress. While many of these signs are also connected to other problems, these are things you may see with your dog when there is stress in the home environment. Here are a few of these symptoms to watch for:
- Self Chewing - while most companion pets will chew a little as a form of cleaning, excessive chewing is indicative of high stress.
- Destructive Behavior - While some dogs are naturally inclined to some desctructive behavior, this would be in excess of what's normal for your companion pet.
- Separation anxiety
- Refusing food, treats or to open mouth
- Improper bowel movements & vomiting
- Avoiding eye contact, keeping tail between legs or acting unusually shy
The time to be concerned with these behaviors is when they become excessive or increased from what's normal. If you do see an increase, start evaluating the stress factors your dog may be experiencing.
Physical Effects
Every biological organism will have physical reactions to stress. These can include:
- Ulcers
- Stress related diarrhea
- Stomach Upset
- Skin irritation
Helping Fido through Stressful Times
Unlike us, our pets don't have teh ability to "muscle" through stress. We need to step up our efforts to help deduce their stress. Here are some tips on how:
Spend quality "happy" time with your dog. - Dogs are often loved because they empathize when their master is having a hard time. While this may make us feel better, it often significantly increases their stress level. Just like you might fake happiness with a toddler, do the same thing with your dog to help reduce their stress.
Board your dog. While in the process of changing your pet's environment,
consider boarding them for a short time. While dogs are great at adapting to new environments, they don't deal well with the change process. Removing them from a chaotic environment will help reduce their stress.
Being around other animals will help decrease stress. Make use of a dog park or a
doggie daycare several times a week to help ensure your pet is getting enough socialization.
We all want what's best for out families, including out pets. Don't forget to consider the stress your dog feels when things aren't normal at home and help give them the attention needed to successfully cope will it too.
