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Treating your pet's anxiety problems

November 19, 2010

  Bright lights, loud family members and even time spent away from you can lead to a stressful time for pets.  They can suffer from anxiety and act out just like people.  But a little patience and a visit to your vet can help.  

Six-year-old hunter was an underweight stray when Janice Summers made him a member of her family. "He was terrified of us. If we even looked like we were going to approach him, he would start shaking extremely bad like he was expecting to get beaten or hit," said Janice.   

He suffers a great deal of anxiety when he hears loud noises or his owner leaves. Both are common behavioral issues in dogs.  "Before we can diagnose and completely say that this is a behavioral issue, generally, we need to be sure that there's not an underlying medical issues: hypothyroidism, bladder stones, bladder infections," said veterinarian, Manuel Sanchez.

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 From there, owners can manage behavioral issues with a combination of doggie antidepressants and maintaining a routine.  According to the veterinarian, "it's when things change in the routine - it's where we have the thunderstorms, or fireworks and things that they're not accustomed to, that that anxiety level can pick up."   

A pet owner can also re-program a dog, so the anxiety isn't triggered so often.   “For example, if your dog triggers and the anxiety begins every time you pick up your keys, well you can pick up your keys multiple times throughout the day without actually leaving the house so that trigger's not set off," said Dr. Sanchez.   

These steps have worked for Hunter, along with a lot of patience and love from his owner.   It's safe to say, Hunter returns the love.  It's important to remember that a dog with behavioral issues won't be completely cured of them.

Just like humans, they'll slip from time to time.   But with the right combination of medication and modification, these problems can be managed. 

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