Why stress is so bad for dogs

Dog behaviourDog wellnessDog stressDog anxiety

Sep 26

Just like us our dogs can suffer from stress and anxiety and it can show up in many different ways. We have noticed this first hand with our two, Grommie and Sunny.

Stress and anxiety can show up through a fear of loud noises, stress of separation anxiety and being left, meeting new people, travelling in a car, moving house, a traumatic event, a chaotic household, even a change in routine – there are so many different factors that can result in a dog’s anxiety increasing or developing new anxieties that they didn’t have before. But why is it so bad for our dogs?

It is important to understand that stress doesn’t just impact a dog emotionally, it can also affect their physical health. That is why it is so important to recognise the signs when it is happening so we are able to do something about it.

According to an article, “Stress and Anxiety – How Do They Impact the Pet” written by Kersti Seksel, BVSc (Hons), she mentions ‘Stress has also been shown to be a contributing or aggravating factor in gastrointestinal diseases, dermatologic conditions, respiratory and cardiac conditions, behavioural disorders and a shortened lifespan in dogs.’

So what does that look like in our dogs and how might it manifest?

Causes behavioural issues

Behaviour can come from many different avenues such as lack of boundaries, routine, improper training, environment or even genetically passed down. However did you know that the majority of behaviour can be a result of an anxious or stressed dog.

This varies from chewing, running away, pacing, licking, barking excessively, reactivity, clinginess, digging – the list goes on.

So what you might think is your dog behaving badly could in fact be the product of anxiety.

Impacts bowel and urinary movements

Having bouts of diarrhea or constipation can be an underlying health issue but can also be a result in increased stress levels or a stressful event. This also goes for urinating. Some dogs when stressed will release urine. This was the case for our little girl Sunny when she was younger. Whenever she would get nervous or stressed in particular meeting new people.

Impact the immune system

Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling stressed you tend to pick up things more quickly or not feel well? It’s the same for our dogs. Stress impacts the body and makes it much harder to fight off disease when it comes along. This is especially impacting dogs with existing medical condition such as cancer. When our big girl Grommie was diagnosed with cancer we knew stress was going to be a factor we had to greatly reduce in order to help her stay in balance and be able to keep as healthy as she can.

Decrease the appetite

Weight loss can impact a dog's wellbeing especially dogs that are unwell. Whilst an overweight dog has health issues an unweight dog can also be just as impacting to their health. Do you have a dog that won’t eat when they are scared for example during a thunderstorm?

Whilst missing a meal or two isn’t going to hurt, ongoing stress that impacts the appetite can be very detrimental for a dog to be able to maintain optimal health especially dogs that have a medical condition.

Causes skin issues/itching and licking

There are many reasons your dogs skin gets itchy or inflamed such as an allergic reaction or diet, but did you know that stress can also play a factor in your dogs skin health especially with licking.

Anxious dogs will often sooth themselves by licking their paws. Licking actually increases endorphins, which is a feel-good hormone, so would make sense this would be a good reliever for anxious dogs.

So ultimately stress can play a very critical part in not just our health but your dog’s emotional and physical health too and the more we can work on helping our dogs reduce their stress levels the better chance they have for a healthier and longer life.