How Can Stress Affect Your Pet’s Health

Dogs could suffer stress due to changes in their environment. The list of causes includes benign ones like owners moving to a new home. Canines could suffer from stress even if the change is a positive one. In most positive cases, the stress response of the dog's body will fade away and it will revert back to its normal status. Other causes of stress include boarding or loud noises. The occasional travel could also bring stress. Dogs try to understand whether the new environment is hostile or not. Once they find out, the canines then figure out how to adjust to the new scheme of things.

A stressed dog release cortisol, a hormone playing a part on whether the dog will fight or run away from a certain scenario. The cortisol hormone assists the body to respond when any stressful event occurs. The problem starts when stress becomes a chronic affair. The result is a weaker immune system. The dog will not be able to counter disease and infections. It is vital to minimize the stress levels of your dog. Not doing this action will make this mild problem a major, costly complication.

In case your dog remains stressed for an extended period of time, then there will be noticeable changes in its behavior. A few could result in a serious problem in the future. All problems must be solved as quickly as possible. The de-stress procedure must also be done in a proper manner. Most stressed dogs suffer an appetite loss. The result is decreased weight after some time. For healthy dogs, the loss of weight may not matter much. However, it can be fatal if the dog is already underweight or not keeping well for some time. One sure indicator of stress that the dog will begin to chew and try to eat non-food substances. The dog will chew window-sills and toys. Some dogs lick themselves so much that they injure themselves.

Stressful conditions push the dogs into releasing adrenaline. This again determines whether the pet will fight or run away. Similar to cortisol, the adrenaline helps the dog to prevail against an immediate threat. The temporary effects of adrenaline are a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. These are accompanied by complications like blood flow decrease to the stomach and intestines. The result is diarrhea suffered by that particular canine. No other symptoms, like vomiting and fever, are seen.Stress can increase the intensity and pain of an already present illness. If the dog was sick, to begin with, then it could take time to heal. This is the reason veterinarians do not want to use any corticosteroid in the body as they slow the healing process.