When Fear Is Unleashed: Managing Your Best Buddy’s Anxiety

A phobia is a strong irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual risk to the individual experiencing the fear. There are many different phobias that both people and pets, particularly dogs, may experience. Several years ago, journalist John Grogan’s best seller, Marley and Me (made into a movie in 2008), chronicled the life of a golden retriever from puppyhood to his death at an old age. Marley’s exploits and adventures endeared him to many readers, but a central theme throughout the book was the dog’s thunderstorm phobia and his owners’ unsuccessful attempts to help him. Since Marley’s family spent much of his life in Florida, this was not a good thing. Let’s take some time to discuss two of the more common canine phobias.

Marley certainly was not all that unusual, as many dogs share the burden of a phobic reaction to thunderstorms, clinically referred to in humans as astraphobia. As a thunderstorm approaches, an astraphobic dog will become anxious and may pant excessively, pace back and forth, whine, or attempt to burrow under a bed, couch, or other object. They may uncharacteristically urinate or defecate in the house or may scratch and chew, often by a window or door, in an attempt to escape from the house and, in his or her mind, from the storm itself.

Another common phobia is called separation anxiety. Dogs as well as cats who suffer from this will become panicked when they realize their owner is leaving the house and they are not going to be going with them. There is a wide range of severity of both separation anxiety and thunderstorm phobia. The symptoms a pet displays experiencing separation anxiety are similar to those displayed in storm phobia. Often, a mild form of separation anxiety will manifest in a dog or cat left alone most of the day. Traditionally, the animal will not eat or drink anything while alone, but as soon as the owner returns home, he or she will run to the food and water bowls after a very dramatic greeting. Many of these pets will also follow their owners from room to room within their house.

Fortunately, there are nowadays many treatment methods that are often very helpful in decreasing a pet’s phobic behavior and thus improving quality of life for both pet and pet owner. Behavior-modification techniques, pheromone therapy, and medications can be used individually or in combination with one another to help your pet cope better with his or her phobia. Many veterinarians are well informed regarding these treatment options and therefore are a good source for obtaining specific advice and treatment recommendations. Only a veterinarian can prescribe medication, when indicated, to help your pet. In some instances, behavioral trainers can also be helpful, but do your homework before choosing one, as there are no licensing requirements or regulatory boards to provide pet owners with the assurance that their pet trainer possesses a minimum amount of formal knowledge and skill to correctly assess your friend and formulate an effective treatment plan.

By Dr. Ed Cohen