Our Post-Covid Pets

Last week, my daughter sent me the link to an article in the New York Times wellness section on pet anxiety.  She said she was sending this my way so I could see what, and I quote, "the lay public is reading and doing for their pets."  First of all, how awesome is it that one of my kids read something and thought of me?  Makes me happy just thinking about it.  And second, that she'd send me something so relevant and worth exploring further?  Brilliant.  So, here's the link to the article she sent me if you want to read it as well: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/10/well/pet-anxiety-meds.html

One of the big takeaways from this article for me was something the author discovered through her research and that is the fact that pet owners are getting better at recognizing that their pets are anxious AND they are seeking ways to reduce that anxiety. It isn't so much that pets weren't anxious in the past, or pre-COVID, for instance.  Pets, like people, have always experienced anxiety; we are just getting better at recognizing it AND wanting to treat the problem.  My veterinarian friends tell me that they have more clients presenting them with anxious pets than ever before, likely because those pet owners were home more during COVID lockdowns and thus watching their pets more and picking up on behaviors they likely missed when they were gone all day. So, it isn't that those COVID lockdowns created the anxiety per se, it's more likely that they just made existing problems rooted in anxiety more apparent.  

I also appreciated how the author shared some of the behaviors exhibited by anxious animals.  I often point some of these behaviors out to clients during appointments and they are amazed, often telling me they'd noticed those behaviors before, but didn't know that they were associated with anxiety.  Dogs and cats will yawn, vigorously scratch, smack their lips, obsessively groom, etc. when they feel anxious.  Yes, tired animals yawn, animals with allergies scratch and over-groom as well.  It's the frequency of those behaviors and the situations in which they occur that makes it different.  

While the author of this piece does mention a couple of over the counter solutions, as well as a handful that are by prescription, this wasn't the focus of the article, and in fact, she was smart to point readers to their veterinarian's office first before trying anything. There are so many products available out there and it IS important to choose wisely.  While I am a huge proponent of CBD for dogs and cats, where applicable, I always suggest that owners have their pet's blood work assessed by their veterinarian first, just to make sure there are no underlying medical issues that could be contributing to the behavior or that could make giving the pet CBD unwise. And when it comes to more traditional anti-anxiety medications, there are so many options, it really does take time and experience to help point veterinarians and their pet-owning clients in the right direction.  While Prozac may work great for one anxious dog, it may be a poor choice for another.  And that reactive dog who acts up at veterinary appointments may be given a prescription for Trazodone, only to discover that it makes that pet so sedated that their reactive behavior is actually made worse.  If you do have to go the route of a prescription-only medication for your pet, definitely talk through all of the options!  

Finally, I love that the author finished her piece talking about desensitization to the vet's office and building her dog up to  cooperative care in that setting, with or without drugs on board to do so. Kudos to her vet for suggesting that desensitization.  It's tedious, but it does make a big difference.  None of us are as anxious about places we've been to repeatedly as we are about rolling up to new or unknown situations.  Experiences, especially positive or even neutral ones, in a veterinary setting, make that setting less anxiety provoking for our pets when there is something major going on and they need treatment.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Anxiety does not look the same in every dog.  Ozzie has situational anxiety which I manage with behavioral modification, confidence building exercises, and occasionally CBD.  He is not anxious at the vet's office as he's been practicing cooperative care his whole life.  But big social situations?  That will trigger his anxiety for sure.