Anxious pets can work themselves into a blind panic over what we would consider nothing at all – a paper bag blowing by, a strong wind, a UPS truck two streets over, whatever. For obsessive-compulsive pets, that anxiety can then manifest itself in destructive behavior, sometimes directed at the animal itself – some dogs and cats will literally endanger their own lives through obsessive self-mutilation. Not to mention that a constant state of stress will endanger the life of any animal – cat, dog, or human.

Cats and dogs are not like us – they can’t go to the psychiatrist and talk through their issues or complain to their friends. They are left only with their reactions and a fundamental inability to communicate with the rest of the world because they are so fearful of it. Normal dogs and cats have a basic method of communication with one another, body language communicating simple ideas, such as “I am not a threat”, “this is mine”, “leave me alone”, and so forth. Pets with severe anxiety around other animals are left too damaged to understand this basic communication, which makes them dangerous around other animals, as ignorance of these signals can quickly turn into life-endangering conflict.

Anti-anxiety drugs can be used to calm the animal down to the point where it is receptive to further behavior modification programs. It is a way of opening the lines of communication, so we can begin teaching the animal how to function in the world. Many pets have taken the first step to rehabilitation with a pill. Why not use every tool we have?

Screen Sleuth: I don’t attribute human traits to my dogs. They’re dogs. But I do see pet owners who are crazy about thinking of their pets as other people. Our dogs sleep in the floor, get crated, are not allowed in certain areas of the house, and we work on training them a lot. Since some heart problems I’ve had scaredy-dog does get less walks, and he and I both have cabin fever, but until the roads get good enough he can pull me on a bike we’ll both struggle through

My dog (Finn, aka the Hellhound) has had anxiety difficulties leading to aggression due to his mix of breeds. For a while, he was on human anti-depressants, but they seemed to make his problems worse.

In short, he’s ended up on the anxious end of the spectrum but also has difficulty producing seratonin, the calming chemical. Having finally being diagnosed as having more than just a bad owner, he’s now on a special diet / supplimentary combination. We use a DAP diffuser (at home), spray (for new places) and collar. He takes Zylkene, which is relatively new and usually recommended for firework anxiety. And he’s on Hill’s Science Plan Nature’s Best – the only food I managed to find that definitely has Tryptophan in. Tryptophan is the amino acid / protein precursor to seratonin, btw, which is why it has to be in the food.

As the food is over 20% protein, I also cut it with other foods to ensure he doesn’t get too much. Too much protein can bring on bad tempers – just ask a body-builder! – but as the body can only absorb so much, you also can’t guarantee _which_ proteins get absorbed. I now feed him over two meals with porridge mixed in for breakfast, as the milk is also relatively high in tryptophan, and with pasta, as carbohydrates are filling, for dinner.

But finally, if you really want to go the route of looking into dietary affects, ask a professional’s advice. And for those not interested in how hard work a dog with issues can be, tough!