Anxiety in Dogs - Treatments, Remedies - What Works, Might Work, Dosen’t Work
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| My German Shepherd x Malamute 'Jordie' |
In this article...
- Loving Dog Owners - the Vulnerable Consumer Trained to Trust not to Question…
- A question that I am often asked - ‘Are you familiar with the Thundershirt?
- Understanding Limitations
- Setting Expectations
- Commercially Available Products - Can They, Do They Really Help
- Remedying Root Cause v.s the Band Aid Approach
Dogs acquire chronic anxiety for many reasons and with different outcomes. Anxiety may exhibit as localized to a specific situation or may be exhibited in multiple situations. Here are a few examples -
- Anxiety around other dogs leading to aggressive-reactive behaviour that may result in dogs fighting with each other;
- Grief at the loss of a loved one;
- Obsessive compulsive disorder;
- Separation Anxiety;
- Travel Anxiety;
- Thunderstorm Anxiety, Fireworks or Gunshot anxiety;
- etc.
1.0 Loving Dog Owners - the Vulnerable Consumer
Trained
to Trust not to Question
In the pet-care industry there are so many
products that are promoted as being the ‘solution’. But what if that product is
not the solution? What if the person pushing the product is not truly educated
in the limitations of the product? What if you purchase the product and it does
not meet your expectations?
Products marketed for 'reducing' or 'solving' anxiety include a wide range of applications - for example:
The 'Thundershirt' a garment that apply pressure to your dog's body;
Pheromone and herbal spray collars, and;
Conventional medications such as Reconcile.
Products marketed for 'reducing' or 'solving' anxiety include a wide range of applications - for example:
The 'Thundershirt' a garment that apply pressure to your dog's body;
Pheromone and herbal spray collars, and;
Conventional medications such as Reconcile.
At best you may be disappointed.
At worst, failure
of that product to meet its advertised goal can seriously and adversely impact
on yours’ and your dog’s psychological and
physical well being, and can even cause death.
In the case of a chronic issue such as anxiety,
a strategic and comprehensive approach that addresses immediate symptoms and
root cause creates a recipe for success.
However when a single product is promoted as a ‘proven
solution’ to a complex condition you should be suspicious and you should
question the validity of the claim. This is so even if the product is
recommended by your favourite pet store employee, your trainer/behaviourist or
your veterinarian.
I have seen much damage done to dogs and their people when
trust was assigned without question.
Some products have only negative value -
meaning that due to the nature of the product only an adverse result can be and
will be realized.
Other products may contribute great value when used in the
context that they are really intended for or may be applied to a new situation
with success as part of an overall strategy to address the situation.
Lastly - some products that are designed to and
actually do provide helpful support to ameliorate a temporary condition do not
provide the same quality of result when applied to a chronic condition.
Regardless of a not-so-perfect outcome the manufacturer may decide to aggressively
market the product becasue it is a good business decision when the priority is to make money. If the product finds a niche it can become very popular -
but popular does not necessarily equate with appropriate, good or safe.
Sometimes a product migrates from its intended
use as a means to address an emergency situation, into mainstream use for ‘treating’
a chronic condition. When a product has attributes that can be used in emergency,
temporary and chronic conditions, multi-application is truly justified. When
use is not justified but pushed for the sole gain of the company, the consumer may be
ill served.
2.0 A Question that I am Often Asked...
‘Karen are you Familiar with the Thundershirt?’
When it comes to the topic of anxiety and dogs,
people often ask me ‘Are you familiar with the Thundershirt’.
I cringe every time I see the product for sale
in a pet store with the product packaging promoting it as the, to
quote “proven solution for dog anxiety”.
I cringe when I hear sales people - who know
little to nothing about dog and human behaviour advising customers to purchase the
product to resolve the issue of anxiety. Resolve? Wait a minute, you must mean aid in the resolution of? Surly you don't mean actually resolve? The disturbing thing is that I do know that the person having the conversation thinks that the product can actually resolve the problem.
I cringe when I have people - now desperate and
coming to me as a last ditch effort to save their dog, retell their experience
with using that or another product. How did they and their dog end-up in such a desperate
state? Because product manufacturers, sales people, trainers and behavourists
that don’t understand the cause and effect behind the development of unhealthy
behaviours, nor the real solutions required to right the condition push the
Thundershirt as a remedy.
While the Thundershirt may have some value in some circumstances
to ameliorate some or a single symptom of anxiety it is not the panacea for cure that is
evoked by the product’s labeling as a "proven
solution for dog anxiety”.
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| My Beagle x Fox Hound 'Willow' |
3.0 Understanding Limitations
The Thundershirt works on the theory that by
applying pressure around the majority of the body a feeling of comfort will be
triggered in the being wearing the shirt. An intervention that has been found
to have varying degrees of success when dealing with a human that is in a state
of psychological distress. While this may work for some individuals it has
little to no effect on other individuals.
The Thundershirt was developed for use in
slaughter houses with an end-goal of ‘comforting’ animals (i.e. cattle, horses)
as they did their final walk to the slaughter room floor.
The Thundershirt was designed to treat a symptom in an emergency situation experienced by an
individual animal once in his/her life span.
It is very important to understand that the act
of applying pressure to the body does not alter the root cause of the distress
- which is the fact that the animal is about to be slaughtered. If that animal
were to experience the stressful situation on a daily basis the ravages of
stress on the mind and body would not be completely of even partially eliminated
in all or even in some of the animals.
The application of pressure to the body does
not teach a being how to cope with the situation - the pressure simply triggers
an auto-response by body and brain to relax to one degree or another in some
individuals.
The Thundershirt was not designed for
use as a remedy for a
chronic condition experienced by an individual animal, nor was it designed to foster a permanent resolution of the root cause
of the anxiety.
4.0 Setting
Expectations
Understanding the logical reality of a product
such as the Thundershirt means that you, the consumer and loving pet owner can
set some reasonable expectations around the use of the product.
The company’s marketing
strategy includes the following statements…
- “The Thundershirt is the best solution for dog anxieties caused by thunderstorm, travel separation and more”
- “Proven solution for dog anxiety”, and;
- “Over 80% of dogs show improvement”.
So what do
these claims really mean? I would say that the phrasing and words used in these claims should be scrutinized
for their many permutations. "Over 80% of dogs show improvement" - does that mean
that the issue of anxiety was resolved? I don't think so - in which case the product is not a solution. How do they define 80%? Do they get
feedback from every customer that has ever purchased a Thundershirt? I don’t think
so. Do they define the percentile from recording the results experienced by the dogs in the
companies' ‘Training Center’? Do they define the percentile based on a group of
dogs that they tested the product on during development of the product?
The statement
also does not define what type of improvement was achieved - minor improvement?
Major improvement? What percentage of dogs experienced what type of
improvement?
These claims by the company are, in my opinion a good marketing strategy but a very unfair means of selling the product as the words used can create an expectation in the dog owner that the product may not be capable of delivering.
The claims
all come down to semantics.
How do you define ‘solution’?
Do you define a solution in the
context of a big picture? Meaning that a solution provides a complete remedy
to a condition? Or does ‘solution’ pertain to modifying an element of a
condition? To attain ‘improvement’ in your dog so you just put the shirt on
your dog and walk away, or do you need to sign up for the company’s training
program or work with an affiliated trainer?
The answer to
those questions requires contemplation, thought, comparison on the consumers
part. Quite frankly when you are desperate for a solution you don’t always have
the circumspection to read the fine print or compare and interpret the
manufacturer’s use of a term (i.e. ‘solution’ or a phrase i.e. ‘over 80% of
dogs show improvement’) against your understanding/interpretation of a term or
phrase. You are more likely to buy into the desire to believe in the marketing
and / or ‘advice’ being provided to you.
I have had many client’s that tried the
Thundershirt first – for both separation anxiety, thunder anxiety, travel
anxiety - to no avail which is why they end up coming to me to resolve the
problem. Prior to trying the Thundershirt most of them have been to one or more
trainers and behavourists who attempted to resolve the anxiety and some also
recommended the thundershirt to the owner - which is why they tried to use it. The trainers failed to remedy the anxiety because
they did not understand the dog or the dog’s human companions. The same
trainers and behavourists try other interventions such as pheromone and herbal
spray collars, Bach remedies etc. Obviously if the approach had worked the
people would not have had to seek me out and engage me to truly resolve the
anxiety.
5.0 Commercially Available Products - Can They, Do They Really Help?
5.1 The Thundershirt
I think it would be fair to say that in some cases the Thundershirt is able to and may provide temporary relief of one or more of the symptoms of anxiety and if used consistently overtime the Thundershirt may change a dog’s association with events that lead to anxiety. Note the word some and may.
I think it would be fair to say that in some cases the Thundershirt is able to and may provide temporary relief of one or more of the symptoms of anxiety and if used consistently overtime the Thundershirt may change a dog’s association with events that lead to anxiety. Note the word some and may.
I would say that the Thundershirt - when it
does work may do so in one or two of the following ways, depending n the
circumstances:
One - via applying pressure to the body as discussed
further above and;
Two - via a placebo effect.
It is my belief that the Thundershirt can have
a placebo effect on some humans which
then transfers to the dog. This is what I mean - the thought of using the
Thundershirt calms the human because he/she thinks it will work. One of the
fundaments of repairing anxiety in a dog is the ability to communicate a state
of calm to the dog. By being that thing first you want your dog to be you set
the example and provide the direction. I teach my client’s (the human client’s)
how to achieve calm as in so doing they provide pure, logical direction to
their dog to calm. For the most part dogs do exactly what their human’s communicate
- the problem is that humans have become hasty and ineffectual communicators.
In a mild case of anxiety the Thundershirt may provide some positive impact on reducing
symptoms. How much this product can achieve varies depending on the genetic
and psychological make-up of those involved, dog and human, on the plan of
treatment and on the knowledge and skill of the person - if any that teaches
the dog’s owner how to implement a plan of treatment. Is the product going to
be used alone or as part of a larger strategy?
5.2 Specialty Spray and Scent Collars, Bach flower essences, Rescue Remedies, etc.
Once again, I think it would be fair to say that in some cases these products may have some positive effect on mitigating some symptoms of anxiety in some dogs BUT these products will not normally cure the anxiety.
Once, again - how much these products can achieve varies depending on the genetic and psychological make-up of those involved, dog and human, on the plan of treatment and on the knowledge and skill of the person - if any that teaches the dog’s owner how to implement a plan of treatment. Is the product going to be used alone or as part of a larger strategy?
5.3 Veterinarian Prescribed Conventional Medications
These pharmaceutical products cause me the greatest concern of all. While products such as the Thundershirt and specialty collars may simple not create a looked for result that may lead to added frustration on the owners part - pharmaceuticals can do immediate and long-term damage to the health of a dog. Products such as Reconcile - (Prozac renamed for use by conventional veterinarians) can and do cause mild to serious to lethal harm. And when used long-term are known to cause an enlarged heart, seizures and an early death. You can read about Reconcile here. This is not a product that I ever recommend and if I am going to work with a client whose dog is on a conventional medication, I ask them to take the dog off of the medication prior to a session.
There are many natural nutraceuticals and herbs that can be used on a temporary and permanent basis along with a properly designed diet which will BETTER support the reduction of anxiety than any conventional medication. These natural items can also do double duty by supporting over-all health and the immune system. These natural items will NOT have the serious adverse consequences that conventional medication impose on the dog.
There are many listed and unlisted ingredients in most pet foods that can - on their own, create anxiety in a dog. Another reason why I approach all matters in a comprehensive, holistic manner rather than relying on stop-gap measures that were never designed to use on a long-term basis and will not result in actual remedy.
In an emergency situation and when used for a very short time when access to alternative knowledge is not available, the use of conventional medication may in some cases have some value, however the side effects of the medication may far out-way benefit.
It is interesting to note that Reconcile - in addition to exposing the dog to adverse and serious side effects also has side effects that create the same symptoms that the medication is supposed to 'treat' - anxiety.
Once again, I think it would be fair to say that in some cases conventional medications may have some positive effect on mitigating some symptoms of anxiety in some dogs BUT these products will not cure the anxiety and the side effects of using the medication may have far worse consequences than the actual issue the medication is supposed to 'treat'.
5.2 Specialty Spray and Scent Collars, Bach flower essences, Rescue Remedies, etc.
Once again, I think it would be fair to say that in some cases these products may have some positive effect on mitigating some symptoms of anxiety in some dogs BUT these products will not normally cure the anxiety.
Once, again - how much these products can achieve varies depending on the genetic and psychological make-up of those involved, dog and human, on the plan of treatment and on the knowledge and skill of the person - if any that teaches the dog’s owner how to implement a plan of treatment. Is the product going to be used alone or as part of a larger strategy?
5.3 Veterinarian Prescribed Conventional Medications
These pharmaceutical products cause me the greatest concern of all. While products such as the Thundershirt and specialty collars may simple not create a looked for result that may lead to added frustration on the owners part - pharmaceuticals can do immediate and long-term damage to the health of a dog. Products such as Reconcile - (Prozac renamed for use by conventional veterinarians) can and do cause mild to serious to lethal harm. And when used long-term are known to cause an enlarged heart, seizures and an early death. You can read about Reconcile here. This is not a product that I ever recommend and if I am going to work with a client whose dog is on a conventional medication, I ask them to take the dog off of the medication prior to a session.
There are many natural nutraceuticals and herbs that can be used on a temporary and permanent basis along with a properly designed diet which will BETTER support the reduction of anxiety than any conventional medication. These natural items can also do double duty by supporting over-all health and the immune system. These natural items will NOT have the serious adverse consequences that conventional medication impose on the dog.
There are many listed and unlisted ingredients in most pet foods that can - on their own, create anxiety in a dog. Another reason why I approach all matters in a comprehensive, holistic manner rather than relying on stop-gap measures that were never designed to use on a long-term basis and will not result in actual remedy.
In an emergency situation and when used for a very short time when access to alternative knowledge is not available, the use of conventional medication may in some cases have some value, however the side effects of the medication may far out-way benefit.
It is interesting to note that Reconcile - in addition to exposing the dog to adverse and serious side effects also has side effects that create the same symptoms that the medication is supposed to 'treat' - anxiety.
Once again, I think it would be fair to say that in some cases conventional medications may have some positive effect on mitigating some symptoms of anxiety in some dogs BUT these products will not cure the anxiety and the side effects of using the medication may have far worse consequences than the actual issue the medication is supposed to 'treat'.
6.0 Remedying Root Cause v.s the
Band Aid Approach
In my
opinion based on years of working with dogs and people - the real remedy to
anxiety is comprised of multiple elements - you can read about those many
facets here
and how they interconnect and when accomplished properly result in a remedy for
anxiety.
While there are commonalities amongst most
cases of anxiety, including separation anxiety, there are also unique variables
that exist in any single given case. These unique variables are a direct
reflection of the reality that each person and each dog is a unique individual.
When one or all of these key contributors is not understood and/or not
addressed the root cause is not resolved. The issue remains.
Although I work with dogs and their humans who
are experiencing truly extreme anxiety - the dog is chewing his/her way through
metal crates, drywall, doors, electrical wire and sustaining severe physical
damage (and yes I do mean both dog is anxious and dog’s human is anxious). I
have never had a need to use products such as the Thundershirt, special spray
collars etc. I am fortunate in that I have (and have the knowledge,
understanding and skills to perceive root causes and effect solutions by
working with the actual psychology and physiology of a dog and his/her human.
This allows me to perceive what triggers behaviour (good and bad, human and
canine), identify and apply methods that resolve the issue, which I then teach
to the dog’s person.
My methods are based on leveraging a holistic
strategy that addresses root cause and contributing factors including diet.
These are all part of a kit of tools that can and should be used to create a successful
resolution. The other tools I use and which I teach my client’s to use are tools
that we all have within ourselves - which just happen to be the same tools that
a dog has to use. These tools are also very portable as both the dog and the
human carry the tools with them wherever they maybe. No fear of forgetting one
of the tools behind. No need for treats, clickers, special shirts etc.
Some of
the tools I use and teach my client’s to employ are -
- The ability to perceive, understand and communicate using multiple senses - for this is how dogs communicate and should the dog’s person not learn in part to do the same the person will always be at a great disadvantage when seeking to provide support for their dog;
- The development and deployment of self awareness, self discipline, patience, persistence, determination to lead by logical and true example;
- The ability to read a dog’s face and body language,
- The ability to learn from your dog.
These
skills provide a remedy to canine anxiety and human anxiety they also create positive
growth in the human and the dog. By making sure diet is also addressed a
complete solution is provided.
I think
it is safe to conclude that a Thundershirt or any other single product is no
match for a real solution.
I think
it is safe to conclude that no single product used in isolation of a larger
strategy can be expected to remedy anxiety - the product may instead, simply
help to create a band aid ‘solution’. And this may be better than no
intervention.
Consumer
beware and adjust your expectations to suit. If you are successful to any
degree in your use of a product you will feel good about it rather than
stressed. If you feel stressed your dog will too.
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Affiliations to Companies
✓ None.
✓ I don't sell food or supplements.
✓ I'm not aligned with any companies.
✓ None.
✓ I don't sell food or supplements.
✓ I'm not aligned with any companies.
Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld
