Pets get stressed, too
Posted May 15, 2011 11:23 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
If Fido isn’t himself lately, he may be stressed out!
Dr. Paul McCutcheon says pets are affected by many of the same things a child would be, whether it’s a move to a new house or fighting between family members.
The long-time veterinarian says you’ll usually notice when something is wrong, whether it’s stress or not that’s causing it.
He says pets will exhibit symptoms like a loss of appetite or being physically sick and may have personality changes.
If a trip to the vet comes up empty, McCutcheon tells 660News your best bet is to empathize with your pet and start thinking about possible stressors they’re living with.
“You have to sort out what’s going on in your home. You’re the best diagnostician for stress factors, so it isn’t practical to expect your veterinarian to have all the insights into what’s going on in your household and all the stress factors that could be there. It’s up to you to really figure this out and try to sort out what’s going on with your pet’s life,” says McCutcheon.
McCutcheon has written a book on pet stress called The New Holistic Way for Dogs and Cats.
