Many people don’t know, but our beloved furry friends can become stressed as well. So, if you have noticed any behavior changes in your dog lately, it may be because of stress.

Just like humans, dogs can suffer from stress and anxiety and it can lead to severe health problems if left untreated. So, it’s important to find out their stressors and help your dog recover as soon as possible. 

Sadly, even if you know your best friend better than anyone else, the signs of canine stress and anxiety are often subtle, so you have to do a little research to better understand their behavior – and this article will help you in this sense. 

“Dogs become accustomed to a routine and changes increase stress — even if the change is for the better,” says Dr. Julie Brinker, a shelter medicine veterinarian at the Humane Society of Missouri. “However, if the change is an improvement in the dog’s situation, the body’s stress response will return to its normal status much sooner.”

So, here are some signs your dog is stressed and how it affects their health. Read on for more info!

Loss of appetite and weight loss

Just like people, stressed dogs can experience loss of appetite and it can lead to weight loss in the long run. It can be dangerous for animals that are already skinny, young, or suffer from any other diseases. 

“This is dangerous for all dogs, but even more so for those that started out medically compromised. For example, dogs that are underweight, young, experiencing other medical problems, or eating a poorly balanced diet,” Brinker said.

Moreover, in some cases, dogs may begin to chew or eat various objects that shouldn’t be swallowed and that may be harmful to their health. So try to pay attention to their behavior throughout the day and call your vet if you notice some changes. “This can include obsessively chewing toys, doors, and window sills, or licking themselves, even to the point of injury,” Brinker says.

Weakened Immune System

A stressed body releases cortisol – which is also known as the stress hormone – and this hormone helps your dog’s body cope with a stressful episode. But when the stress persists and becomes a chronic disease, the stress hormone can lead to a weak immune system. A weakened immune system can’t fight off an infection, and in some cases, it can lead to death. So, that’s why it’s so important to find your dog’s stressors and treat them properly – your vet will help you in this sense. 

“With stress and, ultimately, immune suppression, dogs are unable to fight off infection or disease. So it’s important to minimize dogs’ stress levels; otherwise, over time, a mild problem can potentially become a major problem,” said Emmy Award-winning veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Werber.

For instance, another disease that is caused by a weakened immune system is demodectic mange, which is a skin disease caused by mites. “Demodectic mites live on the skin of almost every dog without causing harm,” Werber says. “However, when the body becomes stressed, the mites multiply in certain parts of the skin, causing an obvious infection.”

Diarrhea

Dogs may experience diarrhea in a stressful situation, but it isn’t accompanied by other similar symptoms, such as fever or vomiting. The explanation is that a stressed body releases adrenaline, which is a hormone that helps them cope with stress and survive a spontaneous threat, but this hormone increases heart rate and blood pressure which can lead to diarrhea.  

“Adrenaline causes a decrease in blood flow to the intestines and stomach, which can result in diarrhea in many dogs,” Brinker says.

Obvious behavioral issues 

If you notice some behavioral problems in your dog, it means that they are stressed and try to defend themselves from what makes them anxious. 

“Most dogs will try to run away from something that scares them, but if they aren’t able to escape, or if they have learned that aggression can get them out of a situation, they may behave aggressively instead,” said Brinker. “Freezing happens where a dog spends a few extra moments deciding whether they want to fight or flee.”

In addition, one of the most common reactions of stressed dogs is fidgeting. “Fidgeting is a way for dogs to work off their excess energy without running away or attacking something,” Brinker says. “They may pace, pant, shake their body, lick or scratch themselves, yawn, dig, or do another behavior that doesn’t quite make sense in a particular situation.”

They experience a slow healing process

If your beloved furry friend already suffers from another disease, stress can slow the healing process because of cortisol. Cortisol – the hormone of stress – not only affects their immune system but also slows down the healing process. In this case, animal experts avoid using corticosteroids – meds that have the same effects as cortisol in the body. 

“Cortisol has an anti-healing effect,” Werber said. “That’s why we try not to use corticosteroids because they slow down the healing process; cortisol affects our ability to fight disease.”

So, try to find their stressors and call your vet for more information, help and treatment, especially if your pet is already sick. Try to pay attention to their behavior and tell your vet what you discovered.

Inappropriate urination

Unfortunately, dogs with chronic stress experience inappropriate urination, because stress hormones relax the bladder sphincters and urination will occur. 

“Defecation and anal gland expression may also occur,” Brinker said. “In the wild, urination, defecation, and anal gland expression are all defensive mechanisms that (hopefully) might make a predator back away and give a stressed animal the opportunity to escape a scary situation.”

However, if your dog experiences inappropriate urination, you should see your vet as soon as possible, because these problems can be caused by other diseases, not just stress.

Gastrointestinal upset

Dogs that travel a lot, participate in various competitions, meet other pets and stay in an unfamiliar environment are more likely to develop stress that can lead to gastrointestinal upset. Hence, one of the most important things is to recognize these signs early. 

“Since 70 percent of a dog’s immune system is associated with the gut, an upset digestive tract can result in reduced immunity,” says Purina Research Scientist Melinda Fleming, DVM. “When digestive tract inflammation and reduced immunity occur, an imbalance of the intestinal microflora can occur, resulting in digestive upset.”