What is a Pet Psychiatrist & Does my Dog Need to See One?
Lucy Van Pelt was decades ahead of the times at a Child Psychiatrist, and very affordable at a nickel a session for psychiatric help in the 1960’s and 70’s. Sure, she specialized in helping the human Peanuts Gang with stellar advice like “Snap out of it”, “Go home and eat a jelly-bread sandwich”, and “You’ve got to stop all this silly worrying” (but when she was questioned on how one stops worrying, she replied “That’s YOUR worry!”), but Woodstock and Snoopy were on their own for mental health advice. However… Snoopy did show up at Lucy’s Psychiatric Stand in 1974. Not surprisingly he left a nickle lighter in his pocket and no more in tune with his problems than when he arrived. One could say that Lucy is the worlds most famous Pet Psychiatrist, even if she was not very good at the job.
Why Would a Pet Have Need for a Psychiatrist?
This might surprise you, but about 10% of all dogs in the world suffer from mental disorders (that’s about the same percentage of the human population, as well). To take that a step deeper, almost 50% of all canines will have a bout of mental illness at least once in their lives. Mental illness in pets can often take on the same characteristics as their human owners.
Dogs can have “Separation Anxiety Disorder” which is crippling to the animal when their “person” or “people” leave without them. 14% of all dogs are diagnosed with Separation Anxiety. Dogs have no sense of time, at least not like fur parents do, so when their people leave, they worry about abandonment and never seeing their family again. This mental and behavioral disorder needs treatment, as the continued emotional distress the dog undergoes can impact their health… not to mention the impact on the family (and neighbors who hear the pets terror in real time). A dog with Separation Anxiety has fear, often terror, when they are alone. They act out in the moment, often beyond their control, with behavior like using all of indoors as a bathroom, destroying everything they see, targeting their owners possessions as chew toys, and non-stop barking at windows/doors.
Dogs can also feel anxious or depressed (if something changes in their environment that is life altering in their eyes), and they can also have phobias. These are designated as mental illness, not a disorder.
Pet Psychiatrists also deal with sudden or chronic behavioral issues. Often the issue is more than just one pet being a giant jerk, the problem lies in repeated bad or unwanted behavior that could be tied to “status” in the pack, a negative encounter with another animal or human, or the animal might be projecting how their owners feel or act towards them. (in other words, YOU could be creating the problem because of how you see the pet and the dogs behavior is just a symptom)
Another possible reason that a pet could have psychiatric problems is that the issue is genetic. Certain behaviors are breed specific and passed from generation to generation. The dog knows no other way because its “built in” to their DNA. Think about guard dogs, herding dogs, chihuahuas, or greyhounds. If you decide to open your home to a new family member in these breeds, chances are higher they will default to genetics and have a certain actions or behaviors that they will eventually show.
So, don’t be a victim of “buyer remorse” about your breed selection. Its easy to fall in love with the look or feel of a dog… but if you make a snap decision without really knowing about the breed, you could be setting yourself (and the canine) up for disappointment.
What Would Cause my Dog to be Stressed and Anxious?
As we’ve discussed, stress and anxiety maybe be fear, separation, genetics, or even age related.
Fear anxiety is more common and universal to a large numbers of dogs. They can be afraid of strangers, other animals, new environments, car rides, even the way different surfaces feel on the pads of their feet. With some dogs, trauma can be triggered by loud noises or an item that frightened them (think about items like an umbrella, or a golf club, a certain type of hat, or wheels near them).
Age related anxieties appear as the animals becomes a senior. Much like their people, a dog can show signs of memory/learning/perception/recognition/awareness that grows more and more obvious as they age. This change, the inability to do things they had done before (like climbing stairs, jumping, eating certain foods) can cause stress… it just doesn’t make sense to them what is happening and why. Senior dogs might also have cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), which mirrors some symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease in humans. This advances the sense of confusion and anxiety a senior dog might feel.
We discussed Separation Anxiety and genetic/breed behaviors in great detail in earlier paragraphs.
What Might Happen at a Pet Psychiatrist Appointment?
Be comfortable with the fact that you (the owner) will not have to lay on a couch and talk about your mother… and neither will your dog. Its a different ballgame since the animal can’t talk and express why they are acting a certain way. The psychiatrist will probably was to spend some time with the dog, alone, to see how they behave without the parents in the room. You’ll also be observed interacting with your dog. Nobody is judging, blaming, or grading you… its simply a chance for the expert to observe the bond, the back and forth between pet and parent, and see any issues that might occur in real time. These two parts of the session will be the minority of the time spent in therapy. The majority will be with the owner(s), away from the animal. Since the pet can’t speak to the issues, problems, or their mental state, the psychiatrist will interview YOU to see what they can glean. Since most pet parents wait to involve a professional until well after they have passed the threshold of “I can’t stand this happening any longer and I don’t know how to fix it”, the psychiatrist will try to wade through frustration to find the root causes. They often find that the pet is has taken on the characteristics that the owner has projected on them. If they are in trouble all of the time, the dog will eventually start to believe and embrace that they are a “Bad Dog”. Dogs live to please their people, to be loved, to feel that bond of “dog and master”, so it is only logical that they get attention in anyway they can… good or bad. The dog will start to act exactly as their owners see them, they don’t know any other way to foster a bond or communicate. Think of this sessions as just a part of Family Therapy. Anyone that has been to a therapy session with their human kids knows that there is almost always time set aside to talk to the adults alone. This is not only to talk about the child’s behavior, gains and losses. It’s also time for the psychiatrist to get a sense of the parents and hear the issues from that point of view.
If you go into the session with the same goal as the psychiatrist (which is to figure out what is causing the dog to behave in this way, then work towards changes that will modify the behavior) then all of this observation and discussion makes sense. It’s paramount that everyone is honest, truthful, and clear in what is happening, when it started, and anything that might be part of the cause of the issue.
For a more formal list of the job duties of a Pet Psychiatrist, Indeed.com listed the job duties as follows;
Possible Solutions or Treatments for Behavioral Issues
Pet Psychiatry is becoming more and more popular and the positive benefit are recognized as the reason for better mental and behavioral health in dogs. Its an advancing field and new treatments are tested and added regularly. Depending on what is discovered as the driving factor of the issues the dog is encountering, the psychiatrist might suggest any of the following treatments
– Change or eliminate certain environment items that are creating stress, anxiety, or bad behavior. This could mean that you have to move, hide, change, or even give up something to help the dog cope with their behavioral issues or anxiety. If you even hesitate to make that change… consider the fact that, if the situation was reversed, your dog would do it in a heartbeat to make your life better or easier
– If the anxiety is manic or major, they might prescribe medication or natural therapy or treatment to overcome these moments. CBD oil has become more and more popular as an oral treatment for anxiety. This is not certified or regulated treatment options and different products and strengths are available. If suggested to you as the “right fit” solution for your dog, see your trusted wellness veterinarian for suggestions and help.
– You might be instructed to enroll your pet in training or “counter conditioning” sessions that help the animal learn good behavior and eliminate the bad.
Change is change, and change is hard. But if you manage the change, if you deem the change as necessary part of the road to recovery for a beloved FAMILY member, then everyone will come out of the change better.
Possible Solutions or Treatments for Behavioral Issues
If the issues are genetic or a medical condition, you might never see it coming until it’s already a problem. However, dog anxiety is preventable if you start early and keep the routines in place. Here are some tips for prevention from AKC.com;
If the problem is diagnosed as “Transference from Owner to Dog”… or in layman’s terms, the dog is simply acting like they think you want them too because of how you react or speak to them… be prepared to change your approach. Lose the scolding (it never should have been a part of their life to start with), lower your voice (do you enjoy being yelled at by your parents?), show love above all else, and teach positive lessons. NO NEGATIVITY! Knowing your dog better than you know yourself (or they know you) will allow you to be nimble, agile, spot potential issues, overcome anxiety or behavior problems, and get your dogs mental state fine tuned.
Everyone has bad days, poor mental moments, makes horrible choices, and lashes out. If that happens, you must immediately recover, engage, and fix the issues. You have moments to undo the damage before it becomes a training exercise. Swallow your mood, hitch up your big boy pants, and FIX IT. The dog wants only to please you… show them how and be the bigger animals in the relationship.
Indeed.com estimates that the nation is currently about 10% understaffed with Pet Psychiatrists, and that number will grow to nearly 35% in the near future. If you’re looking for a change in careers, we can tell you that this job doesn’t pay huge salaries but the job is rewarding and the clients are cute. Check out this link if you have questions or interest; What Is a Pet Psychiatrist? (Definition and Job Duties) | Indeed.com
That’s all for this week’s Dog Blog. We hope you found the information interesting, useful, and maybe you learned a thing or three… we know we did.
Summer is in full swing, be sure you treat your pets with flea/tick medication for all the summer months (year round in certain portions of the country). Fleas are the gift that KEEP ON BITING if you get them in your home and ticks can make your pets sick (and they are gross). Treatment is like insurance… you can pay NOW or LATER, and later is a whole lot more messy and costly. Plus your pets won’t be miserable because due to scratching and biting themselves.
We’ll be back again next week with another topical topic about the world of pets. If you like what you see, let us know in the comments of the blog on on our social media sites. Your input is great and lets us know somebody enjoys our efforts. So, until you drop in again next time… Keep cool on these hot days, share an occasional bite of your Lays, don’t miss the times your pet plays, treat your fur kids in the most special ways, and always be Pet Friendly… #FreddieSez!
Blog Research Sources
Leave A Comment