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If You Think Your Pet Doesn’t Get Stressed or Feel Stress… Think Again



What happens in the pet’s body during stress: The brain senses that normal body function and quality of life are at risk, some form of fear. Adrenaline races through the body, commanding a series of PHYSICAL CHANGES. The heart immediately beats harder and faster causing blood pressure to rise. Blood is shunted away from the stomach and skin, where it is not needed, to the muscles, where the body feels it is needed. Specific energy sources, especially fatty acids and certain fats, are rushed into the bloodstream for energy. Chemicals are released to make the blood clot more quickly in case of injury. Many of these chemicals contain very precise combinations and amounts of amino acids. Because of supply and demand, eventually the brain runs out of these chemicals which include very precise levels of specific neurotransmitters, ie GABA and serotonin. These neurotransmitters are related to a specific set of functions that the body demands when it perceives and reacts to stressors. When this happens, the original “stress” cycle caused by stressors is started again, creating what is commonly referred to as the domino effect. A specific neurotransmitter depletion affects another, and that depletion affects another, and so on.

As you can imagine, the mechanisms behind a pet’s response to stress, like our own, are physical and powerful, affecting a multitude of health factors. The most important fact to understand about the feline response to stress is that it is much like a human’s in that its optimal function demands healthy neurotransmitter and oxidative balance. Interestingly, as is the case for anxiety disorders in human medicine, anxiety disorders in dogs are among the most common concerns in canine medicine. One study has found that a lower level of serotonin has been associated with aggression in dogs. Noise phobia (fear of sounds) is so common that researchers have even been able to explain the mechanisms behind noise-induced inhibition of stomach function, showing how stress can physically affect animals through the influence of their central nervous system.


GABA is an amino acid that is the main inhibitory transmitter in a mammal’s central nervous system. Serotonin regulates aggression, arousal and thinking ability in humans, and its disruption can affect depression, anxiety and more. Pets may develop fears in response to many different, unique and specific stimuli such as: noises, people, animals, cars, vacuums, or locations. Genetics and natural ability to cope with stressful situations, learn and overcome fearful influences are related to breed, brain chemistry and early learning during the socialization period.


Regardless of whether a threat is real (another animal attacking) or perceived (that loud firework or gunshot), supporting an animal’s ability to respond to environmental stressors appropriately is critical to maintenance of overall health.

Brain health and cognitive functions are a perfect balancing act based on a series of electrochemical reactions. There are several forms of support available to help our pets deal with anxiety and stress and allow an animal to respond to its own chemistry.


Because stress can affect more than just mood (sleep cycles, appetite, breathing patterns, awareness), a medical perspective on its progression may be the perfect way for veterinarians to frame behavior, helping people give their pets the best support possible. Stay tuned for future articles further discussing pets and stress/anxiety. Pay attention this holiday season to the overall health of your pet including their mental state.

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