Senior dogs and anxiety

We all know that anxiety can contribute or even cause behaviour changes in our dogs. Causes of anxiety are often specific to the individual dog but it is worth remembering that when humans have a major change in lifestyle we often experience a considerable level of stress and anxiety. Remember the upheaval of moving home, getting married, changing jobs etc. Dogs can experience the same, especially seniors who often prefer routine. Many younger dogs may be able to deal with changes to their routine, but older dogs often struggle. Anxiety can also be influenced by environmental changes.

Anxiety can have a psychological as well as a physical impact on dogs. Senior dogs may be experiencing changes related to cognitive dysfunction. The acronym DISHA is often used to classify different types of behaviours that may be related to cognitive dysfunction.

DISHA stands for:

• Disorientation – getting lost in familiar areas, not recognising familiar people, going to the wrong side of the door

• Interactions – social interactions change between the dog and caregiver or dog and other pets Some dogs may become more clingy or overly dependent on their caregiver

• Sleep-wake cycle changes – a dog may sleep more during the day, wake at nights, or have irregular sleep-wake cycles

• House soiling – accidents in the house or eliminating in unusual places outdoors, no longer asking to go out to eliminate

• Activity levels –there may be a decrease in activity levels or a decreased interest in play. Equally, some dogs may become restless, unable to settle and wander aimlessly or even develop repetitive behaviours such as self-licking and grooming

In addition to these categories, there are two other areas to consider:

Anxiety (a new fear of people, places, or specific situations; new inappropriate or excessive vocalisation, etc.)

Learning difficulties/memory loss (being slow or unable to learn new tasks or tricks; unable to perform previously learned tasks or tricks, etc.)

If you observe any of the behaviour changes described above, it is important to discuss these with your vet.