Recognizing Signs of Distress in Rescued
and Lost Pets
While the experience of rescuing or finding a lost pet can be very fulfilling, it has its challenges. Pets that have been separated from their previous homes and caretakers go through trauma and can display signs of discomfort. Identifying these signs is important as it helps caregivers take appropriate measures to improve animal welfare.
PET DISCOMFORT INDICATORS
Behavior
Freezing or Hiding
Tucked tails or ears, crouched body, and a shift to lower body stance are some common signs of anxiety. In dogs and cats, routinely retreating to corners under furniture or behind people can stem from fear to those around them and can stem from coming into contact with new surrounding and people.
Defensive Posture
In both cats and dogs, showing fangs, wearing an aggression mask, and hackles standing up can stem from feeling attacked. Being Menacing has its own set of reasons.
Increased Pulses
Increased beating of the heart can be caused by trauma, fright, stress and plethora of other emotions and feelings. In veterinary medicine, it is gauged by use of calm sticks within a frame.
Sounding Off
In doggos and meowers, abrupt withdrawal, increase in pitch while barking or meowing, change in pace of whining, increase in sound intensity and show of emotions to get attention are common signs of discomfort.
Cat Sounds: The following noises may hint that a pet feels trapped or vulnerable and defensive, particularly if it exhibits behaviors that suggest otherwise.
Pet's Body Language
Change in Pet's Food and Drinking Habits
Appetite Loss: A refusal to consume food can be an indicator of stress or anxiety along with other possible conditions.
Increased Thirst
On the other hand, some stressed pets tend to over hydrate, which is a sign of anxiety or several other health issues.
Barking or Wailing
An unusual pet reaction caused by feeling extremely mad can hint deeper concerns such as illness, anger or injury.
Vocalizing
Uncommon sounds, barks and meows are indications of stress. Animals are known to use this to show stress stemming from unfamiliar experiences or territory.
Destructive Actions or Tasks
Scratching or Chewing
This compulsive action revolving around scratching various elements can hint towards a coping method for stress.
Elimination Problems
This may result from inappropriate elimination (urinating or defecating outside of locations designated for these acts) which tend to occur more often with newly rescued pets who adapt to there surroundings.
Barking or Wailing
An unusual pet reaction caused by feeling extremely mad can hint deeper concerns such as illness, anger or injury.
Vocalizing
Uncommon sounds, barks and meows are indications of stress. Animals are known to use this to show stress stemming from unfamiliar experiences or territory.
Detaching from Social Contact
Refusing to Interact
Pets that retreat or sidestep interactions exhibit signs on dealing with discomfort or fear.
Grooming and Over-Grooming
In Cats
Considered a sign of anxiety, excessive grooming or licking a cat’s body may give rise to spotting bald patches or skin fraying.
Biting or Chewing of Paw Pads
Acknowledging licking or chewing of paw pads as signaling distress is warranted too, especially when it is uncharacteristic for the cat.
Provide a place that is serene in the house where the dog can hide without distractions such as noise, equipped with their bed, water and, toys.
A marked routine is important and so is standing to it. Animals appreciate routine and thus, timing in relation to meals, walks, and playtime should be set on a timetable. Routine reduces the chances of elevating anxiety.
A vet or animal psychologist should be the first stop when an animal exhibits heightened distress. Additional guidance from such personnel will suffice.
Encouraging good behavior with praise helps in building confidence, fur parents calling themselves, would therefore solve children’s book calls. Do note that scolding children or even reprimanding leads to fear that escalates anxiety hence should be avoided.
Head, cheek, paw pad, and tail glands of cats emit odorless signals known as pheromones that serve as liaisons and utensils to mark and to communicate vital judgment as safe and familiar. Essential to the explanation as to why your feline friend enjoys head butting you is their effort of expressing why they think about you being enough to declare them safe.
Pheromone diffusers and sprays serve to calm feline nerves by imitating “cat-appeasing” pheromones. As a result, they may reduce socially induced stress irregularities such as excessive vocalization, scratching, hiding, or fighting among fellow cats. They are frequently employed in veterinary offices or shelters to alleviate anxiety in cats. Though synthetic pheromones will not prove effective on every cat, many cat owners report using them enables their pets to modify some behavioral patterns when left unsupervised.
For dog owners, perhaps the most noticeable physiological effect of pheromones would be their use in alleviating stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety of dogs may be triggered by numerous factors that include loud sounds, alterations in a routine, and even separation from their human friends.
In the same manner, dogs can release calming appeasing hormones that help ease the stress of other dogs. Dog appeasing pheromone was developed as an artificial replacement which can be used to decrease anxiety and stress for dogs in troubling situations.
Calming pheromones for dogs are formulated to replicate the Dog Appeasing Pheromones (DAP). DAP is released by mothers who are nursing to assist the pups in feeling safe and secure. The pheromone products synthetically produced; when dispensed in the environment, these pheromones help dogs remember their mother’s soothing presence which reduces anxiety and creates comfort.
Pheromones may be employed whenever a dog is displaying signs of stress or anxiety. They will also be useful when getting a new pet, and moving, traveling, or during a vet visit. They also help dogs who get stressed during fireworks or thunderstorms and for those with separation anxiety issues.
Identifying the signs that your pet, whether rescued or lost, is displaying discomfort is the first and most important step to aiding them in adjusting to their new life. By being observant, providing them with a positive environment, and seeking professional help when needed, they can adjust to new life smoothly which will allow them to form a trusting, loving relationship. Remember, with time and adequate care, numerous pets can recover from previous traumas and flourish as cherished members of the family