Anxiety disorders in dogs and cats are among the most common behavioral welfare problems and respond well to evidence-based treatment combining environmental modification, behavioral therapy, and when necessary medication.
Anxiety disorders cause sustained, daily suffering in affected companion animals that is often not recognized as a medical condition requiring treatment. An anxious dog that destroys furniture when left alone is not being destructive out of spite — it is in a state of panic. A cat that over-grooms to the point of skin lesions is expressing chronic unresolved anxiety. The stigma of behavioral problems — treated as character flaws rather than medical conditions — delays appropriate treatment and prolongs suffering. Evidence-based treatment combining medication where appropriate, environmental modification, and structured behavioral therapy resolves or substantially reduces anxiety in most cases. Without treatment, anxiety disorders are progressive and worsen over time.