Anxiety and fear are among the most common welfare problems in companion animals, causing chronic suffering that is often misunderstood or inadequately treated by owners and veterinarians.
Anxiety and fear represent significant chronic welfare problems that are frequently undertreated because they are invisible or normalized. A dog cowering during fireworks, a cat hiding all day, or an animal whose welfare is impaired by constant fear is suffering in ways that observers may not recognize as a welfare problem. Treatment for anxiety disorders requires behavioral modification, environmental management, and sometimes pharmacological support - approaches that require veterinary engagement and owner commitment. Fear-free veterinary practice reduces the iatrogenic anxiety caused by veterinary visits, improving both animal welfare and health outcomes by enabling more complete examinations and reducing owner avoidance of veterinary care.