Medication for anxiety in companion animals can significantly improve welfare when used appropriately as part of a comprehensive behavioural management plan.
Anxiety medication in companion animals is underused rather than overused, with many animals suffering chronic anxiety while owners resist pharmacological support due to stigma or concerns about dependence. For animals with significant anxiety disorders — separation anxiety, generalised anxiety, fear-based aggression — medication creates the neurological conditions under which behavioural modification can work. Without reducing the baseline anxiety level, behaviour modification is significantly less effective. Properly prescribed medication under veterinary supervision, combined with appropriate behaviour modification, is a welfare-positive intervention that reduces suffering in a population of animals where chronic anxiety is widespread but undertreated.