Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent and under-treated welfare problems in companion animals, causing chronic suffering that owners often misread as disobedience or personality.
Anxiety disorders in companion animals represent a major and underappreciated welfare burden because they cause chronic suffering that is often misread by owners as behavioural problems to be punished rather than medical conditions to be treated. A dog that destroys furniture when left alone is suffering from separation anxiety - punishment worsens the anxiety and the welfare harm simultaneously. Effective treatment through behaviour modification, environmental management, and veterinary medication when appropriate can dramatically improve quality of life. Access to qualified veterinary behaviourists is limited and expensive, creating a welfare inequality that parallels the veterinary access inequality discussed elsewhere. Investing in behavioural welfare infrastructure - more trained behaviourists, better owner education - would reduce this chronic suffering at scale.