Generalised anxiety disorder in dogs causes pervasive welfare impairment and requires multimodal management combining medication and behaviour modification.
Dogs with generalised anxiety experience pervasive chronic fear that profoundly impairs quality of life. Unlike situation-specific phobias, generalised anxiety creates a constant welfare burden rather than episodic acute distress. The condition is often masked by owner normalisation of what appears to be a highly vigilant or reactive personality. Recognition requires understanding that chronic anxiety represents welfare impairment regardless of whether clinical signs appear dramatic. Multimodal management combining SSRIs, anxiolytics, behaviour modification, and environmental management produces better welfare outcomes than single-modality approaches. Early intervention prevents the sensitisation that makes anxiety increasingly refractory to treatment.