Panic attack in dogs

Majorities
Etiología
Signs and symptoms
Treatment

Majorities
Most of the dogs they will show a considered fear normal to a noise hard produced by storms (thunders), fireworks, firings of firearms and other types of uproarious noises, this one is a natural answer of the animal that causes an escape reaction to avoid the ?danger?.
In some cases, a dog will respond in form impropia or excessive forehead to this type of stimulus with violent loudness, unlike a normal answer to the fear caused by these situations that the animal of a potential danger, the fóbica reaction or panic attack (panic attack) does not cause in the dog a benefit, but on the contrary a problem and a danger to its security, since protects in that state, the animal flees terrified and can in its uncontrolled escape, to strike itself, to be run over by vehicles, to destroy elements, to hurt themselves (by ej. when transferring iron doors, windows, doors, meshes of wire), disorienting and not to be able to return to its home, to become aggressive towards the people, etc.

Etiología
This conduct of the dog can be influenced by genetic, hormonal factors, or traumatic events. The phobia to the noise is commonest in dogs than they lack a good early socialization and habituación to this type of noises, some races are more sensible to the phobias that others.
Generally, this comportamental pathology is associate to other problems of conduct like the anxiety by separation, fear to strange people or other animals, aggressiveness by fear, etc. With time, the phobias tend to get worse if they are not treated in professional form.
The answer of the tutor (trying to calm and to tranquilize, or the punishment by a conduct that is the result of the phobia) to the actions of the dog, these measures of correction can improve or make worse the picture.

Signs and symptoms
The dogs in a state of panic attack can: to shake, abdominal jadeos, salivation, nauseas or annoyances, to save, to destroy things, to bark excessively, to howl or to show an aggressive conduct.
Most of the dogs that are affected by the phobias caused by noise they respond to strong sounds that they include: shots by firearms, storms, or fireworks. The reaction can be induced by the sound or other factors that precede to he himself. For example, a dog can show to fear when seeing a firearm in a closet, because the animal relates that element (the weapon) to a strong noise that previously has seen shoot; or it can show a conduct to ramble nervous before a storm, because it catches with his delicate senses the changes of atmospheric pressure.

Treatment
The treatment to follow in the panic attack implies to apply the leading stimulus of the fear without the animal gets to feel this one. Difficult no? , and that means east game of words? , it consists of a desensitization and contracondicionamiento where the animal exposes in gradual form to the stimulus trigger of the fear or the phobia, without getting to trigger éste/a likeanswer.
Like all conductual treatment, in many cases the professional in behavior animal, combines the correction of the undesired conduct with the corresponding pharmacology if she were indicated.
The natural medicines like the homeopático treatment and acupuncture, normally, do not produce the results wished in the fóbicos dogs, but it can be an additional alternative to a plan of modification of conduct.
Some dogs deal themselves with ansiolíticos, that cause a smooth sedación shortly after the administration (minutes must be dosed 30-60 before a storm or the artificial games). Other dogs daily need to be medicados, if the storm or the festejos lasts several days.
But the best and effective remedy for a fóbico dog is a program of modification of conduct; to consult with the Veterinary Doctor and, if it is necessary, that it derives to a specialist in behavior animal to it so that evaluates the animal. The specialist will be able to elaborate a plan adapted for each phobia in individual.
The protocols of the treatment involve systematic insensibilización and contracondicionamiento. An example of treatment protocol would be to record the sound of a storm and to reproduce it in a similar atmosphere, can be dark and with lamps that fall in love and extinguish simulating lightning and thunders, while in simultaneous form it is fed the dog with something pleasant to his taste, then will associate the situation with a food of their affability, something similar can be done with other types of roars, the period of training can take to several weeks or months, but the dog will have learned that the noise does not represent a danger.

 

Author: MV Enrique L. Fernandez De Vanna

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