Caring for the emotional well-being of animals

The emotional health of a pet can affect the quality of life for the patient and the caregiver. While some actions, such as tail wagging, are expressions of happiness, emotions like fear, stress, depression, and anxiety can manifest in a patient’s behavior with distressed responses or signs of discomfort.¹

Like in humans, emotions also affect a pet’s physical health. Poor mental health can take a physical toll on a pet. Anxiety can compromise the immune system, leading to a higher risk of illnesses and infections, while chronic stress has been linked to obesity, cardiac disease, and gastrointestinal conditions.²

Photo: prystai/Adobe Stock

Emotional stressors

Separation anxiety

Commonly seen by small animal practitioners, separation anxiety can occur when pet owners are away from their animals, leading to distress. Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC (IAACB), owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, noted in a continuing education session at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, that recording video of the patient at home is critical for identifying separation anxiety because the client and veterinary team can observe latency between an owner’s departure and the pet’s behaviors, which may include vocalizations.³

Fear and phobias

A range of emotional responses can be triggered by fear and phobias. According to Pachel, there is “normal, appropriate” fear and responses that can intensify up to “significantly dangerous” to the individual and others in the vicinity.⁴

The perception of fear for the patient has an identifiable trigger that causes distress and often results in a survival mode response. This response may reflect the patient’s past experiences.²

A phobia is nonadaptive and may prompt persistent or excessive fear. Severity of the response may be out of context to the intensity of the stimulus, according to Pachel. Triggers can be discernible objects or situations such as thunderstorms, fireworks, or other sudden and loud noises.²

Depression

Life changes such as a loss of an owner, divorce in the family, moving to a new house, and children growing up and leaving home, as well as chronic pain, can lead to depression in dogs.^5,6 A loss of appetite, lethargy, and a lack of joy in activities can be signs.⁴

Identifying emotional wellness

Veterinary teams, animal behaviorists, and clients can all help promote emotional well-being in patients and pets. Educating clients about observed body language and how it correlates to distress triggers can increase empathy and attentiveness. This helps increase knowledge about a pet’s motivations for behavioral responses as well as what comforts them.⁷

According to Christine D. Calder, DVM, DACVB, LSHC-S, a veterinary behaviorist serving the New England region with Calder Veterinary Behavior Services, defining behaviors with nonobjective labels such as aggressive, feisty, spicy, angry, and spiteful should be avoided. Objective terminology should be used instead to help identify the emotional state, such as describing body language cues.⁷

These descriptions may include ear position, pupil size, tail position, body positioning, and other body language cues.¹ For example, fear, phobias, and anxiety often lead to active or passive coping strategies.⁴

According to Pachel, active responders are animals that are likely to move and try to escape the situation.⁴ “They’re pacing. They’re exit seeking. They’re panicking, but that’s manifesting as movement and more active strategies,” he said.

Other animals respond more passively. “They essentially freeze, hunker down, and respond more with immobility,” Pachel said.

Medical conditions can also be a contributing factor to perceived emotional distress, according to Pachel. In another lecture presented at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 conference, he noted that once a medical condition is ruled out, an appropriate treatment plan can be created.⁴

Managing emotions

A variety of intervention strategies can help manage and improve a patient’s emotions. These include nutrition, exercise, socialization, a safe environment, and comfort.^2,4

Nutrition

The food consumed by a companion animal affects their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, much like how food affects humans. A nutritious and balanced diet affects how a pet feels every day.

Exercise

An enriching environment, such as the use of interactive toys, provides mental and physical stimulation. Outdoor spaces also allow for activities like running, jumping, and general play that help prevent boredom and reduce stress.¹ New spaces also provide access to exploration opportunities, which can be stimulating and help prevent fear.

According to Temple Grandin, PhD, MS, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, regularly and intentionally introducing a pet to unfamiliar individuals and places can train the animal not to fear the unknown by having them grow accustomed to new things.⁸

Socialization

Pets are exposed to a variety of senses and experiences through socialization. Regular exposure to different sounds, smells, and sights can facilitate confidence, resilience, and emotional stability.⁹

Dog parks, playdates, and training classes allow engagement with other humans and animals, which can help their communication skills and the development of appropriate interactions. Spending time and engaging in activities with a pet also helps strengthen the human-animal bond.⁹

Environmental safety

Providing access to a safe environment is important for a pet’s peace of mind.⁷ Indoor living spaces can be enhanced for comfort with special bedding, favorite toys, and treats. A hiding spot, like a pantry closet, may be preferred for pets experiencing fear or phobia triggered by weather or fireworks, while others may prefer a more open space. Providing access to choices is key.

“What we find is that by giving animals the ability to choose between options that are meaningful for them—in this case, talking about meaningful because of safety or reduced exposure—that actually addresses some of the anxiety component,” Pachel said in a dvm360 interview.¹⁰ In a veterinary clinic, safe spaces may look like species-specific waiting areas, soundproofed exam rooms, and nonslip flooring.

According to Grandin and Marty Becker, DVM, founder of Fear Free, nonslip surfaces are important in clinics and at home. Shiny floors and surfaces with a glare can elicit fear in a patient since they are viewed as falling hazards. “I can’t emphasize enough [having a] nonslip floor. Animals panic when they start to slip and fall,” Grandin said in a keynote address with Becker at a Fetch dvm360 conference.⁸

Comfort

Commercial products such as Thundershirts or iCalmPet can help destress an animal by providing comfort. Allowing a pet a safe space with favorite items, such as blankets or toys, can also be beneficial. This may incorporate calming sounds, aromatherapy, and pheromones.^2,4,11 In a clinic setting, soothing music and warming towels can also help create a calmer space, especially for cats, according to Calder.⁵

Behavior modification

Desensitization and counterconditioning can help manage emotions by modifying a patient’s response to phobia triggers such as noise. “This involves controlled exposure to noise below the stress response threshold and gradually increasing intensity, paired with positive reinforcement,” Pachel said.⁴

Medication

Pharmaceuticals can be administered to ease a patient’s emotional distress. Pachel noted that maintenance medications are most useful for frequent and unpredictable triggers, while quickacting situational drugs help manage predictable, infrequent triggers.⁴

Takeaway

Responding to a pet’s emotional needs and body language can have an impact on the human-animal bond by creating a deeper connection and fostering a sense of security. A stronger human-animal bond can affect behavior and emotional wellness and promote happiness.¹

REFERENCES

1. The emotional well-being of dogs. Veterans with Dogs. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://veteranswithdogs.org.uk/news/the-emotional-well-being-of-dogs
2. Why is your dog’s mental health important? The Melrose Vet. October 26, 2023. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://themelrosevet.com/blog/1088226-why-is-your-dogs-mental-health-important
3. Boatright K. Medical management considerations for separation anxiety. dvm360. April 12, 2025. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/medical-management-considerations-for-separation-anxiety
4. Pachel C. Canine noise phobia and the anxiety patient. Presented at: Fetch dvm360 conference; March 14-16, 2025; Charlotte, NC.
5. Study: pet owners struggle to spot depression, anxiety in dogs. CBS News. May 11, 2022. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/pet-owners-dogs-depression-anxiety-study/
6. Pet mental health: recognizing signs of anxiety and depression in pets. GeniusVets. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.geniusvets.com/pet-care/learn/pets/blog/pet-mental-health-recognizing-signs-anxiety-and-depression-pets
7. Calder CD. Enhancing well-being by minimizing stress. dvm360. March 21, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/enhancing-well-being-by-minimizing-stress
8. Coppock K. Practicing with care for the emotional well-being of animals. dvm360. March 17, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/practicing-with-care-for-the-emotional-wellbeing-of-animals
9. The joyful journey: nurturing your pets’ emotional well-being. Wellness Pet LLC. May 15, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2025. https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/blog/the-joyful-journey-nurturing-your-pets-emotional-wellbeing/
10. Pachel C, Coppock Crossley K. Creating safe spaces to mitigate fear in pets. dvm360. April 16, 2025. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/creating-safe-spaces-to-mitigate-fear-in-pets
11. McCafferty C. Calming the stressed cat. dvm360. May 29, 2024. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/calming-the-stressed-cat