Dog training video // dog sorts // dog video/

Search

BACK TO HEALTH
Can Dogs Have Panic Attacks?
By Caitlin Ultimo
May 16, 2022 | 3 Minutes
"NJ Animal Hospital Looking For Donors" will play after the ad
mental health
behavior
If you’ve ever experienced a panic attack yourself, you know that the effects can be debilitating and scary at the moment—and can even be traumatizing long term. This severe anxiety episode can present itself as cardiac arrest in humans—and do our pets feel that sense of panic the same way that we do?

Erin Askeland, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, and Camp Bow Wow’s animal health and behavior expert says they can. “Dogs can experience panic attacks like the way humans do,” she explains. “This means they may experience a sudden feeling of intense fear and anxiety that could cause physical responses.”

Additionally, Dr. Linda Simon, a veterinary surgeon and a veterinary consultant for FiveBarks agrees saying, “As vets, we are learning more about canine anxiety in recent years, “Many of our dogs experience anxiety, though how severely this affects their day-to-day life varies tremendously.”