Let’s talk about today, will cats have post-traumatic stress disorder like humans? ① What is PTSD in ② Do pets also have PTSD? ③ Symptoms of pet PTSD ④ How to help pets get out? What is PTSD? PTSD is defined as "anxiety disorder that can occur...
Let’s talk about today, will cats have post-traumatic stress disorder like humans?
① What is PTSD in
② Do pets also have PTSD?
③ Symptoms of pet PTSD
④ How to help pets get out?
What is PTSD?
PTSD is defined as "anxiety disorder that can occur after exposure to a terrible event or ordeal that occurs or threatens serious bodily injury.
Traumatic events that may cause PTSD include violent attacks, natural or man-made disasters, accidents, or military combat.
In a person's PTSD, to be a clear diagnosis of a person with PTSD, the person must meet the following criteria:
experiencing traumatic events.
cannot get out and often experience events in a nightmare. After an event occurs, escape painful, traumatic reminders (person, place, or object).
will be shocked and unexpected.
The symptoms last for at least 1 month.
The normal function is severely damaged.
Once a snake bite, it is afraid of a rope for ten years, is one of the manifestations of PTSD.
Will pets also have PTSD?
Yes, there will be!
In 2009, military dogs were diagnosed with PTSD for the first time.
After 650 military dogs sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, up to 10% of military dogs suffer from PTSD.
In addition, not only military dogs who have experienced war, traumatic experiences can also lead to pets, such as dogs and cats, in our daily lives. PTSD can be observed. PTSD often occurs when you have abused cats and dogs. So what are the causes of PTSD in pets?
In fact, any traumatic event will affect the mental health of pets.
These may include
abuse
abandonment
losing the favorite owner
being placed in a strange and terrible environment
life-threatening disasters (such as fires or earthquakes)
being hit by a car
being attacked by another animal or predator
or living in a painful life, such as garbage and black hearts The dark courtyard, hunger, and the cage days of continuous breeding, etc., these can cause psychological trauma, leading to the formation of post-traumatic stress disorder, and symptoms may manifest within months or even years after the traumatic event. Even some dogs and cats who have lived in new families for a long time also show symptoms of PTSD. In short, the symptoms seen in pets are not necessarily caused by experiences at this moment, but are more likely to be caused by previous traumatic events.
Symptoms of pets PTSD symptoms
Symptoms of pets PTSD symptoms may include:
abnormal aggression
1}Fear, trembling
Growing excitement
Decreasing appetite and weight loss
Reduced interest in playing, walking, or interacting with other pets and/or people
High vigilance (strong "warning" awareness of the surrounding environment)
Popularity of frightening
Tenergy to be frightened
Tenergy to pull and urinate
Demand or meow
Extreme behaviors to escape stress (such as trying to bite the cage in a cage to try to escape)
Sudden changes in temperament
Hide for no reason
Overgaining
Fear Loneliness
Sleep Disorder
Avoiding people, places, or things associated with traumatic events
Pets with PTSD may have one or more of the above
Treatment of PTSD
So can a pet with PTSD be successfully treated?
Luckily, the answer is yes.
However, the treatment of any pet with PTSD is challenging, depending on the individual situation of the patient.
Military or service dogs usually receive leave, desensitization training, and medication
Therefore, dogs, cats, and other pets can also be treated in combination with these techniques:
Medical treatment.
Exercise and play therapy:
For cats, it is better to take the dog to exercise more often, so that it can recover faster
3, desensitization, but it is best to do it under the guidance of a well-trained animal behaviorist with experience in treating pet post-traumatic stress disorder
4. Create a safe and quiet place to keep the pet away from other pets and people, especially for cats, a stable, safe, and even unchanging comfortable environment is very important!
5. The use of supplements, such as Ω-3 fatty acids, and help relieve stress pheromones.
6. There are some relatively new alternative therapies such as acupuncture, but it is not recommended, after all, acupuncture seems to be a new "terrible" stimulus for pets.
So, can PTSD be cured in pets?
Post-traumatic stress disorder is not a disease; on the contrary, it is a behavioral change that can be corrected once the pet is correctly diagnosed.
In many cases, the pets being treated seem to be able to return to normal, but for some pets it may require a lifetime of care.
In any case, patience and understanding are key, and it is the best and most effective way to help them recover.
