Symptoms of PTSD in dogs can include: panic, panting, fearfulness, being timid and clinging to their owners, aggressive reactions in dogs that were never aggressive before, depression, and hyper-vigilance (especially for working dogs and guard breeds).
“The symptoms of PTSD in dogs are similar to those in humans and include chronic anxiety; hypervigilance; avoidance of certain people, places, or situations; sleep disturbances; fear of being alone; decreased interest in a favorite activity; or aggression,” Teller said.
There's a chance your cat could have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if they have experienced one or more traumatic instances throughout their lives. Cats with PTSD can exhibit unusual changes in behavior as well as significant distress related to their disorder.
The U.S. military has seen this reaction to stress in its working dogs. Its veterinarians say that about 5 percent of those that have served in Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from “canine PTSD,” which can make some dogs aggressive, timid or unable to do their jobs.
Dogs and cats who survive disasters can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder in the same way as their owners and for the same reasons: being placed in an environment that is unpredictable and they are unable to control.
Signs of Emotional Trauma in Cats and Dogs
Trauma can also manifest as “shaking, hiding, urination and/or defecation when the trigger attempts to interact, howling, pacing, excessive vocalization, and panting,” says Pia Silvani, director of behavioral rehabilitation at the ASPCA's Behavioral Rehabilitation Center.
6. Dogs get flashbacks, often from environmental triggers that remind them of a traumatic event. Dogs with PTSD are affected differently by these flashbacks.
Just like people, cats and dogs can experience fearful events that can have a traumatic impact on them. They're sentient beings, using the power of their senses and consciousness to observe and interpret the world around them.
Physically harming your cat can actually make the situation worse and cause her to lash out or become withdrawn. Also, cats have a hard time associating the physical punishment with the bad behavior, so you're not actually training her to stop doing it.
Keeping your cat active through interaction with you using toys and games such as those that involve removing food from a puzzle can help to heal and divert the focus from a traumatic memory or experience—think of it as creating new memories to take the place of those that caused fear.
Risk factors for brain injury in a cat include unsupervised roaming outside that may result in trauma or exposure to toxins. As well, heart disease, lung disease, a blood-clotting disease, or diabetes mellitus can be risk factors for brain injury.
Symptoms of PTSD in dogs can include: panic, panting, fearfulness, being timid and clinging to their owners, aggressive reactions in dogs that were never aggressive before, depression, and hyper-vigilance (especially for working dogs and guard breeds).
Acute post traumatic stress disorder is the most common form of PTSD seen in dogs. Acute reactions begin occurring directly after the traumatizing incident or incidents and generally subside within three months.
Most dog owners want their pooch to live their best, happiest life possible. And, while it takes time, most pups CAN get past their traumatic past.
Studies show that dogs are sensitive to emotional contagion which is responding to the emotions of another without understanding what they are feeling. Your dog knows you are experiencing poor feelings even if they aren't sure how you feel, so they provide comfort.
When dogs (and other animals) play, they apologize and ask for forgiveness. The importance of context—who's interacting with whom, who else is around, and where something is happening—can't be overstated. Trust and cooperation also are involved in reconciliation.
While empathy and compassion may be common in animals, guilt may be a uniquely human emotion. A study published in the journal Behavioural Processes in 2009 found that dogs' guilty looks don't signal remorse.
New research suggests that adversely training, e.g. yelling at, your dog could cause long-term psychological harm. Dogs that had undergone adverse training methods were found to have higher cortisol levels in their saliva and displayed more stress behaviors.
Animal abuse can be a precursor to abuse and violence towards humans and/or a component of domestic violence. Like shared children, family pets are often used by abusers as a way to demonstrate power and control over their partner by threatening, harming, or sadly even killing beloved pets.
Losing your cool when training your pup is not only mean, but it can also affect your pet.
Although dogs are extremely loyal, part of that loyalty comes from a self-preservation instinct, as they know that if their owner is hurt, their food and shelter arrangements are at risk. If you own a dog that comes from an abusive background, you may notice that he is extra protective.
While their lack of short term memory may lead to them forgetting it a few times, ongoing physical abuse will be registered into their long term memory and lead to aggression or anxiety issues down the road.
What we know for sure is that animals do suffer psychological and not just physical pain, and that emotional abuse and maltreatment may be far more widespread and pernicious than physical abuse.