When Does Your Pet Need A Psychologist?
Different studies have been able to determine that companion animals have emotional needs. In addition to their food, shelter, and vaccinations, they also need to maintain a mental balance. Then it is necessary to know how to identify when your pet needs a psychologist.
Our animals are also social beings. They are an active part of the family, they recognize the roles of each member of the group and position their own. Any modification in the entire structure of their environment can destabilize them.
As with humans, pets often resist change, which is solved with the benefits of psychological help. They also have memory, so unresolved past traumas often affect their current reactions.
Symptoms that your pet needs a psychologist
Many experts on the subject agree that there are certain changes in their behavior that are red flags. When one or more of these factors are noticeable in the animal, you have to pay attention. If we notice that the behavior continues for a few days, it is a sign that our pet needs a psychologist.
- Decay or lack of interest. Lies back or away and shows no interest in games or other actions that he likes; they are looking sad and tired.
- Lack of appetite. His food remains intact or he barely tastes it. You can try offering other products to know that it is not a matter of taste.
- Unbridled exaltations. Faced with an affectionate approach or with external noises, our friend is startled; he barks excessively, growls, and becomes violent. They have reactions that denote inexplicable fear and nervousness for their master.
- Destroy objects when they can’t see it. If when we return home we find the cushions torn to pieces, the house or some parts are damaged. The pet had a crisis and he dedicated himself to breaking in his loneliness everything that his owners love the most.
- Unusual escapes. The animal begins to hide or tries to flee at different times; something does not allow you to be calm and you do not want to be at home. Beyond good care, something is causing you a lot of damage.
Reasons why your pet needs a psychologist
Different factors can be those that have emotionally unbalanced our pet. And many of them may seem insignificant to their master, making it more difficult to find out if they need a psychologist.
- Pets often have a strong sense of belonging. They come to consider themselves the masters of all their surroundings, even of their owners. If a new pet arrives in the home, a baby is born or a new guest arrives to live, it can be a blow to the pride and independence of the animal.
- Moving. Moving house and even city is usually very stressful for men; for pets too. Their whole environment is altered, they miss their environment, their aromas and noises. It is a process of adaptation that sometimes cannot be overcome without professional help.
- Separations. Changes in the time the pet spends with its owner affect its mental state. More office hours, trips to which they cannot go, and even death are situations that happen. The animal cannot understand the reason for the absence and it is common for its behavior to be altered.
- Old trauma. Accidents, subjection or blows traumatize the animal; that is in his mind and it comes out in the least imagined moments. It happens especially in adopted dogs whose past is unknown; They may now have the best care, but they offer strange or unexpected violent reactions. In those cases there is no doubt, the pet needs a psychologist.
Go to a psychologist for your pet?
It is a doubt that many people maintain. Although there are societies in which they have already incorporated it as something natural and necessary, other people still have prejudices. And they believe that a vet or themselves can fix it.
The truth is that all the people around the animal are necessary to treat the mental health of the pet. It is a true teamwork; the veterinarian has the knowledge to begin and complement his evaluation with the psychologist.
For their part, the owners are the ones who have to accompany their pet to the sessions. Then it is a matter of time, patience and a lot of love.
