THE Oxford dictionary tells us stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. To understand stress we need to look at how the brain and adrenals work.
The adrenals are there to help the dog’s body cope with stress. They help the dog to survive. Stress upsets the balance of every hormone in the dog’s body which then places strain on the adrenals, which then creates more stress in a vicious cycle.
Messages carried by the neurotransmitters tell the brain whether to be happy or sad, anxious or calm and whether there is a state of emergency to be avoided and when to relax if all is safe. As long as these messengers are in balance the dog is calm and relaxed. The dog’s emotional state is determined by this balance.
Sad messengers are essential for fighting disease and recovery. The body must slow down and disengage from normal activities so it can fight the disease.
What upsets the balance?
Stress upsets the balance of every hormone in the dog’s body and brain. It accelerates the natural decline of the hormones. I'm sure you have all seen a dog that looks old before its time. Therefore the only form of 'good' stress is short-lived stress (as with wild prey animals when they leap into action to escape).
When the dog is stressed the adrenal glands work overtime producing hormones to bring the brain back into balance. When the brain senses stress it thinks there is an emergency. If the stress is prolonged, whether good or bad, it can lead to serious health issues and severe anxiety.
Happy messengers in the brain are calming, providing peace of mind and also helping the memory. During stress, cortisol and adrenalin produced in the adrenal glands give the dog enough energy to survive in an emergency. Everything else becomes less important and the dog may lose its appetite.
After the emergency, or once the dog is able to come down from the high stress level, you may see increased appetite. The dog’s messengers should then return to normal.
Genetics
Each dog has a unique capacity to tolerate a certain level of sad messengers – this is called their 'stress tolerance level’. Low tolerance for stress can run in bloodlines and is seen in families of timid dogs.
Puppies born to mothers already suffering adrenal fatigue due to stress, or who experience severe stress in the uterus, may be born with lower adrenal function. Because of this, from birth onwards, they have less capacity to deal with stress in their lives and are more prone to adrenal fatigue throughout life. We have probably seen many such low energy dogs.
Rescue dogs often need weeks, months or even years of rest and sleep to recover from adrenal fatigue. These dogs do not need a lot of exercise adding to their stress levels but plenty of rest is necessary and they should be allowed to rest as much as they like. Management of stress is paramount to these dogs.
Anxiety is the consequence of too much stress affecting the dog’s brain chemistry. The dog will have a much lower threshold for tolerating anxiety than others. All the training in the world will not help these dogs – only a good stress reduction and management programme and in some cases veterinary medication. A good, new and effective medication springs to mind that I have personally seen good results from is Zylkene, available only by veterinary prescription.
Poor diet
Poor diet reduces a dog’s ability to respond to stress. Dogs generally do better on two or three small meals a day rather than one larger meal. Much of the glucose converted from the food your dog eats is utilised by the brain unless the brain is compromised by stress. It is important to place your dog on the correct diet for his or her own individual needs, especially during growth.
The brain is sensitive to any biochemical or nutritional deficiencies or imbalances of nutrients in the body, influencing behaviour, thoughts, emotions and how the dog learns and reacts to different situations.
Correct diet can help restore this nutritional balance in the brain and body systems, which in tern can help in correcting behaviour, reactions and how the dog thinks and learns.
Discuss your dog’s dietary needs with a qualified canine nutritionist or your veterinarian to determine the correct diet for your dog.
Nicole Mackie is a trained veterinary nurse, canine behaviourist and trainer, Bowen therapist and small animal nutritionist. For more information visit www.shalvaholistics.com
