Sniffing Out Emotions

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Pets can sense fear and anxiety in people--but experience thier own fear and anxiety as well.

Dogs interpret the world primarily through chemical communication. The portion of the canine brain dedicated to analyzing smells is 40 times larger than a human's, and a dog's sense of smell is said to be a thousand times greater. A cat's smelling ability, while not as intense as a dog's, is still 14 times stronger than a human's. But is their sense of smell keen enough to sniff out fear?

First, for pets to be able to smell fear, humans would have to emit some kind of fear scent or odor, according to Virbac Animal Health (Fort Worth, Texas). A dog that smells "fear" is most likely smelling human sweat.

When a pet seems to have the uncanny ability of knowing how its owner feels, it is actually detecting the slight shift in odor molecules they're emitting. This works for sensing everything from human moods to thunderstorms.

Of course, pets have their own fears and anxieties. In an independent survey of pet owners commissioned by Virbac Animal Health, nearly 60 percent of respondents have at least one dog that experiences anxiety and 25 percent have at least one anxious cat. In addidion, 30 percent reported having several dogs and cats with anxiety problems.

"We're finding anxiety is not only a worry for a few pets, it's a common problem," said Stacey Leonard, senior product manager for Virbac Animal Health. "We've also found that anxiety and fear are underlying factors of many behavioral problems in pets, which can threaten the relationship between pets and their owners."

Pet Food Plus carries several over-the-counter products to help with anxiety. However, if these don't work pets that seem to be suffering from fear or anxiety should visit a veterinarian, who might prescribe behavior training, therapy or nutritional supplements.

Taken from PetAge magazine, June 2011 issue.

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