Pet stress

My own cat, and his bladder obstruction, inspired my column this month. I find myself writing about the role of stress in illness in dogs and cats, and some strategies to try to manage it.

Behaviour changes in pets can result from many illnesses — eg pain, gut signs, profound itch. In cats, behaviour changes such as lack of engagement and increased sleep may be the only signs of pain from degenerative arthritis — unlike dogs, in whom we see reduced exercise activity and possible lameness.