Aggression: Angry Animal or Suffering Animal?

Is Your Dog Aggressive?  Its Time to See the Vet!

Last week we talked about Breed Specific Legislation, which pertains to laws and regulations that are being set in place to prevent people from owning certain dog breeds.  We also talked about how a dog that lashes out for various reasons can cause the entire breed to be looked down upon.  Sometimes dogs can react due to the fact that they have aggression.  But why?  Well a recent study states that aggression in dogs may be due to the fact that they are in pain.

According to ScienceDaily.com Dogs can sometimes suffer sudden episodes of aggression without their owners understanding why. But, in many cases, the cause of these attacks can be pain that has never been diagnosed or treated. For the first time the study describes the characteristics of this irritability, which can make dogs violent and increase aggression in already conflictive individuals.

Many of the dogs that were studied are high on the list for ‘banned breeds.  Of course a very large part of being a good owner is making certain that your dog is healthy and taking your dog in for semi-annual or annual visits to the veterinarian.  The article continues with, Between 2010 and 2011 a team of researchers from the department of Animal and Food Science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in Spain analysed the aggression problems of 12 dogs (Giant schnauzer, Irish setter, Pit-bull, Dalmatian, two German shepherds, Neapolitan Mastiff, Shih-tzu, Bobtail, Catalan Sheepdog, Chow-chow and Doberman) who were brought to the UAB's Veterinary Hospital by their owners.

Courtesy of jordanfischer

Of course, sometimes it can be very hard to tell how your dog is feeling.  Obviously dogs cannot talk to you and tell you they are in pain, but for the most part you can get a good idea of when your dog is acting out of the norm.

To prevent your dog from pain and from lashing out with aggression, you should know the signs to look for.  Any behavior changes that are not associated with a change such as a new pet or baby in the family, or a move to a new location may be signs.  If your dog is experiencing any of the following symptoms, it is always suggested to keep a close eye on him or her and go to the vet if necessary:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Sleepiness
• Trembling
• Falling/Stumbling
• Ears: discharge, debris, odor, scratching, crusted tips, twitching or shaking
• Eyes: redness, swelling or discharge
• Nose: runny, thickened or colored discharge, crusty
• Coughing, sneezing, vomiting or gagging
• Shortness of breath, irregular breathing or prolonged/heavy panting
• Loss of appetite or not drinking as much water as normally would
• Weight Loss
• Strange color of urine, small amount of urine, straining, dribbling, or not going as frequently as normal
• Bad odor coming from mouth, ears, or ski.
• Hair loss or change of the skin's color
• Biting of the skin, scratching or licking the skin frequently

Of course if you ever have any doubt in your mind that your dog may be under the weather it is always best to see a vet before the problem progresses.

For the Full Article Please check out Sciencedaily.com

Featured Photo Courtesy of Tambako the Jaguar