claustrophobia in dogs

The true concept of claustrophobia, that is, the fear of enclosed spaces, which is described in human psychology, does not exist in animals. As a rule, this condition is associated with a negative experience. For example, a dog gets stuck in an elevator with its owner and then refuses to go in.

Some animals get hysterical when traveling in a carrier. And this, too, may be related to the transferred experience. For example, while traveling by plane, a dog became frightened of turbulence. Perhaps the problem lies at the very beginning: the animal was incorrectly accustomed to the cage, which led to a negative perception of such an experience.

It is not entirely correct to diagnose animals as “claustrophobic”. There can be many reasons for such behavior. To solve this problem, an integrated approach is needed. First of all, a consultation with a specialist zoopsychologist is required, and most often an internal examination, in order to try to identify the cause. Perhaps this problem is not psychological in nature, but neurological. If the animal has brain changes that can be detected by a neurologist, as well as an MRI, then the treatment is radically different. If there are no pathologies from the nervous system, an integrated approach is applied – training with positive reinforcement, drug therapy.

Only a doctor can accurately determine the cause of such behavior. An in-person visit to the clinic may not be required – in the Petstory application, you can consult with an animal psychologist online. The cost of the consultation is 899 rubles. You can download the app link.