Although for some it seems normal, hitting a pet with a newspaper or a stick is one of the many forms of animal abusewhich generates physical and emotional consequences in the cat or dog.
When there is abuse, and depending on its level, the first thing that happens is that the emotional bond between the caregiver and the pet is broken. The symbiotic relationship in which the human provides affection and company, and the pet provides protection and care is lost. And there is more: aggressiveness can be generated in the animal and develop conditions of fear, extreme anxiety, nervousness and fear as a result of the sequels that remain. In addition, difficulty in socialization, exaggerated vocalization, salivation, apathy and anorexia.
From the physical point of view, injuries such as wounds, lacerations, bruises, fractures can be observed in the individualburns, hemorrhages, internal organ injuries, among others.
A dog that is constantly hit by its guardian may develop aggressive behavior as a defense mechanism and will react with attacks to the slightest stimulus, regardless of whether it is positive or negative.
“Behavioral or psychological abuse is more difficult to determine and can be confused with other types of illnesses. We will see animals that groom themselves excessively, inflicting minor to serious injuries, self-mutilation (pulling out their nails, biting their tails), underweight animals, that get recurrently sick, have erratic behavior, become fearful or aggressive, spin around and they don’t stay in one place”, explains Gabriel García, a veterinarian.
Animals are so sensitive that they can be negatively affected by simple things like a screama sudden movement or a blow.
The ethologist Fredy Manrique adds that there is another condition known as Learned Helplessness, which is when the animal adopts a passive behaviorwho neither moves nor walks. When you suffer from such a high level of anxiety, you can suffer a post-traumatic stress shock and that is when you stop eating, for example.
The expert adds that cats are more sensitive to stress compared to dogs, because they have a more developed behavior known as the novelty effect. This happens when, for example, a cat is taken to the hairdresser for a bath and when they get home he is still stressed, becoming aggressive, it is like an acute stress in the animal. In dogs it does not occur as often because they are more social than territorial.
Veterinarian Garcia says that these negative stimuli generate in the animal a physiological response which is given by cortisol (the stress hormone), and organic responses such as increased heart rate and respiratory rate, restlessness, paralysis, and other skin or liver diseases are triggered.
How to help them?
According to Manrique, not all pets outgrow these disorders and recovering their emotional and physical well-being depends, because the process to achieve it includes several factors such as the animal’s socialization capacity and the training method. Also the damage done.
“To treat them you have to have a favorable environment, good nutrition, a space that meets their needs (physical and emotional) and positive training. If you have pain or physical problems, you have to go to a professional.
For his part, Garcia says that on some occasions the treatments are purely behavioral, but in others the use of therapies that may be less invasive such as pheromones or essential oils is needed. For others, the use of zoopsychiatric medicine is necessary and must be prescribed.
“Guardians and the community in general must take into account that animals are sentient beings and, accordingly, they can express emotions such as pain, sadness, stress, anxiety or fear,” explains the veterinarian.