Over a quarter of the nation’s dogs suffer from stress, according to their owners.
And a quarter of pet owners blame their own busy lifestyles for their pets’ anxiety, Direct Line Pet Insurance found.
Stress in animals manifests in a vomiting and diarrhoea in a third, weight loss or appetite loss in 12 per cent, fur loss in ten per cent and nine per cent becoming lethargic.
The pet insurance provider also found that only half of pet owners feel they spend enough quality time playing with their pets.
An estimated nine out of ten dogs treated by internationally renowned pet behaviourist Dr Roger Mugford do not have enough contact with people.
“Dogs are social creatures who need the contact of humans or other animals, and this is having a negative impact on their psychological well being,” Dr Mugford says.
Because dogs pick up on when their owners are unhappy, unwell or stressed, they could start suffering from stress, adds the business manager at Direct Line Pet Insurance, Chris Price.
“Sadly, it seems that this empathy can lead to them suffering from stress themselves and requiring treatment for conditions like diarrhoea, vomiting and loss of fur,” he says.
Warning that the yearly cost of conventional treatment averages £350, Mr Price says that stress treatment for a dog could be costly.
He urges pet owners to take out pet insurance for “peace of mind and to avoid large veterinary bills”.