More Pets Are Being Diagnosed with Anxiety

Lisa Selvaggio
by Lisa Selvaggio

Trupanion, a well-known pet insurance provider, released information regarding anxiety in pets, and it’s quite surprising. They analyzed data associated with claims related to anxiety from 2019 to 2024, and discovered that anxiety is apparently on the rise among pets in the United States. Here’s a breakdown of what they found, including which states seem to have the highest number of pets with anxiety.

Przemek Iciak/Shutterstock

A Whopping 93% Increase in Anxiety-Related Claims


Just how bad is anxiety among pets in the U.S.? Well, according to Trupanion, anxiety-related claims for cats and dogs went up by a whopping 93% since 2019, and the number is even worse (up to 150%) when looking at certain states in particular. In fact, the insurer got over 25,000 claims related to pet anxiety just in the last year.


The States with the Most Pet Anxiety


Several states saw a rise in pet anxiety claims at a rate of 100% or more:


  • New York
  • Nevada
  • South Carolina
  • Washington, D.C.
  • North Carolina
  • Washington
  • Louisiana


The states with the greatest change in anxiety claims since 2019 were Louisiana, Washington, and North Carolina, with Louisiana being the state that had a 150% increase in anxiety-related claims.


On the other hand, the states that saw the lowest percentage change in pet anxiety claims included Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Hawaii, with Rhode Island seeing only a 12% increase since 2019.


Pet Breeds and Anxiety


What’s also interesting is the data showed certain dog and cat breeds may experience anxiety more than others.


Dog and cat breeds that were associated with more anxiety claims included:



There Are Things You Can Do for Your Pet’s Anxiety


Talk to your veterinarian if your pet is showing any signs of anxiety, such as excessive vocalization, excessive grooming, trembling, hiding, and other changes in behavior and temperament.


An expert can properly diagnose your pet and provide treatments for anxiety, as well as give you tips on how to reduce your pet’s anxious feelings. Also, keep in mind that your anxiety might be rubbing off on your pets, so keeping your stress levels as low as possible may benefit your pets, too.  


Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

Lisa Selvaggio
Lisa Selvaggio

Lisa Selvaggio is a freelance writer and editor, and our resident cats-pert, with certifications in pet nutrition and pet first aid. She enjoys producing content that helps people understand animals better so they can give their pets a safe and happy home.

More by Lisa Selvaggio

Next