Stress can cause premature gray hair in dogs

By Matt Hoffman, Veuer

A new study finds stress can lead to premature gray hair -- not just for humans, but also for dogs.

Northern Illinois University researchers gave dog behavior questionnaires to 400 dog owners and found a link between signs of anxiety and the levels of grayness on the animals' muzzles.

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Female dogs tended to exhibit more grayness, but size of the pup, spay/neuter status and illness did not appear to be connected to the hair going gray.

RELATED: These pups look rather stress-free

If your pooch is turning into a silver fox early in life, there may be something you can do about it.

The same researchers published a study indicating that pressure wraps known as "Thundershirts" can reduce canines' signs of stress.