When we had reached out some months ago to help with ideas for blog topics we had a few requests for a blog to be done on pets with anxiety. More importantly different steps that you can take to help your anxious pet. Without going into extreme detail we wanted to take the time to do an overview of things that you can do to help your pets in need. Anxiety has become more and more common and there are many different forms. There is anxiety due to fear, which could stem from something traumatic that happened in your pets life. Anxiety due to overstimulation and separation anxiety. The list could go on and on really. So lets jump into some tips and tricks:
- There are many things that you can do to help but first and foremost in any anxious situation, make sure that as the owner, you always remain calm. A lot of the times pets will play off the emotions of those around them so if they feel and see that you are calm they will instantly feel a bit more at ease.
- Try to always keep somewhat of a routine within your pets life. This is especially important for pets with anxiety. Change is definitely not always good. A kink in the pets routine could throw everything else for that day off and leave your pet in a lot of worry. So always try to keep things as routine as possible.
- Consider introducing a pheromone product into your pets life. We always recommend the Adaptil line which comes in sprays, diffusers, wipes, and collars. These help to give a more natural relief of anxiety to your pet and in most mild cases will help your pets tremendously.
- For more severe cases of anxiety you may have to turn to medications. If this is the case make sure to talk it over with your Veterinarian before making the decision to do so. There are so many options out on the market today and your Vet will know after taking your pets history and running a full medical exam what exactly will be the most helpful for them. In some cases a supplement may be added to their diet such as Zylkene or Anxitane. Both products are more of an “all natural” approach in the fact that it helps support proteins that are already produced within their body and gives them a boost! These products can be wonderful and as always with any medication can be adjusted by your Veterinarian to get the best results for your pet. In more severe cases your Vet may choose to take a stronger approach by placing your pet on a prescription medication such as a Prozac or many of the other medications offered on the market for pets. In any case, just like the supplements your Veterinarian will help to adjust your pet on the best medication for their needs.
- COMBO TIME!! That means that you may even have to do every step listed above. Unfortunately some pets have seen and endured much more in their lives and therefore may need a little bit more time as well a happy cocktail of supplements, prescriptions medications as well as pheromones. There is simply nothing wrong with that. Every pet deserves a chance at a happy and healthy life!
We hope that these few tips and tricks will help you and your anxious pets. If your pet has a specific type of anxiety and you would like for us to go into more detail please let us know by messaging us on our Facebook. We welcome any and all ideas!!