Your Pets & Anxiety

MOST PET PARENTS DON'T REALIZE...

that their fur babies could have anxiety. Communicating feelings is harder for our pets so we need to be careful and try to be on the lookout for possible symptoms.

SYMPTOMS

Here are some common signs of anxiety in dogs to help you out:

🔥 Panting and pacing (even when it's not hot)

🔥 Loss of appetite

🔥 Hiding and/or cowering in the corner of a house

🔥 Dilated pupils and flat ears (dogs)

🔥 Excessive shedding

🔥 Destroying furniture

🔥 Self-harm, including excessive licking or chewing

🔥 Accidents outside of the litter box (cats)

🔥 A general inability to settle

SOLUTIONS

There are several solutions to this issue. They may include:

👌 Behavioral training

👌 Medication

👌 Supplements

👌 Cuddling 

👌 Showing affection

👌 Changes to their environment to make them more comfortable

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

Most of the time, removing the obvious factors of stress can help tremendously. But, other causes may need a little more attention. When your pet is suffering from separation anxiety, for example, it’s important to make them feel that your absence is no big deal. Try to figure out which activity triggers their anxiety and turn that into a low-key action. If it's when you pick up your keys, practice picking them up and putting them back down several times over a few hours. Similarly, get dressed or put on your shoes earlier than usual but instead of leaving right away, stay home. 

Your next step should be to practice short absences. Leave your home long enough to run an errand and come right back, then gradually increase the time until they get used to it.

Does your pooch exhibit any of these signs? What do you usually do to calm them down?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------