At Jacksonville Community Pet Clinics, We can help you find the right way to keep your dog’s anxiety at bay.Mental health disorders greatly influence individuals and communities. These include medication, new food formulas, and special supplements designed to combat the ill effects of stress. The good news is that many solutions help restore peace to you and your stressed-out pet. Anecdotal reports from dog owners claim that CBD oil can effectively treat dog anxiety. CBD is a compound found in cannabis and hemp that dog owners, as well as humans, have found helpful in treating a variety of different health conditions. Some dog owners have successfully used CBD oil to treat dog anxiety. For predictable anxiety-producing events like thunderstorms, fireworks, or car rides, we might prescribe a medication such as a benzodiazepine and an antidepressant to help your dog cope with the stress. SSRIs and antidepressants are occasionally prescribed for dogs with anxiety, including fluoxetine and clomipramine. If your dog develops a severe anxiety disorder, one of our veterinarians may recommend medications or natural treatments. There are prescribed therapies we can offer to help calm down your dog. What If None of These Natural Approaches Work? Calming Coats or T-Shirtsĭevices such as the Thundershirt Anxiety Jacket use gentle compression on a dog’s torso that has the same calming effect as a hug. If your dog is crate trained, they’ll feel secure in their crate, perhaps with a blanket over it to make it more of a den. You never want to scold your dog for feeling anxious, but a timeout when a dog is acting out can give them a chance to isolate themselves in a safe, quiet space to calm their frayed nerves. There are many channels on YouTube that you can play that are specifically designed to help reduce anxiety. Music TherapyĪs William Congreve said in the late 1600s, “Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.” It is widely known that music affects people’s heart rate and blood pressure. Over time, you might be able to identify where your dog holds its stress (such as in the shoulders), allowing you to focus on that area. Keep one hand on the dog while the other works to massage. Start at the neck and work down the body with long, firm strokes. A massage can work wonders on an anxious dog. Massages aren’t just relaxing for humans. When calming your dog down, a pet or a hug from its owner is gold. Physical Contactĭogs want nothing more than to be loved. Taking your dog out to play ball, go for a walk, or fetch a stick before you leave, before guests arrive, or before heading out in the car can go a long way in relieving your dog’s stress. ExerciseĪnxiety can cause an excess of energy. These are our top six recommendations for calming Fido down. While some might turn to pharmaceutical anti-anxiety medications or CBD-infused treats to calm their dogs, we recommend a more natural behavioral approach. How To Help Your Dog Alleviate Anxiety Naturally Hearing or vision loss: dogs without one of their senses may startle easily and become anxious about their unknown surroundingĪ visit to your vet can help you rule out potential stressors or set you on the right treatment path to make your dog feel better.Pre-diabetes: when new generalized anxiety is accompanied by weight gain, excessive thirst, or the appearance of cataracts, pre-diabetes may be the issue.Encephalitis: inflammation and swelling of brain tissue can lead to anxiety behavior, as well as aggression, seizures, clumsy gait, and even coma.Thyrotoxicosis: also called Grave’s Disease, a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland.Hypothyroidism: when fear responses and anxiety symptoms are coupled with weight gain, hair loss, or lethargy, the cause might be a thyroid gland that doesn’t produce enough hormones.There are several medical reasons your dog might be suffering from a new level of anxiety: This type of anxiety usually comes on suddenly in a dog that was not anxious before. This is the anxiety trigger we’re most concerned with at Jacksonville Community Pet Clinics. Just like people, dogs feel anxious when they don’t feel well.
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