Dec
Top 10 Ways to Calm Your Anxious Dog
If you’re a dog owner, you might not realize that your pet could suffer or already be suffering from anxiety. Many people are flabbergasted to discover that their pets can suffer from anxiety, similar to what humans themselves go through. Untreated anxiety can lead your much-loved family dog to develop a full-blown anxiety disorder. Often, dogs of all breeds and ages can experience anxiety symptoms at some point in their lives, leading to behavioral and other issues.
Identifying if your dog is suffering from anxiety can sometimes be challenging. It is also often difficult to evaluate the best course of action and establish how you can treat your dog. This condition is treatable, and you can alleviate and potentially eliminate the symptoms your dog could be suffering due to anxiety. There are, in fact, many natural remedies for dog anxiety, and in this article, we are going to look at ten ways that you can calm your anxious dog.
Related: Pet CBD Education
What Are the Causes of Anxiety
Before discussing the natural anxiety remedies for dogs, we have to learn what causes anxiety. Identifying the causes of stress in dogs in most cases will involve you keeping an eye on your pet and taking note of any behavior that appears unusual or out of the ordinary. Other times you might notice straight away that something odd is occurring if your dog is displaying uncharacteristic behaviors.
We can categorize the causes of anxiety in dogs into four main categories. Namely, these categories are separation based anxiety, illness-related anxiety, anxiety caused by being in a shelter previously, and generalized anxiety. Let’s take a closer look into these categories so that you can identify what could be causing your dog to suffer from anxiety.
Separation-based anxiety
One of the common leading causes of anxiety in dogs is the fear of separation. Younger dogs and elderly dogs are the age group that is most affected by this form of stress. Most dogs don’t like to be left by themselves and are afraid that you won’t return once you leave. Boredom and loneliness are key triggers that lead to your dog developing anxiety. Additionally, older dogs might develop anxiety while being left alone because of a decline in cognitive understanding and memory loss.
Anxiety Due to Illness
A leading cause of anxiety in dogs is due to illness. This type of stress usually appears suddenly and in pets that were otherwise not anxious. There are some diseases that can cause your dog to experience anxiety, and they include but are not limited to; pre-diabetes, vision and hearing loss, hypothyroidism, and encephalitis.
Anxiety-related to shelter dogs
Should your dog have spent some time in an animal shelter, their stay could be the cause of their anxiety. Shelter dogs often develop anxiety due to the conditions they face while in a shelter.
Generalized anxiety
Sometimes, there isn’t a specific cause for anxiety, and any number of things could cause your dog to develop this condition. There are many dog breeds that are much more prone to anxiety than others. Many dogs will develop anxiety from little things, like a change in routine or moving to a new apartment, but this is usually manageable and can be treatable with dog herbal remedies for anxiety.
What Are the Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety symptoms can present in several different ways, but there are a few common symptoms to look out for. Once you know these symptoms, you can identify if your dog is indeed suffering from the condition. The sooner you realize the signs, the sooner you can look into natural anxiety relief for dogs and home remedies for dog anxiety. Below are a few common symptoms to be aware of.
- Refusing to eat
- Your dog is destroying furniture and other items.
- Shivering and shaking
- Frequent urination either indoors or outdoors.
- Digging an inability to settle completely
- A dog is trying to escape frequently or cowers in the corners of rooms.
- Your dog is hurting themselves by either excessive licking or chewing on paws and other body parts.
- Loud barking or howling when you are away from home or in another room.
- Frequent panting and pacing around the home even when the climate isn’t hot.
- Unable to meet your eyes or continually looking away.
Top 10 Natural Anxiety Remedies for Dogs
Luckily for us, there are fortunately many natural anxiety remedies for dogs available on the market. You can easily make use of one or more of these methods, and your dog is likely to make a full recovery. If not a full recovery, then you, at the very least, will be able to alleviate their symptoms.
CBD
Recently CBD products have burst onto the pet markets in the form of tinctures, solves, and even chewable treats. Amazingly, CBD products display excellent benefits, and many pet owners have taken the leap and are trying out the various products available. CBD does not contain THC, so you don’t need to worry that your pet will become high after ingesting a CBD product. Many dog owners claim that various CBD products are helping in pain management and in treating anxiety conditions. Additionally, they also assist in reducing inflammation in dogs and other animals.
Should you be considering CBD treatment options for your dog, many companies offer such products, and one such company is Penelope’s Bloom. Amongst the many companies popping up offering CBD products for pets, Penelope’s Bloom is a cut above the rest. They have a reputation for excellence and are completely transparent with their customers. Better yet, their products have shown success. If you’re looking for a dog anxiety natural remedy, studies suggest that CBD is possibly one of the best.
Exercise
Possibly one of the easiest and simplest home remedies for dog anxiety is daily exercise. Exercise is truly one of the best natural remedies for anxiety in dogs, and this treatment won’t cost you anything. Regular walks have been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms and are an excellent treatment option to combat the onset of anxiety. Without exercise, a dog can become lonely and stressed, and these are some of the key symptoms that lead to anxiety. By allowing your dog to exercise frequently, you are helping them lead a healthy and happy life.
Chamomile
As is the case with humans, chamomile is a natural anti-anxiety for dogs. Recent research has demonstrated how camomile can assist in many ailments that your dog could suffer from. Chamomile is a herb that contains many properties that help anxiety and induce relaxation, and it helps soothe an upset stomach. There are many ways you can administer treatment of this healing herb to your dog. If you have identified that your pet is experiencing anxiety symptoms, crush the herb, and put it into their dog food, or you can give it to your dog in the form of tea. However, take note of your dog’s reaction as in rare cases, some dogs are allergic to chamomile and can suffer adverse reactions such as hives or rashes.
Valerian
The naturally occurring herb valerian is found in Europe and Asia and helps alleviate dogs’ anxiety symptoms. This natural dog anxiety medication acts as a sedative, and once ingested, relaxes your dog. Should your dog be displaying stress indicators or be acting anxious, you can safely administer natural valerian remedies to help your pet relax. Of course, before administering any supplement, you should run it past your vet first to avoid any potential side effects. Should you decide to administer this herb to combat your dog’s anxiety, you should take note not to exceed between 1 and 7.5 grams for dried root remedies and tinctures between 7 and 15 milliliters.
St John’s Wort
St John’s wart is potentially one of the best herbal medications you can give our dog if it suffers from separation anxiety or has problems with loud noises that cause the animal to stress. Additionally, this herb can even be given to your pet if they suffer from depression. Should you know that there is an event coming up where there will be loud noises or if there is a terrible thunderstorm, you can give your dog an st Johns wort remedy to help curb their anxiety. Ideally, this medication’s recommended dosage should be headed as there are serious side effects if administered to your pet incorrectly.
Related: What To Know About Organic Dog Food
Should you want to find out more on the various CBD products you can purchase to help your dog’s anxiety, you can have a look at the website Penelope’s Bloom today.
Essential Oils
You might already know of the healing properties that essential oils possess but what you might not know is that you can use these oils to combat your dog’s anxiety. You can use essential oils, lavender, neroli, and violet leaf for separation anxiety. If your dog suffers from general anxiety, you could use frankincense, linden blossom, ylang-ylang, and roman chamomile. Remember, under no circumstances must your dog ingest essential oils; this natural medication can only be used for external purposes.
Hydrosols
Should you be concerned about essential oils being too harmful to your furry friend, you should consider hydrosols. In essence, hydrosols are a combination of an essential oil type solution that is added to water. However, they are not the same as essential oils, and thus you can consider hydrosols as a gentler anxiety treatment option for dogs. Hydrosols are also a cheaper alternative anxiety treatment for your dog, which is perfect if you want first to test out if the aromatherapy will work for your pet.
Distraction
Another utterly free method that you can use to help curb or eliminate anxiety from your dog’s life is to distract them from the situation, causing them to be anxious. This method works better than you might first expect, and you will likely be pleased with the positive results. By distracting your dog, you are making the animal focus on you and not on the situation surrounding them. The art of distraction is tried and trusted by many pet owners throughout the world.
Thundershirt
A thundershirt is a relatively new design invented back in 2009 and is meant to be utilized by dogs that are anxious and suffer from anxiety in certain situations. The garment wraps around your dog’s body and provides the animal with a steady weighted pressure, which, in theory, helps your dog feel safer and more relaxed. This device works much the same way that weighted blankets work for humans. Depending on your dog’s personality, this could work very well in controlling the animal’s anxiety.
Relaxing massage
It’s not just humans that enjoy a massage from time to time, but pets too. Frequent massages can not only help your dog’s anxiety but can also relax them and help with any pain management that they may require. Try massaging your dog with long strokes and circular hand motions, as these usually produce the best results for animals suffering from symptoms associated with anxiety.
To learn more about how you can calm your anxious dog, you can contact Penelope’s Bloom, who can help you learn about anxiety and how it affects your dog.
Bottom Line
There are many techniques and things that you can use to help calm your dog if the animal is suffering from anxiety. Should you choose to employ one or more of these methods mentioned in the article, you can achieve some measure of success. From CBD products to essential oils, there is an easy, cost-effective approach to suit most people. With the knowledge of how to identify and treat your dog’s anxiety, you are sure to improve their overall quality of life.
Related: Penelope’s Bloom CBD Pet Bundles
CBD Dog Treats for Stress + Anxiety- Small to Medium Dogs – 300mg
Original price was: $39.99.$34.99Current price is: $34.99. — or subscribe and save 20%
- Full Spectrum CBD Oil (300mg)
- All-natural CBD dog treats specially formulated for stress and anxiety.
- Our treats are crafted to provide peace of mind for your pet during stressful situations like thunderstorms, fireworks, and visits to the vet.
- Third-party lab tested for product safety, potency, and effectiveness.
- Made in the USA.
CBD for Dogs – Stress + Anxiety Bundle
Bundle And Save 20%
- Full Spectrum CBD Oil in all products
- All-natural CBD dog treats specially formulated for stress and anxiety.
- Premium CBD Oil for dogs and cats, crafted with organic CBD, MCT oil, and chamomile.
- Our all-natural CBD Balm for Dogs & Cats is a daily moisturizer, made to keep your pet’s skin, paws, nose, and elbows soft and hydrated.
- Third-party lab tested for product safety, potency, and effectiveness.
CBD Oil For Dogs 250mg – 1000mg
$29.99 – $74.99 — or subscribe and save 20%
- Full-Spectrum CBD Oil for dogs, crafted with organic CBD, MCT oil, and chamomile.
- Third-party lab tested for product safety, potency, and effectiveness.
- Designed to digest seamlessly and deliver rapid relaxation.
- Available in four concentrations of Full Spectrum CBD: 250mg | For pets under 30 pounds , 500mg | For pets 30 to 90 pounds, 750mg | For pets 90 to 120 pounds, 1000mg | For pets over 120 pound
- Made in the USA.
