Pet Anxiety: tips to reduce fear using Vivaldi, flowers, and hugs!

Fireworks and loud noises can be mesmerizing for people, and nerve-wracking for pets.

With everything going on around us in 2020, it’s very understandable that we are all carrying some additional stress. Did you know that our pets can carry stress and get anxious too? Many of us have or have heard about pets with anxiety. While there are medications to reduce pet anxiety, many of our clients want to know about alternatives options. With the 4th of July coming up (and if it’s not the 4th there’s always a good thunderstorm, or loud neighbors!), it’s the perfect time to talk about anxiety tips. Below are our top tips to try for at-home help to keep your pet relaxed during short-term stressful events.

Lavender Oil

Lavender is a safe and simple option to help your dogs feel calm! A diffuser is a great way to spread the calming scent around the house. Put a few drops in the diffuser and let it work its magic. You can also rub a few drops of oil on your hands then massage your pet, both you and your pet will be calm and smell like you’ve rolled around in lavender fields. A win-win, right? Alternatively, a few dabs or diluted sprays of lavender oil on your pet’s collar or on their bed/ sleeping area will also do the trick. Lavender oil is overall safe for dogs, but take caution with other essential oils and scents. Always talk with an experienced holistic or integrative veterinarian before proceeding with other oils topically, orally, or diffused. Certain essential oils can be toxic if ingested or applied topically (some even if diffused- like tea tree oil). Some oils are especially toxic to cats, and just irritating to animals who have a stronger sense of smell than humans.

Music or White Noise

You might be reading this post with your headphones on, listening to music. Music works for pets too! Animal experts have studied the effect of classical and calming music can help lower pet’s respiratory rates, stress hormone levels, and reduce barking! If you’d like to see this magic in action, check out the video from the Rescue Animal Mp3 project, founded by Dr. Pamela Fisher, DVM. Music therapy can also be used during acupuncture sessions to help dogs relax, so why not try it during stressful events at home! To make this tip even easier, there are already soothing dog playlists out there. Pick your favorites and let the anti-anxiety remedy begin! White noise machines are another option to “drown-out” sounds that may make your pet anxious. Many pet parents use white noise machines while traveling, such as in hotel rooms to help with the unexpected noises and voices a new surrounding can bring.

Anxiety Reducing Clothing

Do you like hugs? We like hugs. Pet’s do too! Want your pet to feel like they are constantly being hugged? There are quite a few options for anxiety reducing clothing. These clothes are designed to gently apply constant pressure to your pet, simulating the calming effect of being hugged. This effect is similar to a weighted blanket for a human, the swaddling of a baby, or a hug from a friend. We have personally seen positive results with products like the ThunderShirt for those pets with low grade anxiety.

Exercise

We know you can’t always plan for a stressful event like a bad storm or upcoming New Year’s Eve party but some exercise before the big event can also help to make your pet feel calm. Play laser tag with your kitty around the house, soccer game with your dog, or any activity your pet loves that gets them moving! Exercise stimulates serotonin, and tiring them out beforehand may help them sleep through stressful events.

Relaxing Massage

Yes, you read that correctly. Massaging your pet may help calm them down and no, your pet did not tell us to write this. There are numerous massage techniques or energy work techniques that can help. Search for Tui Na, acupressure massage, T-Touch, or Reiki to learn more about these options.

Anxiety is a natural emotion for both humans and animals. When anxiety hits, we all look for comfort. We hope these tips help you and your pet get through the next stressful event more peacefully together!