“Healthy puppy= happy puppy”, every pet owner knows the importance of keeping their dog healthy physically but what about their mental health? 

Anxiety is often confused with nervousness. It is quite essential for pet parents to understand that nervousness can be a reaction to a normal situation or event and can vanish in some time. On the other side, anxiety can be a severe form, it can need attention or maybe a clinical solution. Anxiety can be of different types like separation anxiety, due to storms, by other animals, etc.

Signs of anxiety :

Here are some of the common signs that will  help you in identifying if your dog is facing anxiety issues

• Continuous barking

• Urinating in the house 

• Display of aggression

• Panting

• Signs of depression

Treatments available :

The first thing that should be your priority is a vet visit. If you observe any signs of anxiety, it must be brought into the notice of your vet so that proper care and attention is given to the issue. Here are some pointers that you can follow to calm your pet at home. 

1. When you know what triggers anxiety in your dog, try to avoid them as much as possible. Avoiding them will help you to save the situation from worsening. For eg. if you see your dog is behaving differently during storms, try to use things like music which makes them comfortable. To avoid the trigger, it is important to keep observing your dog’s behavior around different happenings  and avoid the ones that become a reason for their anxiety.

2. Motivation acts as the best treatment to beat anxiety. If you make your pets feel that they are being loved, this can bring a lot of change in their behavior. When you observe that they are being anxious about something, shower lots of love and attention on them. 

3. Treats or rewards can be the best option to calm them. If not treats, use toys that will distract them to avoid triggers. 

4. Importance of physical activities can never be denied. Engage them in outdoor activities that will make them mentally happy. When they feel tired, it will help them to have good sleep too.

Medications :

 

While you try some treatments at home, medicines are equally essential. You can explore our website to know more about the available products.

How to prevent anxiety?

1. If you feel that there is some kind of social anxiety issue, train them to socialize. This will make them familiar with meeting new people. 

2. Keep on motivating them and provide proper attention so that they do not feel alone. In addition to that, it will help them to act in the same way when they feel anxious. 

3. It is a big NO if you force your dog into situations that cause stress to them.

4. Do not bring sudden changes, give them time to adjust themselves gradually.

5. Always consult your vet about their medications. 

We humans have been ignoring the importance of mental health for a long time but if timely actions are not taken, it can harm our pets badly. We hope the article helps you to identify any symptoms and take corrective measures to keep your pet safe and healthy.