​ANXIETY

Does your pet dislike trips to the veterinarian, loud noises, like thunderstorms or fireworks; being left alone during work hours or even for short errands?​

Anxiety may be a key factor to their behavior. Some signs of anxiety are 
barking or whining, inappropriate urination or defecation, destructive behavior, hiding in small enclosed spaces, drooling, trembling, and even, in the worst cases, aggression. 
​ 

Triggers for anxiety

Some anxiety triggers are but not limited too, visits to the veterinary hospital, separation from you or other pets, social situations, and phobias of loud noises.

Veterinary Visits:

One important point to remember is to not skip out on vet visits because of fear or anxiety in your pet. Teaching a new puppy or kitten to be handled from the beginning is key. Being able to handle your pet head-to-tail can help enormously at the vet. Another important tool is getting your pet accustomed to the idea of a carrier or leash when visiting the vet. Your puppy should begin at home learning how to walk on a leash, and your kitten should learn that the carrier is a comfortable place to relax. 

Cats/Kittens: It is very important that your pet, from the beginning, learns that a carrier is a safe and comfortable place. Leaving a carrier out for your pet to check out and even sleep in and taking shorts trips with your pet in the carrier around the house and letting them out to get a treat or a toy they like can help them understand that each time they go into the carrier doesn't always result in poking or prodding.

Dogs/puppies: Leash training is essential for not only your pet but also you as well. We recommend using a 6ft lead for your pet, not a retractable leash. Retractable leashes can encourage your pet to pull and can also result in injury due to limited or lack of control. 

Tips for helping pets with anxiety. 

Noise Phobias:
When fear hits the first time, don't miss the early signs. Mishandling the signs of fear, such as soothing or punishing your pet can make the anxiety worse. Soothing a dog/cat is an act that actually rewards the behavior, while punishing a dog/cat for its reaction makes a scary event even more frightening. 

    When a young dog or puppy show early signs of a phobia, don't soothe or punish them. Distract them! Giving them something else to think about can help to avoid developing a noise phobia. Keeping their mind busy with toys or a training session involving a lot of treats can help to distract your pet.

An example: One of our technicians had a young German Shepherd Dog a few years ago. The Fourth of July was fast approaching. Her family enjoyed spending the 4th on their lake property and wanted to introduce her GSD to fireworks. Instead of sitting and watching as the fireworks began to go off, our technician decided to play with her dog's favorite Frisbee. The dog was so distracted by playing with the Frisbee that she ended up having a positive interaction with one of our country's traditions. Now, this may not be something that would work for your pet but the idea of ignoring the storm helps avoid noise phobias. 

If your pet already has noise phobias, some tips to help with anxiety or fear are making sure to leave your pet at home to avoid fireworks, gunshots, etc; providing a "safe" environment for your pet to retreat to while playing "white noise" to aid in noise aversion; using an anxiety vest, also known as a "thunder shirt"; and, when advised, medications prescribed by your veterinarian.  Calling ahead and scheduling a visit with your vet can help to aid your pet in dealing with these stressful situations. Planning ahead to know how your pet does with anti-anxiety medications is helpful as well. 

Separation from you or other pets:

​Separation anxiety can have your pet resort to destructive behavior, excessive whining or barking, inappropriate urination/defecation, drooling, chewing, digging or trying to escape. While some symptoms can be due to house manners, these symptoms accompanied by other signs of distress often lead us to know that the pet has separation anxiety. One of the goals of dealing with separation anxiety is making the pet be comfortable on their own, and this training/conditioning should begin while they are young. Scheduling a visit with your veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions is always one of the first steps. Second is providing small steps for your pet to become accustomed to time alone. Taking small steps from the beginning can help with separation anxiety. Some pets know when you are going to leave. Yes, humans, too, are creatures of habit. Simply by picking up our car keys or putting on a coat or shoes can trigger signs of separation anxiety.
One step when we perform these simple routine steps is to simply sit down during the process. Shoes on ready to walk out the door... instead sit down and act as if you never intend to leave. Put a jacket on during the day and begin doing the dishes or laundry. Take the trigger away so that the pet doesn't always assume jacket/keys/shoes are signs of you leaving. When your pet no longer has this trigger you can begin the next step.
To get started with this step, begin out-of-sight- stays, place your pet in a stay (assuming your pet is already trained to this command) and walk around a wall or into another room. When your pet is comfortable with 5 minutes of this, increase the time and pull in the previous triggers. Put on your coat and/or shoes or grab your keys and then go into another room while your dog is in a stay. Continuing this process until you are able to go out an exit door, then try leaving for short absences of 2-3 seconds. When you leave your pet for 10-15 seconds, introduce a new toy (Kong, food puzzle, treat ball filled with dog food) and then leave. Make sure that each time your pet is calm and comfortable with the situation. Also ensure that your exit or return is done in a very quiet and calm manner. Increasing time gradually can take up to several weeks. Make sure you are patient and understanding. 

When this approach does not work with your pet's lifestyle, some other ideas to consider are finding a pet sitter or daycare ensuring that your pet is getting at least 30 minutes of exercise a day or, when necessary, talk to your veterinarian about medications. Please remember that punishing your pet is not an appropriate tool. Your pet is in distress!

Social Interactions 

Socialization period for your dog are started within the 3-8 weeks of being born with other pets, and between 5 to 12 weeks of age with they shift their focus to people. Dogs/puppies interact with each other and people through body postures, facial expressions, tail and ear positions,  raising of hair or "hackles", vocalization and scents.  

Socialization period for your cat are much shorter then those of dogs, and began to wane around 7-9 weeks of age. Kittens handled more extensively by people may be more friendlier, outgoing and have fewer problems with aggression. "Social play, including biting, chasing, and play fighting, begins around 4 wk of age, peaks at 6–9 wk, and declines at 12–14 wk. Social play may be directed at people, especially if there are no other cats with which to play. Object play begins around 6–8 wk and peaks at ~18 wk of age. Object play simulates the predatory sequence and includes stalking, chasing, pawing, pouncing, and biting and can be directed at objects or social partners." (Landsberg, merrick manual, "social interactions of cats"). 
Introducing your cat/kitten to stimuli slowly and with rewards can help with fear and anxiety. When introducing a new cat into the house, make sure to provide enough space and "safe" areas for both pets to retreat to. 

 Pheromone Products 
Pheromones are compounds that come naturally from animals secreted them, this helps with communication with members of their same species. During milk production, also known as lactation, dogs and cats secrete a pheromone that comforts their offspring. Cats also secrete facial pheromones, to which they mark a familiar and secure area, often you will see your cat rubbing against chairs, couches, and even your hand. Ceva, a global animal health company has developed synthetic copies of these pheromones. 


"Feliway® is the #1 selling brand for behavior in the world.  It is veterinary used and recommended, and clinically proven*.  When a cat feels comfortable in their environment, they rub their cheeks against objects leaving a facial pheromone.  Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure.  By mimicking the cat's natural facial pheromone, Feliway creates a state of familiarity and security in the cat's local environment.  As a result, Feliway can be used to help comfort and reassure cats while they cope with a challenging situation such as moving or traveling.  Feliway helps reduce or prevent unwanted behaviors caused by stress." (Ceva, "Behavor." 2019)

  "Feliway MultiCat® is the first and only product clinically proven to reduce tension and conflict among household cats. Feliway MultiCat can help all cats living under one roof feel more safe and secure with their surroundings and ease animosity. It’s a copy of the feline appeasing pheromone mother cats produce during lactation. Cats of all ages sense this pheromone and it provides a calming effect that cats can recognize throughout life. " (Ceva, "Behavor".) 2019

"Adaptil®  is a synthetic pheromone that mimics the pheromone mother dogs emit after giving birth to help their puppies feel calm and secure.  Dogs of all ages recognize this pheromone throughout life.  [T]he Adaptil range of products offer help in many situations, both indoors and outdoors, and for short-term and long-term use and can help reduce behavior problems specific to dogs such as fear of loud noises, lonliness, and excessive barking." (Ceva, "Behavor." 2019)