We care about our pets like they are members of our family, so when we see that they are anxious or stressed out, we can empathize with them. Sometimes it can feel as though there are no easy answers, especially because we don’t always understand why our dogs become stressed or afraid in certain situations.
Whether it’s a loud noise or a harrowing trip to the vet, natural calming for dogs is important because when anxiety strikes, you want to be able to provide relief for them that’s actually effective. While they crave our attention and appreciate being stroked, petted, and held when stressed, these aren’t always reliable methods and in some cases might not be viable.
Your dog relies on you not only for shelter and food but for holistic wellness as well. While this is a less talked about subject, it’s important to understand the needs of our pets and how we as pet owners are also caretakers. We should be knowledgeable about what our pet’s stressors are, and the best and most effective natural ways in which to help them through their anxiety if the need arises.
Most of the time, if something spooks our dog, all it takes to get them back to their happy tail-wagging selves is a few pats on the head and maybe a treat. However, this isn’t always the case, as it may take them hours to process their stress. On rare occasions, they might truly be struggling with something emotionally and remain in a state of stress for days, which is not healthy for them. In this state, it might be easy to think that the answer is a trip to the vet for a sedative of some sort, but before resorting to such extreme measures, it’s much better for the health of your pet to look into natural calming for dogs beforehand.
There are certainly more holistic and healthy ways of going about treating your dog’s anxiety and help to calm them down. Much like us, harsh medications should not be a knee-jerk reaction to signs of stress. Rather, you should go through a comprehensive process of removing the stressors if possible, soothing your dog by providing them with their favorite toys, treats, or activities, and attending to their needs in an empathetic manner.
When all of these outlets have seemingly failed, then you should consider utilizing a natural herbal means of addressing their anxiety. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly causes anxiety in dogs and why natural stress relief is the better choice for your pet in most cases, so you can better understand how to help them in their times of need.
What Causes Anxiety in Dogs?
Anxiety in dogs can set in for any number of reasons, depending on the nature of the situation. At times, seemingly innocuous events can seriously scare them and have them on edge for hours, and even routine occurrences that they have previously experienced might for one reason or another set them off.
Dogs, like most animals, are far smarter than we give them credit for. If you are planning on taking your dog to the park in your car, they will happily follow your lead, but go through the same motions with the intent to take them to the vet, they may easily be able to pick up on subtle bodily and verbal cues that will make them feel anxious.
It’s important to understand that we can’t always prevent our dogs from becoming anxious. While we think of ourselves as their protectors, we can’t control how they interpret what’s around them, and we also can’t account for random happenstance such as thunderstorms. While we can certainly take preventive measures, such as making sure we don’t bring them to any overly loud places, there’s only so much we can do in that regard. Making sure we understand what their particular stressors are, however, can help us address their needs better and ultimately make it easier for us to soothe them or calm them down.
Here are just a few of the many ways in which a dog can become anxious or stressed:
- Extremely loud noises, especially unexpected ones
- Interacting with a new dog. There’s no easy way to tell with this one, even if your dog usually gets along with most other animals, there can always be that one dog that for whatever reason sends up red flags.
- Interacting with strangers. The same issue as with other dogs, even if they are usually congenial toward other people, there is always a chance that a subtle signal will put your dog on high alert.
- Seeing a new location for the first time, having their bed moved into a different room, or moving to a new home in general, can all be cause for anxiety.
- Breaking routine. If your dog is used to certain activities happening on a regular basis or at set times, and then these routines abruptly stop, it may stress your dog out.
- Being separated from you for too long. While we often think it’s endearing how our dogs love bomb us when we walk in the door after work, they do experience very real attachment and long for the time when you get home. If circumstances force you to have to part from your dog for a longer period of time than this, they may easily fall into depression or become anxious.
- Negative emotions. Dogs are highly sensitive and can pick up on negativity, including disappointment in our tone of voice, or if we are angry with our dog for any reason. Depending on the animal, your negative emotions could affect them negatively as well, causing them to stress out.
As you can see, there are quite a few reasons why your dog might become stressed in a given situation. Something as simple as a car backfiring out of nowhere could be enough to spook them, raising their heart rate and putting them in a frenetic state that is not good for their health.
It’s crucial to understand your dog’s stressors because it may help you in preventing them from being scared and anxious in certain situations. While it is difficult to protect them from all harm, it’s our job as caretakers to do what we can. At the very least, you can dramatically reduce the likelihood of them becoming stressed simply by removing certain stimuli from their environment or making sure they get plenty of attention if you have to go out of town.
Taking simple measures such as these are only part of the solution, however. Once your dog is already stressed, regardless of the reason, you need an effective way to help them that doesn’t unnatural medicines or expensive trips to the vet.
Why Natural Stress Relief is Better For Your Pet
Safe and effective is always what you want out of medicine, no matter who it’s for or what it purports to do. There are certainly more than enough unnatural treatments and medications out there that claim to do all sorts of things, but the question is, are they safe and wholesome enough for your pet?
Natural treatments for issues such as anxiety are important because ideally, you want a substance that will work with their body instead of against it. Rather than forcing an effect through an unnatural chemical reaction, a natural treatment that simply aids a process that is already there, can help reduce stress naturally and take the edge off instead of sedating them completely, which in most cases is extreme.
If your dog experiences frequent but mild anxiety, this is especially important. They may simply have a nervous temperament and would benefit a whole lot more from a gentle and natural treatment rather than harsh sedatives just to keep them calm. Natural calming for dogs is a much more balanced approach that works in harmony with their own body, reducing the risk of side effects and overall providing a much gentler experience.
Another important aspect you want to consider in regards to treating your dog’s anxiety or stress is how they are able to go about their business after being sedated through traditional methods as opposed to taking a beneficial natural herbal blend. Many vet-prescribed sedatives completely take away your dog’s ability to sense properly, reducing their alertness and dexterity. While this isn’t an issue in most cases, because they are likely to want to simply sleep for hours at a time, they may overestimate what they are capable of in their foggy state and wind up having an accident.
Many of these kinds of unnatural sedatives can leave your dog groggy and disorientated, which is not only unhelpful for helping them to naturally cope with stressors but could easily create more problems unless someone is watching them carefully until the effects wear off. This is certainly not the most ideal situation and is rather counterproductive on multiple fronts, besides the fact that many kinds of sedatives are simply not safe. As more research is being conducted, it’s being recommended that animals only be sedated in extreme cases and emergencies, such as surgeries.
Clearly then, sedation in this form is not a viable or helpful option if your dog is anxious. In these situations, you need a reliable and effective natural calming remedy for your dog that won’t leave them disoriented or without muscle control. Natural stress relief won’t put them off balance and will work alongside the natural processes of their body to calm them down properly.
For a gentle way to help your dog calm down when they need a bit of relief, we have a Tranquility Blend that uses gentle herbs to help provide an all-natural solution. Here at Animal Essentials, we believe in working together with nature and animals, listening to their needs and responding with holistic remedies that work. Our products are used and recommended by veterinarians and are safe for dogs of all ages, making them the perfect solution even for spooked puppies or senior dogs who have lost their memory and may suffer bouts of confusion.
Where to Find Effective Stress Relief For Your Dog
When your dog is suffering from an acute anxiety attack or even if they are dealing with prolonged and obvious stress, it’s important to be able to address it in a safe and effective manner that is best for them on every level. Knowing where to obtain natural calming for dogs is helpful, as you want to purchase only high-quality and truly natural products for your dog.
Right here at Animal Essentials, we carry various herbal treatments for dogs that can help them calm down naturally, without risk of them losing muscle control or having an accident or reaction. Our Tranquility Blend is specially formulated with beneficial herbs such as valerian, passionflower, and skullcap extract, for maximum effectiveness that’s also 100% safe.
We believe that no matter what your dog is going through, it’s best to address it from a holistic standpoint that addresses their needs on every level. Our herbal extracts are easy to administer, are absorbed quickly, and may help provide fast and natural when your dog is feeling out of sorts or anxious in any way. You don’t have to worry about what to do when your dog seems stressed when you have a reliable way to help them calm down.
For the best in wholesome all-natural ways to help your pets, you can trust in our line of herbal products here at Animal Essentials. You can browse our selection of finely crafted blends that treat a variety of issues, including anxiety, right here in our online store. You can also reach out to us at 888.551.0416 or by email at INFO@ANIMALESSENTIALS.COM with any questions you might have about which products are best for your pet. We want to make sure that your pet’s needs are attended to in the best way possible!