Twitter Pet Anxiety Chat

Last night, I had the privilege of sitting in on a very informative Twitter Chat about Pet Anxiety. With summer storms with lots of thunder popping up daily and the 4th of July on the horizon, what a great topic to be covered

It was hosted by @Pet360 of Pet 360, Guest speakers were @PatrickMahaney a holistic veterinarian specializing in acupuncture/pain management & @Thundershirt for dogs and cats to help relieve their anxiety and calm them down during stressful situations

Here are some of the questions and answers of the night:

Why does thunder scare dogs?
     *Loud noises, including thunder, stimulates a dogs basic instinct to flee for saftey.


Why do dogs start pacing long before the thunder starts?
     *Animals are keenly sensitive to environmental & barometric changes 


Are there certain breeds/pets that are more prone to anxiety
    *Yes in both dogs and cats
          -Terriers, Retrievers, Sporting, (Weimaraner, Viszia, etc) & working dogs
           (Border Collie, etc) are the most prone in dogs.
         - Cats that are relatively "wild" like Bengal, Occicat & Savannah don't do 
           well with stress of domestic confinement.


How can I relieve this stress or anxiety?
    * Exercise, distracting sounds, massage or medication.
         -Medication should be used as part of the treatment for anxiety and should 
          never be the sole therapeutic option


What are some non-medication alternatives?
    * Behavioral stimulation, including: exercise, environmental enrichment, acupuncture, acupressure, Chinese medicine food, therapeutic herbs, massages. etc.


What is considered environmental enrichment's?
    *Interactive training, distracting toys...

How do pets develop these loud noise anxiety? Is it inherent fear or developed early in life?
    *It is instinctual but can develop with repeated exposure


If one dog is afraid of thunder and the other one is not, should you separate them during a storm?
    *It depends on how severe the anxiety is, especially if removing the companion dog makes it worse I wouldn't.


Don't those wraps help dogs with Thunder?
    *Thundershirts can help pets with any type of anxiety

Is is safe to leave Thundershirts on for long periods of time?
    *Yes many clients leave them on all day while they are at work


This is not all of the questions from the night but a basic recap. If you would like to learn more about Thundershirts you can click on this link
Learn more about Thundershirts 

Dogs and the 4th of July

The 4th of July is all about Celebration Food, Family, Fun and Fireworks. Too bad our dogs don't agree.

Now don't get me wrong, dogs love Food, Family & Fun. It is the fireworks they don't care for too much. Even the biggest and bravest dog can be sent cowering by the loud boom of fireworks.

So to make this holiday one you and your four-legged family member can enjoy include them in the Food, Family & Fun. But as the sun goes down, do your dog a favor and leave them home with a nice safe place to curl up and relax.

If there will be fireworks near your home here are a few tips to help ease your dogs fears

• Don't change your behavior, just because there are loud noises and they are frightened don't baby them. This is just reinforcing their fear and behavior. Just go about your normal activities.
• Don't react in anticipation of your dogs fear. They will sense the reaction and this will make their fear even worse. Your body language tells your dog there is something to be afraid of.
• Try and drowned out the noise by turning up the Television or radio. Keep all the windows closed and if you have one turn on a fan to help drowned out the noise.
• Whatever you do, don't force your dog to face his fear. If he is more comfortable in his crate or under the bed, leave him there

By following these simple steps everyone in the family two and four legged can enjoy the 4th of July