Advice for dogs with stress
How to spot signs of stress in your dog
You know your pet better than anybody and will often notice changes in behaviour in traumatic situations. Some of the most common events which pets find stressful are:
- Moving house
- Sudden noise eg fireworks, thunder
- New members to the household eg another pet, a baby
- Multi-cat households
- Kennel or cattery visit
- Grooming
- Another cat moving into the territory
During the firework season, many pets become stressed and fearful and the symptoms to look out for, in any stressful situation, include:
- Trembling and shaking
- Clinging to owners
- Cowering and hiding behind furniture
- Barking or meowing excessively
- Trying to run away
- Soiling the house
- Refusing to eat
- Pacing and panting
- Habits such as excessive licking or grooming
Your vet will be able to assess your pet and advise on suitable treatment and/or ways in which you can help to reduce the stress.
Products to help relieve stress
There is another aid to help dogs in the form of a plug-in device, very similar to the plug-in air fresheners. When plugged in, the device warms up and gives off a dog appeasing pheromone (DAP). This is the same pheromone as that produced by a bitch after whelping which helps to reassure her puppies. The DAP has no sedative effect and cannot be detected by humans.
Adaptil is a pheromone diffuser and when you are a member of The Healthy Pet Club, you benefit from a 20% discount on Adaptil.