Treating Anxious or Fearful Dogs

Signs of Fear and anxiety in Dogs

Is your dog anxious? How would you know? The following behaviors often occur in anxious or fearful dogs:

·         cowering

·         panting

·         pacing

·         shaking or trembling

·         licking

·         hiding

·         tucking tail

·         running home

·         frantic searching for family

·         hysterical barking

·         vomiting or defecation without being ill

·         disinterest in food or treats

What’s Causing Anxiety in Dogs?

Anxiety is caused by things we control and can change and by things over which we have little control. Let’s consider some causes of anxiety in dogs, then consider how we might mitigate their effects:

• Moving
• Irregular schedules: shift work, vacationing,
• Loud noises: shouting, fighting, music, home construction, road work
• Changes in family members: relatives moving in, babies being born, children going to college
• Changes in pets: pets going to the veterinary clinic for treatment or surgery, pets dying, adopting new pets
• Insufficient emotional and physical interaction with loved ones, including petting
• Competition or squabbling with other pets
• Inactivity or lack of exercise
• Poor breeding and poor genetics
• Poor maternal behaviors during the first few weeks of life (neonatal period)
• Poor nutrition
• Chronic pain: arthritis, pinched discs, stomach ulcers, esophagitis, abscessed teeth, glaucoma, tumors

Ways to Help Alleviate Anxiety in Dogs

We can help anxious dogs by changing our behaviors; improving their health; increasing exercise and interaction with others; changing food and supplements; improving breeding choices to select only calm, balanced lineages; and adding a variety of holistic remedies. Of these categories, changing our behaviors is the place to start.

Promote Calmness in Dogs

• Maintain a regular schedule for rising, feeding, walking, playing, bed time
• Turn televisions down
• Recognize the power of the human voice to create calmness or distress
• Provide soft, soothing background music, such as Vivaldi, Mozart, Bach
• Ease the transition to changes in family members by having guests stay for increasingly longer periods
• Continue to interact with pets when guests are present
• Allow pets to approach visitors or new family members rather than being approached
• Play recordings of babies crying before bringing a baby into home.
• Bring new baby smells into the home on blankets and leave the blankets near pet’s bed
• Play with pets in presence of the baby or new family members
• Schedule outdoor play time with your pet at least twice a day
• Create novelty by walking different routes
• Rotate toys, playing with one toy at time to bring out the “new” old toy every few days
• Promote peace between pets by giving treats in each other’s presence
• Promote play between pets with tug of war, ball chasing
• Decrease pet rivalry by feeding meals quietly away from sight and sound of others
• Routine veterinary visits to diagnose and treat any medical problems
• For pets that remain painful despite veterinary care, request referral to pain specialist
• Avoid purchasing pets from pet stores that cannot ensure good genetics an good maternal care
• Avoid purchasing pets from families unless you meet both parents and are sure they are emotionally balance
• Feed a natural diet high in B vitamins, antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids

 

 

If, despite all your efforts, your dog continues to be anxious, you may find help with holistic remedies:

1. Supplements
2. Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine (TCM) Formulas
3. Homeopathy
4. Flower Essences
5. Pheromones
6. Massage of Acupuncture Points
7. Essential Oils

1. Supplements for Anxiety

First, ensure your dog’s brain is able to learn new calmness behaviors by providing extra Omega 3 fatty acids, such as Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet.

Supplements that help anxious pet include L-theanine, an amino acid in tea, present in many commercial supplements including Anxitane and Solliquin.

Products isolated from milk casein or whey, such as alpha-lactoalbumen, are available in commercial products Zylkene and Solliquin.

2. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Formulas for Anxiety

For separation anxiety there are dozens of TCM formulas to consider, but we will discuss two of the most commonly used in small animal medicine: Si Wu Xiao Feng Yin or Yi Guan Jian.

Si Wu Xiao Feng Yin is best for pets with what is called blood deficiency and wind in Chinese medicine. These pets may have allergic dermatitis, dry eye, ear infections (otitis externa), staphylococcal skin infections, dry skin, dull coat, pale or lavender tongue, noise sensitivity, timidity, or separation anxiety.

Yi Guan Jianis best for pets with  Chinese Medicine diagnosis of liver, blood and yin deficiency . These pets may have stomach ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, hepatitis, porto-systemic shunt, with liver enzyme elevation, dry or red eyes, nausea, vomiting or indigestion, burping, increased thirst, and weight loss. Pets with liver, blood and yin deficiency can have behavior problems, including fear aggression or separation anxiety.

3. Homeopathic Medications For Anxiety

Homeopathic medications for anxiety include Valeriana, Pulsatilla, Argentum Nitricum, Arsenicum Album, Gelsemium, Phosphorus.
Gelsemium is helpful for dogs who become weak with fear, and aconite is helpful for dogs who bite from fear. Phosphorus is helpful for dogs who are usually outgoing and friendly, but have fear when there are changes. Arsenicum Album is helpful for restless dogs who love to sit by the fire or cuddle where it’s warm, but run and hide when frightened.

4. Flower Essences for Anxiety

Flower essence, especially Mimulus and Aspen help lessen anxiety. Aspen is best for pets with generalized anxiety, and Mimulus for pets whose anxiety is aroused by a specific threat. There are also combination remedies, such as Bach Rescue Remedy or Five Flour Remedy. Both contain several flower essences for an acute anxiety-producing event, such as a dog fight, when hit by car or after a dental extraction.

5. Pheromones for Anxiety

Pheromones for calming are available for dogs (Adaptil) and cats (Feliway). Adaptil is marketed as a spray, which can be used in the car, home, kennel, anywhere really. It is helpful for dogs anxious when walking if sprayed on your pants leg at the height of your dog’s nose. Visitors can spray it on their clothes when greeting your dog. A tiny amount sprayed every few hours is more beneficial than a large amount sprayed once. Adaptil is also available as a collar, but there is a tendency for folks to put the collar on too tight for the dog’s comfort in order to have it receive sufficient body heat to release the pheromone, so I do not recommend the collar in most circumstances.

6. Acupuncture Points for Anxiety

Massage, especially of acupuncture points is an ideal way to help change the nature of anxious pets. Acupuncture points to massage to lessen chronic anxieties are found along the front paws and up around the wrists, including the back of the foot near the pad. Also massage the behind the ears and back along the base of the skull. Among the points your message will stimulate are points along the pericardium, heart and gall bladder meridians, such as PC 6, HT 7, GB 20.

7. Essential Oil

Put tiny amounts of lavender essential oil in the car, near pet’s bed, on the harness or leash. TINY amounts because your dog is more than a million times better than you are at detecting scents.

Pharmaceutical Medications for Anxiety Not Recommended

Pharmaceuticalls are marketed for anxiety, but are not ideal because, unlike herbs, supplements, homeopathics & TCM medications, pharmaceuticals dull the brain and prevent learning.

Among the pharmaceutical medications available for anxiety are Clomicalm, alprazolam, and Trazaodone. In addition to not allowing a dog to learn and improve, these drugs often cause serious side effects.

Some veterinarian prescribe antihistamines (Benadryl, ) for anxiety. Antihistamines may cause drowsiness so that a dog sleeps through an anxiety-producing event, but sleeping prevents the pet from learning from the event—it is not likely to be less aroused with similar future anxiety-producing events. Giving an antihistamine for a once-a-year event is reasonable, but giving antihistamines for extended anxiety-causing event, such as kennelling, is not reasonable.

Anxiety is Treatable

Use these suggestions to help ease your pet’s anxiety. It will love you all the more for your help. If you’re having trouble, seek advice from a holistic veterinarian or a veterinary behavorist. The AHVMA website (www. AHVMA.org) lists holistic veterinarians by city, state & phone so you’ll be able to locate one near your home.

 

 

 

 

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