Things are pretty stressful right now. We’re stressed and anxious and that makes our pets stressed and anxious.
Pets are really big on routines; so all these changes in our usual routines are also pretty stressful for them.
Just like in people when pets get stressed it causes all sorts of changes to the body and immune system. It increases inflammation in the body and lowers the ability to fight disease. Stress causes things like allergies and asthma to get worse. It causes GI upset. It can cause urinary problems. Many behavioral issues like peeing or pooping in abnormal locations and fights and aggression between housemates can either pop up or get worse because of stress.
So what can you do to help your pet? Lots of things!
Here are some of my favorite over the counter options to reduce stress. These are all products that I’ve vetted and trust to be safe and effective for your pet. Find out how I choose products.
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Adaptil and Feliway. The natural pheromones in these diffusers, sprays and collars have a calming effect and have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing stress symptoms. Adpatil is for Dogs, Feliway for Cats and there’s a Feliway Multicat specifically for multiple cat homes. Make sure the diffusers are refilled every month, that enough of them are around (they only diffuse for about 400 sq ft) and the actual plug in part does need to be replaced every 6 months to a year to work best.
There are many options for calming supplements that can be helpful. Some safe and effective options are Zylkene, Composure, and Solliquin. They’re all available over the counter and are available in different sizes based on weight and whether it’s for a cat or dog. There are liquid (Composure), chewable tablet (Solliquin), capsule you can open and sprinkle in food (Zylkene), or chew treat (Composure, Solliquin).
There are lots of herbal options as well. A good generic stress relief option is Ashwagandha. A couple good options would be Nature’s Answer Ashwagandha glycerin extract, or if powder is easier Mountain Rose Herbs Ashwagandha Root Powder. A trained veterinary herbalist can also add more complex herbal formulas that are more specific to your particular pet’s unique needs.
ThunderShirt. This “shirt” wraps your pet’s body tightly which creates a calming effect similar to weighted blankets and tight swaddling in humans. Available in a range of sizes and works for cats and dogs. Some pets do best wearing them all the time, others just need them at extra stressful times.
Try to get new routines established and stick to them. Having a set routine will help your pet be more relaxed and less worried about all the changes happening.
This could be a good time to work on a new trick or try something like clicker training for your pet. It will help provide some mental stimulation and take everyone’s minds off stress and worry. Keep training sessions short and positive for your pet so they can easily accomplish the task and enjoy the session.
There are some cases where pharmaceutical options are helpful in either the short or long term working together with all the other things to try to reduce stress levels and the side effects on the body. There are a number of options and your vet can discuss which ones if any might be good options for your pet’s unique needs.
Acupuncture, laser therapy, and massage all release endorphins and other calming/feel good chemicals in the body and can help reduce anxiety and stress.
Stress and inflammation can be part of a vicious cycle. Plus some symptoms of stress can also be symptoms of other diseases so it’s important to work with your pet’s vet to be sure there’s nothing else going on since having inflammation and other diseases can cause more stress.
Even if your pet doesn’t seem too stressed yet it’s always best to try to prevent that stress and all the physical side effects before they happen rather than try to treat the flare up after it’s happened and supplements, herbal, and pharmaceutical medications can sometimes take several weeks for peak effects so it’s best to be proactive.
We’ll never be able to eliminate all stress, especially since there’s just a lot of stress and uncertainty in our lives right now, but there are a lot of things we can do to reduce stress for our pets as much as possible to help them stay healthy and happy.