Whether your pet is naturally anxious or anxious only at certain moments such as during a visit to the veterinarian, you should know that there are ways you can help alleviate his or her anxiety. If you’ve ever felt a bout of anxiety yourself, you might recognize the symptoms by taking a closer look at your pet’s behavior. By being observant and working with a professional veterinarian, you can help calm your pet back into his or her usual self.

How to Calm Your Anxious Pet

Causes

There are many underlying causes of anxiety in pets. Some causes may be more obvious, such as a loud noise or being around an unfamiliar person. Some are not so obvious such as internal medical condition or a history of abuse. Sometimes, your own stress and behavior might affect your pet. By rooting out the cause, you’re able to understand how and why your pet is feeling anxious.

Symptoms

Your pet may have a different way of dealing with anxiety when compared to other pets. When checking for any unusual behavior, it’s important to know your pet’s history and typical personality. You can then compare and recognize any new and unusual behaviors that don’t fit the criteria. Symptoms such as not eating or not responding to your voice may point to a medical reason, while chewing on your personal belongings may be a way for your pet to release anxiety.

Treatment

When you’ve found the cause of your pet’s anxiety and recognized the symptoms, you can then try to remove the stressor from your pet’s environment. Note that this might be effective only if the stressor is coming from an external source. You may also try to walk or allow them to roam more often to get rid of pent up energy. Likewise, your pet may need less stimulation and be allowed to stay in a quiet, non-stimulating environment. You could also try playing soothing music and petting your pet more often. Whichever method you try, it’s best to work with your veterinarian to rule out medical reasons or a pet behavior professional to help you treat your pet’s anxiety more effectively.

A healthy pet is a happy pet, and there is no better veterinary clinic to help ensure that than Woodworth Animal Hospital in Waynesboro, VA. No matter what kind of pet you have or your pet’s age this veterinary hospital is fully trained and equipped to offer general animal health care, vaccinations, pet boarding, dentistry, and surgery. Call (540) 942-5163 to schedule an appointment today or visit their website for a comprehensive list of their services.