Pet Anxiety: 7 Tips to Help Relieve Nervous Behavior in Your Pets
Just like humans, it’s normal for pets to experience nervousness in certain situations. However, pets with high levels of anxiety frequently display nervous behaviors that can harm their quality of life — and yours, for that matter. Dogs and cats suffering from nervous behavior may express their anxiety in the form of disruptive behaviors, including urination, increased vocalization, pacing, destruction of property, aggression, and more.
It can be heartbreaking to see your pet so uncomfortable and anxious. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to help your furry friend find relief, from massage therapy to high-quality pet CBD. Read on to learn more about why pets get anxious and how you can help manage their symptoms.
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Why Is My Pet Anxious?
Pets can become anxious for any number of reasons. Many phobias and anxieties are formed due to experiences that occur within the pet’s first year of life. Traumatic events — such as a severe thunderstorm, animal abuse, or being surrendered to an animal shelter — can leave their mark on our furry friends and contribute to nervous behavior in adulthood.
Some of the most common causes of pet anxiety include loud noises, being left at home alone (separation anxiety), traveling, new environments, unfamiliar people, children, and other pets.
Nervous behavior in dogs and cats can also be a sign of underlying illness or disease. Suppose your pet is anxious all of a sudden and doesn’t have a history of nervous behavior. In that case, it’s important to have them looked at by a veterinarian to rule out illness-caused anxiety.
7 Tips for Relieving Nervous Behavior in Pets
Nervous behavior in pets is common, especially in dogs. According to a recent study, more than 70 percent of dogs display anxiety-like traits.
If your pet suffers from a phobia or anxiety, here are a few things you can do to help calm them down.
Give your daily pet exercise.
We all know that exercise is a fantastic stress-reliever for humans, but did you know that it can help calm your pet down as well? Daily exercise helps stimulate the production of serotonin and endorphins in your pet’s brain, making your pet feel extra happy and relaxed. It also gives young pets and high-energy breeds a healthy way to release all of their pent-up energy. For maximum stress-relieving benefits, try to exercise your dog or cat first thing in the morning. Take your pup for a long walk and bust out the laser pointer for your cat.
