Anxious Pets - How You Can Help

Dogs And Cats With Anxiety

It's not only humans who suffer with anxiety, but it is quite common to also see our furry friends - dogs and cats - also going through much mental torture and stress.

It could be a reaction to things such as loud noises from thunderstorms, firecrackers and fireworks. Or maybe your cat or dog hates to travel in the car or plane.It could be an unforeseen event that arrives or even an unknown reason from the past,but whatever the reason, seeing your pet in distress also becomes very distressing for us.

There are drugs that can be prescribed by your veterinarian for anxiety problems and for relaxing your dog, but many people are reluctant to do this and often use the medications as a last resort.

If you are thinking you want to try a natural alternative to relax and calm your cat or dog, then there are a couple of items available that you can try. Lets have a look at what is available to reduce anxiety inyour pet. Both of the products I will talk about are known to have a pretty high success rate.

Thunder and Loud Noises

Before we look at some possible solutions, let's have a quick look at the most likely culprits to cause issues with your pets. It is extremely common for animals to be scared of thunder storms. I've had dogs that become a quivering mess at the first distant rumble they hear. Their fear is often not only restricted to thunder storms, but can be triggered by any loud or unusual noises. How often do we see the sad result the day after a big fireworks display, of many dogs roaming the streets dazed and confused, after not being securely retained in their homes and running away in fear to escape the dreadful noise.

Whilst training can help dogs to overcome many behavioural problems, if your dog is already in a state of anxiety it can be hard for training to have the full effect. By this I mean both trained dogs who have taken fright to a noise or situation and untrained dogs who have built up so much fear, they are harder to train.

What Else Causes Anxiety For Our Pets?

Maybeit causesterrible trauma for you and your cat or dog when you have to go in the car to the vet? Does your dog have a barking problem? Does your pet suffer from separation anxiety? Need to travel on the plane with your pets? How about when you have to give medication or perform any kind of treatment...especially to your cat? Luckily there is a simple and safe solution that possibly can help with any of these problems.

Step in to the picture...The Thundershirt.

Thundershirts Are Go!

Thundershirt M Heather Grey Cat
Amazon Price: $39.99 $37.78 Buy Now
(price as of Jun 10, 2013) Thundershirts for cats. Help calm your cat in times of stress. Great if your cat hates to travel for visits to the vet!

Thundershirt

Thundershirt Dog Anxiety Treatment, Large, Heather Grey
Amazon Price: $39.95 $34.99 Buy Now
(price as of Jun 10, 2013) The Thundershirt for dogs not only looks stylish but better than that, it calms your dog in the times it is most needed.

The Thundershirt For Dogs and Cats

This wrap around coat works by applying pressure - a lot like being cuddled - around the dog or cats torso. The Thundershirtworks by utilizing pressure point relaxation therapy. The company is so confident in the Thundershirt's abilities, that it offers a full money back guarantee and touts a high 75% success rate. The thunder coat is not only used for anxiety caused by loud noises but is also proving affective in stopping other anxieties caused by travelling and separation. It also claims it helps with "problem barking" in dogs.

I can speak from experience with this product as I do own one for my toy poodle. Whilst living in China has made her pretty bomb proof to loud noises such as fireworks, crackers and thunderstorms, she is still prone to other anxieties. It's really hard to know what our dogs are thinking to cause all these different problems they seem to come up with?

I guess you're wondering what happens when you put the thunder coat onyour pet? Well generally they curl up and go to sleep! The gentle, constant pressure around their torso relaxes them.

Recommended by thousands of veterinarians and dog trainers, Thundershirt is already helping dogs all over the world.

Thundershirt claims to help with these problems and more :

• Fear of thunder/fireworks
• Separation anxiety
• Travel anxiety
• Crate training
• Problem barking
• Hyperactivity
• Leash pulling

Have a look at these videos to see the thunder coat in action for many types of anxietyproblems.

Thundershirt Sizes

To check you get the correct size Thundershirt,you need to check these measurements.

Dogs Cats

Size Chest Size Weight Size Chest Size Weight

XXS 9"-13.5" < 7 lbs. Small 9" - 13" < 9 lbs.

XS 13"-18" 10-18 lbs. Medium 13" - 17" 9 - 13 lbs.

S 16"-23" 15-25 lbs. Large 17" - 24" >13 lbs.

M 18"-26" 20-50 lbs.

L 24"-32" 40-70 lbs.

XL 31"-40" 60-100 lbs.

XXL 38"-50" >90 lbs.

For both dogs and cats the chest size should be measured around the torso, just behind the front legs, where the chest is at it largest depth.

Before and After Videos

The Company That Gives Back

Besides the fact that the Thundershirtseems very effective at stoppinganxiety in it's tracks and looks as good as any designer doggy wear, there is something else that makes the Thundershirt's company really special. Thundershirt's give back to the community. They support thousands of rescue groups, shelters and charities, helping dogs manage their anxietiesby donating thousands of thundershirts and ultimately getting the dogs into forever loving homes.

"I am convinced we need to get Thundershirts into shelters and use them to reduce stress and save lives by making anxious pets more adoptable and helping ease their transition to their new homes." Betsy Saul, Founder, Petfinder.com

Thundershirt Drug-Free Dog Anxiety Treatment- Blue (Extra Small)
Amazon Price: $44.95 Buy Now
(price as of Jun 10, 2013)

Rescue Remedy

Moving on to the next efficient remedy to help our pets in times of stress... It's also another natural alternative for fear, anxiety and behavioral problems. This product seems to have been around forever. It is of course the highly popular Bach flower mixture - Rescue Remedy. People began to realise that this remedy was not only effective for people, but also had a calming effect on their pets. If you are worried about the tiny amount of alcohol used to preserve the mixture, you can now buy an alcohol free version, especially designed for your animals. The company realised just how successful it had become with people that were using this remedy worldwide for their animals, so they formulated one especially made... just for our animals.

The Rescue Remedy For Pets is made of these 5 essences -

• Rock Rose -for terror and panic
• Impatiens -addresses irritation and impatience
• Clematis -for inattentiveness and lack of interest
• Star of Bethlehem -for shock and trauma
• Cherry Plum - for a lack of self-control

and is used to treat these problems

• Separation anxiety
• Fear of loud noises (thunderstorms, fireworks)
• Travel anxiety
• Visits to the vet or groomers
• Shock, trauma or mistreatment
• Adapting to new surroundings
• Excessive barking or hissing

It is easy to administer Rescue Remedy to your pet. It can be done just byadding 4 drops of "Rescue Remedy Pet" into their food, water bowl or on a treat. Repeat as needed. It can also be rubbed onto your animals ears, nose or paw. Whichever is the easiest way for you and your pet. The dosage is not administered by the weight or size of your animal, but is dependent on the situation or stress causing the anxiety.

It is not a sedative and has been used and recommended by veterinarians, dog groomers and pet owners for many years.

Rescue Remedy Pet Formula
Amazon Price: $17.15 $15.95 Buy Now
(price as of Jun 10, 2013) A safe and natural alternative to help calm your pets in times of stress.

The Verdict

It should be noted that all dogs and cats - like humans - are different, and these products effectiveness can differ from animal to animal. The Thunder Shirt and Rescue Remedy For Pets, are two worthy products that are certainly worth considering if you have a pet who suffers with anxiety or behavioural problems. We all want to protect our dogs, cats and other pets as best we can. It is comforting to know that if our friends need a little help, there are a couple of things that come with a high success rate, that we can try, hopefully relieving some of their stress and anxiety.