Care Corner: Easing Pet Stress

Pets can get stressed out just like people do. And while meditation and deep breathing can help people, when it comes to de-stressing, our pets might need a little extra attention and help!
 
Why It’s Important

Pet stress could result in vomiting and diarrhea and may even contribute to lifelong conditions like heart disease and diabetes. And the signs of pet stress may be subtle or more extreme, so it’s important to pay attention to your pet’s behavior. For instance, hiding or backing away, lip smacking, pacing, panting and aggression, as well as destructive behavior toward the furniture, could be signs that a pet is stressed out.

And there are a number of common situations that may stress out a pet, too, such as having guests over, moving, construction in or near the home, or just being exposed to loud noises. Once you know what might trigger your pet’s stress, you can take steps to provide them with relief.
 
And there are some simple things you generally can do to help ease pet stress. For example:

• Make sure your pet gets enough exercise.
• Provide them with toys and active play time to help them cope with stress.
• Create a safe place for your pet to rest especially if there are changes to the environment, such as when you have company over or are moving stuff around.
• Introduce calming pheromones into their environment.

And speaking of pheromones, Phinney’s friend Dr. Rachel Geller, who provides free cat behavior counseling, was recently quoted in an article by Fear Free Happy Homes, which educates people on how to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety and stress in pets. Rachel discussed synthetic pheromones, which she says can be used to calm a kitty when unfamiliar objects or fixtures are brought into the home (or the cat is in a strange place, such as their own new home). The article noted that there are now products on the market to help dogs de-stress, too.

If after trying some or all of these tactics your furry friend is still stressed, it might be time to contact your vet for some extra guidance.

Check Out These Resources

Visit our Care Corner web page for resources on how to help a pet who’s stressed out. And if separation anxiety is stressing your pet out, check out this Care Corner post. 
 
What You Can Do To Help
 
Phinney’s believes in keeping people and their beloved pets together. We do this by extending a helping hand to pet parents in need when these emergency vet visits become too costly for some to afford. Ways you can help include donating to Phinney’s or volunteering.  And, anyone in need of help in caring for their pets can visit our Get Help page for more information.