Sometimes we need to look for ways to reduce stress in dogs that suit each family. Giving medication is not the same as giving a natural remedy and using dispersion techniques for our furry companions. Stress continues to be one of the most common conditions in dogs, especially those that live in cities or very small flats and spend much of their day alone.
Due to lack of information we can confuse it with behavior problems or hyperactivity. On our site we want to talk about the remedies to reduce stress in dogs, not only the conventional ones, but also those that we do not expect can help us when fighting this problem.
How to reduce stress in dogs?
To help others we must always be well ourselves. This sounds basic, but it is the point from which we must start to help our dog. If we ourselves are able to reduce or manage stress levels, we can improve our quality of life, that of our environment and also that of our loved ones, in this case our dog.
To identify the cause that causes stress in the dog, we must know what its needs are. Learning about the breed, age, walks or food are some points to start with, but to reach the desired balance we have to educate ourselves to know how to satisfy canine needs.
Other ways to find out what causes stress in our dog can be reviewing the 5 freedoms of animal welfare, requirements that any he althy dog should be able to enjoy. Likewise, if we also learn canine language, we will be able to know if our dog is relaxed, nervous or stressed in the different situations of the day.
Sometimes it is very difficult to understand what causes stress in our dog: it may be that he has a simple walk of 10 minutes a day, when in reality he needs 3 walks a day of 40 minutes each, it may be that during the walk we constantly pull on the leash or suffer every time he barks in the street. There are countless causes that can generate discomfort in our best friend and we are the ones in charge of identifying what may be happening. Remember that a change in his life can also cause anxiety, such as the loss of a family member or a move.
Providing a relaxed and calm environment at home is often successful. Other times we just need to entertain your mind with intelligence games or smell games several times a day. This occurs in very intelligent breeds, such as shepherd-type breeds (border collie, German shepherd…) or pinscher type, which must have an occupation to be mentally he althy.
The important thing is to be aware of and get to know our dog in order to understand what may be affecting his emotional state. Small changes often make a difference and allow us to dispense with medications.
Traditional remedies to combat stress in dogs
Allopathic remedies will always be the result of a visit to the vet, and he will guide us in what is best for our dog. We should not self-medicate our pet, since we could be wrong in choosing the drug and/or the dose.
pheromones are often widely used in these cases, since they mimic the smell of their mother, and we can be successful with them. They exist in the form of necklaces or ambient diffusers that are not so invasive for them and we will not even notice it. All the necessary information in our article on the effectiveness of pheromones.
There are other drugs for very acute cases such as Prozac, which is a canine anxiolytic, but cannot be used for very long periods of time, since it can cause other problems that we will regret later.
Natural remedies for stress in dogs
Although there are several remedies to treat stress in dogs, below we highlight the most effective natural techniques in these cases:
- Within the home remedies we can choose chamomile tea that will be mixed with your usual meal, once the tea is prepared or a spoonful soup of well-cooked oatmeal, also in his meal. St. John's wort is also widely used to reduce anxiety in dogs and people, they are usually found in tincture or capsules that we can administer in the mouth directly or with food.
- The homeopathy presents medicines that help in many cases and have no side effects. They can be used chronically without generating any dependency. We have different ways of dealing with the problem, but that will be evaluated by the homeopathic veterinarian that we consult. Valerian is usually the most common option and a few drops in food will suffice to see the change.
- aromatherapy is widely used for these issues, since it is not invasive for the animal and through different techniques we can help reduce its state of being Lavender oil is often very effective for dogs suffering from separation anxiety, stress, or loneliness. Already with an environmental diffuser or wrapping the animal with blankets of that fragrance we can allay fears or strong crises. We can also apply a few drops on the dog's bed and it is a very economical solution too.
- The Bach flowers,like the passion flower or passiflora, is the most used for emotional problems that lead to canine stress. The goal will always be to calm anxiety to reduce physical manifestations, if any.
- acupuncture is also often a technique widely used in these cases with any of the remedies listed above. We can combine it with homeopathy or flowers and obtain wonderful results with only 1 or 2 sessions.
