Anxiety in dogs can pose some bigger threats than anyone can imagine. If you own a pet and you do not have enough petting experience, anxiety is one issue that you have to consider.

Anxiety in dogs can pose itself as different classes like fears, panic or stress. Each of these can make your dog exhibit different behavior.

As a dog owner, it is important to be aware of the different stressors or triggers that make your pooch anxious. Early diagnosis can help you to try out some natural remedies and bring the situation under control rather than spending more time and money to alleviate the concern.

Dog anxiety causes

The exact cause of anxiety in dogs is difficult to diagnose. However, there are a variety of triggers that can make your dog anxious.

An illness or painful experience like a visit to a veterinarian without proper preparation can make your dog anxious. On the flip side, we have had dogs that have started showing anxiety symptoms just because of the aging factor.

Anxiety due to a horrible previous experience is also not rare.  Dogs that are not allowed to be socially active can also fall for this concern. Separation anxiety in dogs is another common trigger for anxiety in dogs.

Symptoms

Dog anxiety symptoms are usually identifiable by the different symptoms. Stressed dogs can often exhibit behavioral issues like licking, excessive chewing or scratching. While these symptoms can be hard to detect as they are in close proximity to routine activities to most of the dogs, symptoms like tail tucking or hiding can be easily identifiable.

Some of the more aggressive symptoms of dog anxiety are escaping tendency, urination, panic, pacing up and down.

Natural remedies to dog anxiety

Using a weighted blanket is the most recommended and widely adopted strategy for alleviating the concerns of dog anxiety.

As per the experts, weighted blankets create the feeling of a deep hug or swaddling. People usually increase the pressure on the blanked by using beads or similar heavy materials.

Weighted blankets if used correctly, can exert pressure equally over the body of your pooch. This mimics the therapeutic procedure usually done to bring anxiety under control. The scenario will assist the brain in releasing serotonin and dopamine, which are vital de-stressors for the nervous system.   

Recommended weight of the blanket can be calculated as 10% of your dog’s body weight. Therefore, if your dog weighs 50 pound, the recommended weight of the blanket would be 5 pound.

CBD or Cannabidiol is considered as another solution that can help you to control your dog’s anxiety. CBD is extracted from marijuana but free from the harmful component THC. This ensures that your dog is safe from any harmful side effects of marijuana.

CBC is available in several forms like oil, tincture and capsules, always make sure that the ones that you buy are THC free.

Spending some time with your dog and giving him enough attention is vital for fighting anxiety in your dog. Always keep this in mind and act accordingly to prevent the bigger symptoms of the concern rather than treating it.