Natural Treatments for Dog Anxiety

Filed under: Separation Anxiety | 1 Comment »

Are you looking for a natural way to treat your dog’s anxiety? I was too! I mentioned the dog toys that help relieve separation anxiety a few days ago, and today I wanted to post about two great, natural treatments for separation anxiety.

The first is a treat (that the dog says is very yummy–I just got up to get the bag and bring it back to the computer and he’s now staring at the bag, waiting for one) called Comfort Calm Doggie Bites. They’re made with chamomile for a natural calming effect and they really do help when we leave the dog alone. Sure, he’s got peanut butter to dig out of his Kong but we definitely notice he’s calmer with the treats than without.

The other one is something I haven’t tried yet but have been wanting to. I do know people that it’s worked for, so that’s why it’s on my list of things to try. Jess mentioned it in the comments of the “Fun Toys Help Treat Separation Anxiety” article. It’s called Rescue Remedy and you can get it from Bach Flower Remedies. Thanks, Jess, for reminding me that I’ve been meaning to try that! (You can find information on the Bach Flower Remedies and how to use them here: http://www.herbalremedies.com/bacflowremfo.html.)

So, what do you think about using natural remedies for separation anxiety? Do they sound like something you’d try? Have you tried any of these remedies to treat your dog’s separation anxiety? I’d love to hear about your experiences!


Fun Toys Help Treat Separation Anxiety

Filed under: Separation Anxiety | 4 Comments »

If your dog has separation anxiety, these are my dog’s three favorite toys for easing that anxiety. You’ll notice all three toys involve food/treats. That tends to be the only thing that keeps his attention when he’s being left alone. Most dogs with separation anxiety can be pretty inconsolable when left alone and something yummy can definitely keep them a little more distracted.

Buster Cube
This is my least favorite of the three toys but I include it on the list because the dog loves it, it’s very durable, and you can make it harder (or easier) to get the food out. So, why is it my least favorite? It’s noisy on our hardwood floors and it bonks into doors and furniture really loudly. It also rattles in a most noisy way–all because it’s a very hard plastic. That being said, if you’re going to use it when you’re not home, the noise won’t be an issue :-).

Tricky Treat Ball
I love this one! It’s soft, so it’s really quiet. And if he happens to roll it over my foot, or into my ankle, it doesn’t make me wince. It’s also been very durable. It’s impossible to clean, so you’ll probably need to replace it at some point, but our Lab hasn’t yet managed to chew it to pieces.

Kong
If you have a dog with separation anxiety, you must get a Kong (at least one!). Fill it with peanut butter and stick it in the freezer and it’ll last longer. You can also stuff it with yogurt or liver paste or anything that’s healthy for your dog (cheese!) and stuffable. We like the medium size even though we have a big dog (he has a large one, too), because it’s a little harder for him to get everything out of the medium ones. They have smaller holes and they also hold less. So, we typically stuff three medium Kongs with a smear of peanut butter (we don’t fill them–the peanut butter’s a lot harder to get out of the far end, so that’s where we stick it) and then we freeze them over night. The next day, he’s got three challenging Kongs to unstuff and is more than happy for us to leave him to his work. We’ve found this lasts longer for him than stuffing one large Kong fully.

So, there you have it, our dog’s three favorite toys that really help to ease his separation anxiety. We use all three, but if your dog has a milder case of anxiety, I’d start with the Kongs and then add on from there.

That being said, the Buster Cube and Tricky Treat Ball both make a great way to feed your dog actual meals and let him get a workout while he eats–this can help him burn off some energy which makes them a nice option for those days when your walk wasn’t as long as it should have been. So, you really can’t go wrong buying any of the three (or all three).

I’d love to hear if you’ve found any durable toys that have helped with your dog’s separation anxiety!


Note to Drug Companies: Stay Away From Vets!

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I recently took my dog into the vet for his annual checkup and to say that I was offended by the sales pitch the vet used for “anti-anxiety” meds for my dog’s separation anxiety treatment… Well, that’s putting it lightly.

Supposedly, this stuff has *no* side effects, no drawbacks, no allergic reactions, and absolutely no reason why every dog on the planet (and not just those with severe separation anxiety) shouldn’t take it. After all, it’s just a dollar a day.

Turns out, he not only misrepresented the price (it comes to $1.75/day, or nearly twice his quoted price), he also misrepresented everything else about the pills. Dogs have had seizures as a result of this medication according to the drug company’s own literature. Dogs have had to be put down because of bad reactions to the drugs. And I only found all of this out after buying the medication and watching the accompanying DVD. Oh, and it’s only been successful with about 60% of separation anxiety cases.

I called my vet immediately to give him a piece of my mind and he was really sheepish and admitted that he had just been telling me what the sales rep had told him. He’d just been so happy to have an option when I described my dog’s separation anxiety issues to him that he didn’t stop to consider that he hadn’t yet read all the materials.

I won’t be taking my dog back. That being said, I can’t say that I’m surprised that he hadn’t taken the time to read all of the literature himself–vets are terribly busy and don’t have oodles of time to pour over drug information.

I don’t think that’s an adequate excuse–the drug the vet prescribed could have KILLED my dog–but I do understand how it happens. (Which is why I’m not calling the vet out here–I do believe he was genuinely sorry and that he is unlikely to sell this particular drug for patient’s separation anxiety issues in the future.)

The real problem is the pharmaceutical company’s marketing. They know we love our dogs and that we’re willing to do what it takes to keep them healthy, and because they’ve been legislated so extensively with people medication, it looks like they’re going to turn their attentions to our dogs. It’s up to me (and you!) to be extra vigilant; until vets start reading very carefully before prescribing all medications, they won’t necessarily be advising you in a way that’s safe for your pet. Instead they may be relying too much on the pharmaceutical company’s marketing copy.

Keeping your dog healthy is your responsibility. Don’t let your vet talk you into medication that’s not right for your dog. Insist on knowing all of the drawbacks and studies before paying for the drugs, and insist that you’re able to bring them back (before giving them to your dog, of course), if when you get them home you just don’t feel right about using them. Sometimes drugs are necessary, for both people and our pets, but the wrong drugs can make a problem worse, so it’s up to each of us to be careful about what we put in both our own bodies and in our dog’s bodies.

And stay tuned to learn how I’m dealing with my dog’s separation anxiety issues in a natural and holistic way.