Purina Calming Care Targets Dog Anxiety at the Gut

Just like us, dogs experience fear and feelings of anxiousness towards objects or sources and react with certain behaviors to handle them. Separation, loud noises, unfamiliar visitors, environmental changes, and traveling are some of the most common sources. Sometimes we can ease their stress by avoiding certain situations, implementing training or distraction techniques, but some canine anxiety can lead to destructive, negative, or aggressive behaviors. Which means it can not only be frustrating to owners but also potentially harmful for dogs. Treatment of canine anxiety and phobias can be very complicated and is not a quick-fix. Learn more about this condition in dogs and the new Calming Care probiotic supplement by Purina.

Common triggers include:

  • Loud noises from fireworks, thunderstorms, or social gatherings
  • Being home alone
  • Kenneling, traveling or moving
  • New people or pets in the house
  • Changes to the environment or daily routine

If you know what causes your dog to feel fearful, you may plan ahead for these situations. For example holidays. Take time to watch your dog to figure out what triggers them to feel anxious or stressed and what behaviors they express in response. Meanwhile, dogs and cats can also express phobias to certain objects or situations. For example the vacuum cleaner or bathing. Once identified, work with your pet to condition them to the object or situation. Try using training and give positive rewards to modify their behavior. Learn more.

Signs of Fear and Anxiety in Dogs

  • Panting & Trembling
  • Hiding & Avoidance
  • Excessive drooling
  • House Soiling
  • Destructive chewing and digging behaviors
  • Excessive whining or barking

Nevertheless, for some dogs, these methods alone will not be enough to ease or rid them of their anxiety. If you find yourselves in that position, consult with your veterinarian to find out if a supplement will fit your needs.

Purina Calming Care

Calming Care at VetRxDirectPurina Calming Care is a probiotic supplement for dogs that manages anxiety and stress-related behaviors. The Purina Calming Care is designed to help reduce anxious behavior by targeting the gastrointestinal tract. Its unique strain of probiotic manages the balance of bacteria in the gut to influence the brain signals. Calming Care may improve behavioral signs caused by separation anxiety, noise phobias, and other types of anxiety in dogs. It also encourages a positive emotional state and helps maintain heart activity and cortisol response during periods of anxiety. Calming Care not only works to help dogs cope with stressful situations but also supports a healthy immune system. This powdered supplement mixes with food making it easier to give.

Reconcile Helps Treat Canine Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is a behavior condition that causes dogs to feel anxiety and express problematic behaviors when left alone. It can not only be frustrating to owners but also potentially dangerous for dogs. When dogs are anxious and nervous about being separated from owners, they can act out in ways that can cause physical harm to themselves and their surroundings. Treatment of canine anxiety and phobias can be very complicated and is not a quick-fix. Depending on the severity of the condition, a combination of training methods and medication may be used. Recognizing that your dog has anxiety or fear issues is the first step.

What are the Signs of a Dog with Separation Anxiety?

  • Excessive drooling
  • Urinating and/or defecating inside the house
  • Barking, Howling, or Whining
  • Scratching at the door, wall, or floor
  • Pacing
  • Escaping
  • Destructive chewing and digging behaviors
  • Coprophagia

What Causes Separation Anxiety?

Change of Schedule: Similar to humans, dogs are creatures of habit. When that routine and habit cycle is changed abruptly it can cause unease and distress. When or how long a dog is left alone can trigger separation anxiety.

Moving: Moving into a new house, apartment or residence is a common trigger of separation anxiety due to the unfamiliar surroundings.

Change of Family: If your dog comes from a shelter or a previous home, suddenly entering into your family can trigger the development of separation anxiety. This may also be triggered by the sudden absence of a current household member such as moving away, long military deployment or trips, or death.

Mild to moderate cases of separation anxiety may be treated with counterconditioning or desensitization training programs. These techniques often use a wide combination of toys, foods, crate training, short trips away, positive reinforcements, or verbal cues. These training methods take time and patience and may require the assistance of trainer or animal behaviorist to achieve the best results. More severe cases may require medication to effectively treat. It is best to talk to your dog’s veterinarian for the best combination of training and medication.

Reconcile at VetRxDirectReconcile

Reconcile, fluoxetine, is a prescription serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant medication. This chewable tablet works by affecting serotonin levels in the brain that may be unbalanced in dogs with certain behavior and cognitive disorders. Reconcile is prescribed to treat separation anxiety, and help relieve behavioral symptoms when used with training.

Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety? Have you used any training methods to help? Leave us a comment below!

Dogs and Fireworks

Noise Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia in Dogs

The summer flies by too fast and Independence Day is already almost here! The 4th of July brings great celebrations but the fireworks and noise can make some dogs anxious. Not only do fireworks cause fear of noises (noise phobia); alarms, thunderstorms, gunshots, and other loud noises can be frightening. My dog was in a house fire 2 years ago (she was thankfully unharmed) and she now has a great fear of smoke detectors or any other beeping alarm. For those who have experienced a pet with a fear of certain noises, you know how hard it can be to watch your pet be frightened. There are many medications, prescription and over the counter (OTC), marketed to help with anxiety in dogs, but which medications are actually effective for the fear of noises?

What is normal in dog fears?

It is very hard to define a “normal” in dogs because each one is different and there are differences between breeds. Some breeds may be more prone to having excessive fears or to being more reactive than others. Some dogs may also be more prone due to their training and environment. Fears are normal in dogs and are a part of instincts: Fears were learned by all animals to keep them alive. Fears are a response to something putting your pet in danger and cause a fight or flight response. When your pet is anticipates the event they fear, it is called anxiety. A phobia is a response to a fear that is exaggerated or unhealthy. Fear, anxiety and phobia are commonly confused terms and it can be hard to explain the differences between them. Below is an analogy which may help you understand the differences between the terms.

     Thunderstorm Phobia

  • Fear= the thunderstorm. This is a normal fear because storms are dangerous for animals and the fear causes them to seek shelter to prevent themselves from getting hurt. An example of a behavior of fear would be if a dog wants to come inside the house or their doghouse because it is storming and behaves relatively normal once they are in. This is normal because it is obviously safer for them to be inside.
  • Anxiety = how the pet acts before the storm happens. This would be when the animal senses an incoming storm and paces, hides, or doesn’t act normal before the storm comes. Anxiety is due to the anticipation or waiting for the storm to come because they sense it and know it is something dangerous.
  • Phobia = when the animal is inappropriately afraid. It is normal for dogs to want to come inside or lay low when a storm comes because they know it’s safer. However, if a dog starts panting excessively, hides, excessively licks their lips, becomes aggressive, or shows other abnormal behaviors then it is classified as a phobia.

Behavior modifications before medications in dogs:

The first part of treating noise phobia and anxiety is to change your pet’s behavior during the fearful event. Below is a strategy and some tips to reduce your dog’s fear of noises.

  • Identify the problem causing your dog to be frightened. You can make a journal or record of when your pet gets frightened and what was happening around them. After a while you may notice similarities and identify a cause of their fears.
  • After you have identified the cause of fear, you should try to avoid it. Some things cannot be avoided such as fireworks or thunderstorms, but gunshots and alarms can be prevented. Try to keep your pet away from the noises causing their fear. When it’s storming or fireworks are going off, you can take your dog to a quiet dark room to help reduce their fear. Having a safe room or crate with a blanket over it can be helpful in noisy situations.
  • Don’t get upset or mad with your dog- it only makes their fear worse. By disciplining your dog, you are showing them there is a reason to be afraid.
  • Don’t reward your dog too much. Trying to comfort them or give them treats while they are hiding rewards them for their inappropriate behavior. Don’t give them treats or physical rewards while they are behaving in a fearful or anxious manner.
  • Distract your dog by working on some training exercises. You can work on your dog’s sit, stay, lay down, and other tricks while the noisy event is happening. This can help distract them and keep their mind off their fears. It is a great time to reward your pet while they are working on training exercises. Rewarding your pet during this time teaches them appropriate behaviors during fearful events.
  • Contact your veterinarian for specific recommendations they have.

When changing your dog’s behavior doesn’t work:

Some dogs may respond well to behavior changes during the noisy events and others may not. Some dogs can be too anxious, depressed, or hyperactive to even try helping them. When this happens, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss your dog’s anxiety and fear. Your veterinarian can decide if there are any other behavioral changes you can make or if medications are the best option.
There are many different treatment options for phobias and anxiety in dogs. They include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, melatonin, dog appeasing pheromones (DAP), milk proteins, plant extracts, supplements, and aromatherapy. Each of these treatment options can work for certain dogs but it just depends on the situation and some may work better than others for your dog. The natural products have the advantage of being OTC but they are also disadvantageous because they aren’t always approved by your veterinarian. It is best to consult your veterinarian prior to starting an OTC anxiety medication in your dog. In general, the OTC products are better for mild cases of phobias and the prescription medications are usually reserved for moderate to severe cases.

Below is a table of OTC and prescription medications used for noise phobia in dogs. Please note VetRxDirect does not sell the prescription anti-anxiety medications because they are controlled substances.

Dogs and Fireworks OTC and Rx Pet Meds

Click Anywhere on the Table for a Full-Size Version

What products have you found to be helpful with dogs and fireworks? We’ve concentrated on dogs today, but please leave any comments about your cats and noise phobias so all pet parents can learn. Thank you.