HEALTH
Understanding and Treating Pet Anxiety -----------------------------------BY: ALANA HOLT Staff Photographer -----------------------------------Do gs get an xiet y, t o o . A 2018 st u d y by Th u n d er Wo r ks fo u n d t h at 80 p ercen t o f d o g- an d cat -ow n in g fam ilies h ave seen sign s o f so m e fo r m o f an xiet y in t h eir p et . Lo u d n o ises, su ch as t h u n d er o r firew o r ks, an d sep arat io n are t h e m o st co m m o n cau ses o f an xiet y in p et s. Travelin g, b ein g aro u n d o t h er an im als, an d crat es are am o n g o t h er cau ses o f p et an xiet ies. It is im p o r t an t t o reco gn ize sign s o f an xiet y in yo u r d o g so t h at yo u can u n d er st an d yo u r p et an d fin d a w ay t o su ccessfu lly co m fo r t t h em . Acco rd in g t o t h e Am er ican Ken n el Clu b , sym p t o m s o f an xiet y in clu d e: aggressio n , u sin g t h e b at h ro o m in the h o u se, d ro o lin g, p an t in g, d est r u ct ive b eh avio r , d ep ressio n , excessive b ar kin g, p acin g an d rep et it ive b eh avio r . Th ere are also sym p t o m s o f an xiet y t h at can o ft en be m isin t er p ret ed at so m et h in g else su ch as co n st an t yaw n in g, lickin g t h eir lip s, o r in cessan t ly w aggin g t h eir t ale. Rover b lo gger Heat h er Lo gu e su ggest s p u zzle t oys, lo n g-last in g ch ew s, a crat e (d ep en d in g o n t h e d o g an d t h e am o u n t o f crat e t rain in g t h ey?ve h ad ), a co m fy b ed an d p o sit ive rein fo rcem en t t o h elp co m fo r t yo u r d o g an d p reven t fu r t h er an xiet y. Bu t a so lu t io n t h at seem s m o st reco m m en d ed is t h e Th u n d er Sh ir t by Th u n d er Wo r ks, w h ich w rap s aro u n d yo u r d o g's, o r even cat ?s, t o r so an d p rovid es a calm in g p ressu re. Reyn a Ro b les h as a 3-year -o ld Yo r kie n am ed Sailo r Baylo r . Sh e an d h er p u p m oved fro m Texas t o Kan sas. Ro b les?s fam ily resid es in Texas, so w h en it cam e t im e t o visit , 26 | TEXASDOGMAGAZINE.COM
Three-year old Yorkie Sailor Bayor's travel anxiety has been eased thanks to the ThunderShirt his human, Reyna Robles bought. Photo by Reyna Robles. sh e?d lo ad u p Sailo r Baylo r fo r t h e 9-h o u r d r ive. Sh e n o t iced t h at h e h ad t ravel an xiet y b ecau se h e w o u ld sh ake u n co n t ro llab ly, t r y t o p ace in h is crat e an d even t h row u p in t h e car aft er ab o u t an h o u r . Ro b les b o u gh t Sailo r a Th u n d er Sh ir t fro m t h u n d er sh ir t .co m an d h is sh akin g sign ifican t ly d ecreased . Aft er t h e seco n d t r ip t h ey m ad e w it h h im w ear in g it , h e st o p p ed t h row in g u p . ?Aft er ab o u t five t r ip s, w h en I n o t iced h e w as d o in g m u ch b et t er in t h em , I t r ied let t in g h im r id e w it h o u t it an d h e d o es great n ow ? h e sleep s t h e w h o le t im e,? Ro b les said . Th u n d er Wo r ks also p rovid es o t h er so lu t io n s su ch as calm in g ch ew s, cap s, an d aro m at h erapy. An d t h ere?s an ap p fo r t h at ? Train Aw ay, fo u n d ed by Kevin Hen r y an d Kr is Law so n in 2018, is a m o b ile ap p fo r An d ro id an d iPh o n e u ser s t h at let s p et ow n er s p lay t r igger in g so u n d s fo r t h eir d o g at safe, low vo lu m es. Train Aw ay w as d esign ed
t o d esen sit ize p et s fro m n o ises t h at t r igger t h eir an xiet y w it h over 100 p ro fessio n ally or self-reco rd ed so u n d s, su ch as d o o r b ells, t h u n d er o r firew o r ks, in a sem i-ran d o m p at t er n , acco rd in g t o Pet PR. Th e fo u n d er s are cu r ren t ly w o r kin g o n a fu n ct io n so t h at p et ow n er s can co n n ect it t o a t reat d isp en ser . If yo u ?ve n o t iced yo u r p et m ay h ave an xiet y, t h ese are ju st a h an d fu l o f p o t en t ial so lu t io n s t o h elp calm t h em an d aren ?t n ecessar ily a o n e size fit s all b ecau se o u r p et s all h ave u n iq u e p er so n alit ies. Fo r m o re in fo r m at io n t o keep yo u r fu r fam ily safe an d relaxed d u r in g an y sit u at io n , p lease visit t h e fo llow in g w eb sit es: rover .co m / b lo g/ w h at -can -i-give-d o gfo r -an xiet y/ t h u n d er sh ir t .co m akc.o r g/ exp er t -ad vice/ h ealt h / t reat in g -d o g-an xiet y/ et
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