Pets, like people, experience fear, anxiety, and stress.  The trigger, or triggers, that cause these feelings varies with each pet — being left alone, strange people or animals, loud noises, car rides, small spaces such as a carrier or crate, bath time, etc.  No pet parent wants to see their beloved furry companion fearful, anxious, or stressed so once a trigger is understood it is often avoided. Unfortunately, avoiding the trigger is not always possible or the best option for the overall well being of your pet.  For example, if a pet becomes anxious when going for car rides, this trigger will be hard to avoid when taking your pet to the veterinarian and grooming or boarding facility. So what is a pet parent to do when forced to cause undue fear, anxiety, and stress in their fur kids?  

While there are prescription medications that treat anxiety, not every pet needs to be medicated to relieve fear, anxiety, and stress.  Many pets will do very well with natural alternatives. One such natural treatment that I highly recommend for anxious pets, as well as use in my own hospital, is Feliway for cats and Adaptil for dogs.  Feliway and Adaptil are synthetic copies of several natural pheromones that are produced by cats and dogs. The pheromones found in these two products are compounds that are naturally secreted by cats and dogs to communicate  a sense of calm and security. Feliway and Adaptil are available over-the-counter and come in a spray, diffuser that can be plugged into a wall outlet, a collar for Adaptil, and an applicator for Feliway to redirect scratching.  For fearful, anxious, and stressful pets, you can spray it on their favorite toys, bedding, or carrier and crate and then plug in a diffuser in rooms where they tend to hang out. I use the diffusers in each of my exam rooms to help relax anxious pets as well as other areas of the hospital and it does make a difference in reducing fear, anxiety, and stress.  To learn more about each of these great products please visit www.feliway.com and www.adaptil.com.