It’s a documented fact that some animals are sentient beasts. Meaning, they are emotional and have feelings. Like cats, dogs, and birds, most pets have their way of expressing their emotions to their humans. And when it comes to emotions and feelings, pets also experience anxiety and stress.

Animal medical center Virginia Beach VA handles cases of pet anxiety on a regular basis. While pet anxiety is common in dogs, smaller animals like rabbits or hamsters also experience bouts of anxiety attacks. If you suspect your pet is under stress or is anxious, you must seek professional help. Besides this, there are specific ways to calm your pet and quell the anxiety till they get medical attention.

1. Identify the cause of anxiety: Various reasons can trigger anxiety in pets. Your pet may get stressed out seeing an object or under a specific situation. Understanding what triggers nervousness in your pet is the key to treating the symptoms. Be watchful of your pet’s actions and what gives him the heebie-jeebies. If your pet doesn’t calm down take your pet to veterinarian near me.

• Encourage your pet with rewards: Once you have identified what turns your pet anxious, use positive association to make them feel comfortable under such a situation. Put your pet in a fearful situation for a short while and reward them once they have dealt with it. With repeated practice, they will start associating the situation with something positive and stop getting anxious.

• Distract your pet: Distracting your pet when experiencing a stressful situation is the best way to calm them. However, remember that distraction only works for temporary triggers that are not in our control. Playing fetch or giving a belly rub during the trigger can help them ease out and not get stressed.

• Training is essential: Dogs are susceptible to separation anxiety and can wreak havoc when they don’t see their humans around. If you return home to see utter chaos left by your dog, it’s a cue that your dog is suffering from anxiety and stress. Here, behavior training is essential to ensure your dog doesn’t cause destruction when you are away. The best part about dogs and cats is that they are easily trainable. All you need is time and patients to make your pets understand commands and behave appropriately. Training also comes in handy in treating separation anxiety in pets. You can either train your pet on your own or hire professional trainers. While training, one must be consistent and patient with their pets as it takes time for the pets to pick up patterns and learn tricks. Reward your pets each time they behave how you want them to.

Once you have understood what helps keep your pet calm during a stressful situation, continue to reap the activity until they calm down.

If anxiety is not tackled in time, it can lead to other destructive behavior like urination, biting, barking, etc. There are times when anxiety in the pet is caused due to some underlining medical condition. If you suspect your pet is suffering from any ailment, rush them to pet care Virginia Beach for a complete checkup.