Just as humans can suffer from anxiety, so can our pets. Full Spectrum Hemp Extract CBD Oil can be a wonderful tool for helping manage anxiety in dogs and cats, along with some other helpful environmental shifts. When we fully understand how anxiety develops and can be triggered, we can better understand how to help our pets, and how CBD for pet anxiety can help.
What Causes Anxiety in Pets?
In dogs and cats, just like people, anxiety relates to fear and stress. These feelings can be triggered by certain situations or settings. Some common causes of anxiety in pets include:
- Unfamiliar situations, places, animals or people
- Separation Anxiety (being left alone, or separated from family)
- Noise anxiety (thunder, fireworks)
- Travel (car rides, airplanes)
- Veterinary Visits, Grooming, Boarding
Signs of Anxiety in Pets
Exhibiting signs of anxiety can mean a wide range of things for different pets. For some dogs with anxiety, it manifests through obvious signs like excessive barking, whining, pacing, and trembling. For some cats with anxiety, you may notice hiding, hypervigilance, or excessive grooming. Here are some signs that your pet may be experiencing anxiety, stress or fear:
- Panting
- Trembling
- Dilated pupils
- Drooling, salivation
- Pacing, restlessness
- Hiding
- Destructive behavior
- Decreased appetite
- Bathroom accidents
- Whining, barking and crying
- Excessive grooming, licking and chewing of paws
- Excessive lip licking or yawning
- Tail tucked under the body
- Puffed-up fur
- Hypervigilance
- Aggression
How to Help Pets with Anxiety
While at times the cause of your pet’s anxiety is clear, such as a visit to the groomer’s, or a car trip, sometimes it is difficult to precisely pinpoint the cause of your cat or dog’s anxiety. However, there are some things that can directly contribute to a pet’s general anxiety.
Genetics are one of the things that are not controllable, for example working breeds like German Shepherds, Pointers, Border Collies and Malinois are going to be more prone to heightened stress, anxiety and hyperactivity. This will only worsen if they are not exercised physically AND mentally every single day. If left in a sedentary environment, they will begin to exhibit destructive and compulsive behaviors due to anxiety and stress.
