Anxiety is a common issue in human beings, but you may not know that it’s also common in dogs. The study of anxiety in canines is not as in-depth as it is for humans, but according to a study done in Finland, more than 70% of dogs display signs of anxiety. Typical signs of anxiety in a dog will manifest as excessive licking or chewing, barking or whining, shaking and shivering, panting and drooling, urinating indoors, pacing and restlessness, and so on.
There are a variety of potential causes for why your dog may be anxious. It could have been abused or had some other trauma in the past, or it may just be genetics for certain kinds of stress. There are certain things that just make most dogs naturally more stressed out and anxious, but it can be something that their owners can help relieve.
According to pharmacbd.com, CBD as a supplement has become very popular in the past decade or so, not just in humans but also in dogs. Scientific research has discovered the potential for premium CBD to treat anxiety, including for our furry companions. If you want to know how, here are four ways that CBD for dogs can help reduce their anxiety.
1. For Vet and Groomer Trips
Your dog may not have an anxiety disorder, but just may be anxious and stressed in certain situations. One of the more common occasions, when your dog becomes anxious, is when you take them to their vet or their groomer. It’s a new, strange environment, they tend to get confined to cages or strapped into a harness to keep them still, and then get poked and prodded and their fur cut or brushed by strange people.
If your dog gets anxious by trips to the vet or groomer, you may find that they become difficult to handle to get them into the clinic or groomers. Their tails will be down, they’ll whine and pull on the leash, and so on. One way to help keep them calmer ahead of their visits to their vet or groomer is to give them a CBD treat 30 to 60 minutes ahead of time. That gives it time to take effect, so they are in a state of greater calm and relaxation before they even get to their source of anxiety.
2. For Car Rides
Many dogs also get anxious whenever they’re traveling in a car. This could be due to motion sickness, trauma from being in an accident, anxiety over the noises cars make, and so on. It could also be that they associate car rides with stressful events, like being taken to the vet or their groomer. Your dog may get sick in the car, or whine and bark at you as you drive, or be unable to sit still and settle down.
If you’re going on a shorter trip with your dog, you can use the same tip as above: give your dog a CBD treat 30 to 60 minutes before the ride is set to start. However, if you’re taking a long road trip for a move or vacation, that will only work at the start. The other thing you can do is make sure to give them more treats when the effects start to fade, such as when you make a rest stop and let them walk around outside for a bit.
3. For Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is another very common type of stress for dogs. This is especially true for dogs that have been abused or even just rehomed with new families, as they become very attached and worried about being abandoned again. It’s worse for a dog that has humans leaving them home alone for long periods of the day while they go to work.
Separation anxiety is one of the more common types in dogs. They will bark and howl at home even when they are alone, which can be upsetting to neighbors. There are other ways to help them get over their separation anxiety, but CBD can also help alongside those tips. Give your dog a CBD treat before you leave so they can be more relaxed and sleep comfortably until you come home. You can combine that with white noise machines, dog walkers coming to let them out with other dogs so they’re active and social, and more.
4. For Thunderstorms and Fireworks
The final source of anxiety in dogs is due to sudden loud noises from outside the house, mainly things like thunderstorms and fireworks. It can also include things like construction coming from nearby but outside. Using CBD ahead of time for these can be tricky because they’re not as predictable depending on where you live. The weather and use of fireworks can be more or less inconsistent.
There are certain holidays that typically have fireworks that you can plan ahead for, but depending on where you live there are other days that can be more random. Thunderstorms are also difficult to predict, but you can try giving your dog some CBD treats on days when the weather forecast is calling for a storm around a certain time.
You can combine using CBD with other tips to help them feel more comfortable when there’s thunder or fireworks. Having a white noise machine can help drown out the sounds that make them anxious. You can also have a special crate or bed that has soundproofing that they can lie in when there’s a storm, so they don’t hear it as much or at all.
Between these four tips, you now know when you can give your dog some CBD to help them stay calm and relieve their anxiety in situations they are likely to be highly stressed. It’s important to know that CBD is not a miracle drug, however. CBD works best as a supplement that is combined with other methods to reduce their anxiety.
You can speak with your vet or a dog trainer that specializes in treating a dog’s anxiety. They will give you the tools you need to make sure your dog’s anxiety does not cause unhealthy and negative behaviors. CBD should just be used as one other tool you can use to achieve that goal.
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