8 Ways to Calm an Anxious Pet—Especially Over Fireworks or a Trip to the Vet

Research shows that stress can have a very bad effect on our pets’ health if we don’t take extra care to care for and comfort them, and this is especially true for dogs. For this reason, it is extremely important to be aware of and support our animals when they are going through stressful situations.

To help both the owners and these furry cuties, the team at awesome.club collected some methods that have proven to be effective in helping your pet feel better in difficult situations. Check out!

If you notice that your pet is anxious about the fireworks, it’s best to be attentive to his needs, focusing on his attitudes. Instead of watching the fireworks, comfort your pet using a technique that works well for you.

You can make an anxiety wrap for your dog yourself using a scarf or blanket. This method can help keep the animal calm, preventing it from being startled by loud sounds. It’s also essential to give him a big hug, as this gesture helps keep stress levels down.

It’s best to put the wrap on before the noise starts, if you can, to ensure the animal remains as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

A visit to the vet can be stressful for our little dogs, but one thing that can help is teaching them that you will carry them if they don’t like being picked up to be seen.

Simply give them a cue, such as saying the word “take”, before charging them, giving them a treat or object as a reward. This can come in handy at the vet’s office to help keep your dog as calm as possible.

Playing music for cats can help them manage their stress levels, especially at the vet’s office, according to a recent study. The research even says that music can also work with dogs, helping them to relax in stressful situations. There’s even reggae music for the dogs to keep them distracted and calm when they’re feeling tense, like during fireworks shows.

Experts recommend playing sounds considered particularly disturbing by pets, but at a low volume, twice a week. It could be the recording of the noise of the vacuum cleaner or the thunderstorms. So, over time, they will be able to overcome fear. Make sure your pet is comfortable and has a good distraction before playing the recording for him to hear.

Let your pet associate going to the vet with good things by rewarding him with special treats you wouldn’t normally give at home. After any distressing situation for the animal at the vet, such as an injection or having it stand on the scale, give it a treat.

All the handling at the vet’s office can overwhelm our pets, so to help them stay calm, you can train what you can with them at home. Familiarize them with some of the things they would experience in the office, such as brushing their teeth and cutting their nails. This contact is different from petting and can help your pet understand more about what is happening to him during routine checkups at the vet.

Experts recommend giving pets a smaller amount of food before a visit to the vet so that they respond better to the rewards received once they arrive at the vet’s office. This can help them to relax as they will be distracted by the tasty treats and it will also help to get them to cooperate with the professional. Of course, do not overdo it when cutting food, first of all taking into account the well-being of your pet.

Do you have any tips to share with our team that always work? Share photos of your cute (or not so cute) animals in the comments. We would love to meet you!