Festive Season: Stress Edition
By Taya Hosking - 16/11/22
The situations that may cause anxiety for your pup these holidays
Do you find your pet begins to act differently around the festive season?
Do they become overly excited when guests visit?
Do they hide away in the laundry?
Do they start showing those pearly whites of theirs in a not so welcoming way?
We all know the holiday season is an exciting time for all involved.
It's full of fun, family and festivities, although it may not be fun for all members of the family... yes we are referring to our fluffy friends.
Here's some of the reasons your dog may begin to overact and show signs of stress during the holiday season.
Change of Routine
This is a big one for dogs. They are familiar with being fed at the same time every day, having their human leave and come home at the same time, seeing the same familiar four walls.
So when this routine begins to change, there’s definitely some room for stress to begin. If you’re on holiday, the likelihood that you’re getting up later, taking your dog for walks at different times to usual, and maybe staying out later at night too, is highly likely.
Although your dog may love the random midday walks and beach trips, it can still throw their day out of whack. Therefore, try and keep their routine as normal as possible eg. attempt to keep meal times and walk times similar.
FIREWORKS!!!
Fireworks are certainly a common occurrence during the festive season.
However, they can be extremely loud and unpredictable which can spook our furry friends and cause them to react.
Therefore, keeping them in comfortable surroundings or sitting with them when fireworks are occurring, can assist in helping calm their nerves.
Decorations
Yes, christmas decorations look fantastic and we may love them, however our furry friends may not always have the same approach.
Dogs often find comfort within their immediate surroundings, and when this starts to change with tassels, and trains on the floor, and big bushy things in the living room, it can cause some distress.
To combat this, try to keep the furniture surroundings the same eg. don’t rearrange the whole area to accommodate the tree.
If your dog is concerned about a particular decoration, try to familarise them with it and show them that it is safe.
A great way to do this is to place treats near the particular decoration.
Visitors
We know that the holidays are a time for family, friends and celebrations. And unless your friends want to be hosting at their house each time, it’s likely you’ll cop a dinner at your house.
Although seeing their favourite grandparent and your best mate may be exciting, it can be stressful when there are lots of unfamiliar people!
If you know that your dog tends to act out around new surroundings and people, maybe try popping them into a room they like where they won’t disturbed by potential guests.
Or try giving them a treat to keep them distracted through the chaos.
If any of these stressful situation sound familiar to you and your dog during the holiday season… you’ve come to the right place!
Pet Drs Stress & Anxiety Supplement is a 100% natural blend that aims to help reduce anxiety in dogs and cats (and other animals if you choose to try).
Developed with a veterinarian and naturopath, the key ingredients included in this powder have been carefully researched.
Let’s Discuss The Ingredients!
L-Tryptophan
L-tryptophan is an amino acid which supports the modulation of mood and behaviour as a result of its role in serotonergic pathway (1).
This acid assists in increasing the production of serotonin in the body, a cerebrospinal fluid neurotransmitter which relates directing to the regulation of mood. Serotonin is then synthesised in the brain, and results in an increase in mood. L-tryptophan has been shown to directly influence the behaviours involved with stress, anxiety, fear and aggression.
L-Glutamine
One of the most abundant, naturally occurring amino acids in the body, L-glutamine is derived from glutamic acid which can also be found in high protein foods including meat, fish, dairy and beans.
It assists the body in many ways, including the digestive tract; it serves as the primary energy source for the cells that line the intestinal tract (2).
When the intestinal cells are ‘stressed’, it can be necessary to increase the amount of glutamine in the body to assist in reducing inflammation within the digestive tract.
This assists gut health, which in turn can assist mood - happy gut, happy dog.
L-Theanine
The main purpose of L-theanine is to assist in calming anxiety.
It is easily absorbed into the bloodstream, meaning that it is a quicker method to assist boosting mood. It has a multitude of relaxing properties and assists in promoting sleep, reducing anxiety and overall relaxing the body. It is a low risk supplement with no known side effects (3).
GABA
Finally, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), is a chemical made in the brain and is one of the most important neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. It is involved in regulating communication between brain cells and plays the role of inhibiting the activity of neurons.
When the central nervous system is overwhelmed by stress (such as the dinner parties during the festive season or a trip to the vet), GABA transmits to the brain to assist in relaxing the nervous system.
If the body is deficient in this acid, it may lead to anxiety (4).
Although the holidays are a time for celebration, fun and festivities, it is important that we check in on our pets and keep their anxiety in mind.
We recommend incorporating the Stress & Anxiety Supplement a few weeks prior to the beginning of the festivities to get onto it before the stress even begins.
This will not only make your Christmas season just one element less stressful (as we all know dealing with the in laws is personally already stressful), but your pets as well!
Shop Stress & Anxiety:
Stress & Anxiety Supplement
Stress Reliever Pack
LickiMat Mat
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