Pets Suffer Stress Too!

How to Help Your Bored or Anxious Pets

Summer’s over and the bustle of getting back into the school and work routine is well underway. This is often a stressful time for families, and it’s easy to forget our dogs and cats pick up on our emotions and can suffer stress too. They can also become anxious and bored if they’re left without their human companions, leading to behaviour problems. Easipetcare vets in Reading are on a mission to help the town’s stressed pets.

The impact of stress on people is well known and can lead to mental and physical ill-health.

The same effects of stress hormones can impact our dogs and cats, although less is known about the full impact. One thing is for sure, a stressed pet can display behaviour problems that affect their happiness and wellbeing, but can also be stressful for owners. Easipetcare vets in Reading want to help owners understand and manage their pet’s stress and behaviour to improve life for both.

Head of Practice, Kirsten Mitchell, says “We know the pet owners in Reading really care about their pets and more are visiting our veterinary practice on Crockhamwell Road to ask for help with their pet’s behavioural problems. We know that sometimes they put off finding a solution because they don’t know who to contact, but behaviour problems are very much part of veterinary healthcare. Some of those problems have a medical cause, which we can treat, or sometimes it’s a matter of introducing various therapies or changes to routines to use at home. It’s important that help is found early on as it’s much easier to address before new habits are formed and we can also identify any underlying illness.”

The practice says anxiety-related problems for dogs can include destructive behaviour, soiling in the house, pacing, barking, hyperactivity and over-excitement or withdrawal and inactivity, excessive licking leading to sore skin, and stomach upsets such as vomiting and diarrhea. Cats can also suffer stress-related digestive problems, but also overgrooming with sparse hair or sore skin, toileting around the house (especially urine spraying) and cystitis (an inflamed bladder). Cats may also become withdrawn, aggressive, or clingy.

Kirsten says “Thankfully, there are many things we can do to help reduce stress and the related problem behaviours and medical conditions for our pets. In recent years there has been a huge increase in the pet sector offering some really exciting new stress-busting solutions. Keeping them occupied with puzzle feeders and water fountains, pet sitting, dog walking and doggy day-care services, music and online channels with content specific for your dog or cat. Seeing how pets pass their time at home is possible with pet-wearable activity monitors and some owners even have CCTV for their pets to watch what they’re up to remotely.”

The practice recommends owner’s video problem behaviour as this can help identify the cause.

They are able to offer low-cost behavioural help and support and advise when herbal, pheromone and medical therapies are appropriate.

If you are concerned about stress in your pet or want advice about problem behaviour,

contact Easipetcare Reading on 01189 699526,

visit www.easipetcare.com/reading, or

visit the practice at

106 Crockhamwell Road,

Woodley,

Reading,

RG5 3JY

where walk-in appointments are available.