Stress Relief for Pets

Gray kitten with a pink flower.

Stress isn't just a problem for humans; your pet can experience the negative effects too. Illness, changes in the usual routine or the death of another pet can lead to an increase in your pet's anxiety level. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help your furry friend relax.

Signs of Stress

Your pet may not be able to tell you that it feels stressed, but you will probably notice some behavioral changes, including:

  • Bathroom accidents, particularly if your pet has been successfully house or litter trained
  • Excessive grooming, licking or scratching
  • Irritability
  • Chewing walls, couches or other items in your home (dogs)
  • Scratching furniture, doors and walls (cats)
  • Vomiting and diarrhea
  • Excessive barking or howling
  • Hiding (cats)

Identifying the Cause

In some cases, the cause of your pet's stress is obvious. Perhaps you got a new puppy or kitten, and your pet is having trouble adjusting to the new addition. In other cases, the cause might be less obvious. Something that you view as a minor event, such as rearranging furniture, can be stressful for some animals. Other potential causes of stress are:

  • Travel
  • Moving to a new home
  • Holiday celebrations, which may include scary Halloween costumes, 4th of July fireworks or loud parties
  • The death of a person or pet
  • The addition of a new person to the home
  • Being left at home alone
  • Changes in the usual family routine
  • The absence of a family member
  • Car trips
  • Visits to the veterinarian or groomer

Reducing Stress

Once you have identified the stressor, you can make changes to help your pet feel more relaxed. For example, the start of a new school year obviously means that your family must make changes to its normal routine. If you notice that your cat or dog seems to be stressed by the flurry of early morning activity in your home, offer a quiet refuge far from the chaos. Provide a crate with several toys for your dog or put your cat in a quiet room with a few favorite things.

Your dog may become stressed about riding in the car if he only associates car trips with visits to the vet. Take him on a few short trips to a place he enjoys, such as a local park, and provide treats at the end of the trip. Turning a car ride into a pleasant experience means that short and long trips will be more enjoyable for both you and your pet.

Treatments That Can Help

A variety of treatments may help reduce your pet's stress level, including:

  • Pheromone-based sprays, collars and diffusers. Pheromones are scents animals produce to communicate with each other. Pheromone products mimic scents that help calm your pets.
  • Herbal products. Some pets react well to herbal products; others do not experience any decrease in stress levels. Catnip and valerian may be helpful in relaxing your cat while oat seed or California poppy might help your dog.
  • Natural supplements. Your pet may experience less stress after taking supplements containing vitamin B1, colostrum and L-theanine. Before you give your pet any herbal or natural product, check with your veterinarian to make sure it is safe.
  • Massage. Many pets enjoy a good massage just as we do. If you have any questions about pet massage, contact our office today.

When to Call Your Vet

If home remedies and removing stressors do not help your pet, it's time for a visit to the veterinarian. Your veterinarian may recommend anti-anxiety medication or suggest that you consult with an animal behaviorist. The behaviorist will evaluate your pet's behavior and suggest strategies that will help him or her cope with stress.

Location

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Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Friday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Saturday:

Open 1st & 3rd Saturdays of each month. Closed 2nd & 4th Saturdays of each month.

8:00 am-2:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonials

Read What Our Clients Say

  • "We have a new 8 week Boston Terrier that we took to Springfield Vet yesterday for the first time. Absolutely pleased with the service, attitudes and genuine care shown to our little boy. The whole team was so professional, but took time to talk to you and explain everything. Dr Cynthia Wiseman is so wonderful, she sat in the floor did Logan's exam and played with him. What bedside manners. I will continue to use them, I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a caring and professional vet."
    Roi W.
  • "We absolutely love this vet clinic and the staff! The facilities are modern and always clean. Everyone is always so friendly and genuinely care for you and your animal- they make you feel as if you are apart of their family.

    Our boy, Samson, is a Rottie (and quite the problem child). We are usually in the clinic almost every other month for something and they are always so helpful and show great care and love for our pup! We are very picky/protective puppy parents, so we were very grateful to have found both Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Heath shortly after getting Samson.

    We have definitely found our "home" in the vet world, and would highly recommend to anyone who is currently looking!"
    Machaelie H.
  • "I have taken my dog here since he was a puppy. The staff are so friendly and caring, a very clean place and they always get us in quickly. When we come in no one passes us without greeting my dog and I and they're never in a rush to get us out of there."
    ShealynR.
  • "We decided to start taking our new kitty here this past fall and we love it! He was not on his best behavior (to say the least) for his first appointment, and the staff was so patient and was still able to safely run his bloodwork and give him his vaccinations. Every service has been reasonably priced, and they did everything they possibly could to make sure that our little guy was off to a healthy start after we adopted him. What I love is that they really seem to focus on the small details, too, like trimming our cat's nails after remembering that I had expressed interest in doing so at a previous appointment, or supplementing his flea treatment with something to safely speed up the process. We will definitely keep coming here as long as we live in Springfield!"
    Megan J.
  • "I have been taking my dog to SVC since 2012 and when I adopted my cat in 2015. I have never had a bad experience. We have seen Drs. Heath & Cynthia Wiseman and I love them both. Always professional, always take their time when looking my pets over, asking questions, and answering mine."
    Katherine P.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "Pleasant staff.,very informative. Great environment for your pets, including own room for cats to play so as they aren't stressed out."
    Cheryl K.
  • "Dr. Cynthia Wiseman has helped my little Shiba dog with chronic hip problems tremendously with consistent acupuncture therapy! So thankful for this practice and the high quality of care they offer my pets!"
    Lacey M.