Calming solutions for fearful and anxious pets - and their peeps!

Vet visits, car rides, vacuums, thunderstorms, and of course the worst of them all - 4th of July fireworks!

There are so many calming options available for humans, from meditation and yoga to recordings of whale sounds and visualization techniques. But for our little furry ones the options are a bit more, shall we say, direct.

If your sweet little kitty hides in a bag when he ‘knows’ he must go to the v-e-t, or disappears into a 'parallel cat universe' that mere humans cannot perceive, then you might need some support from natural medicines. BTW - I know in my heart there is a parallel cat universe, and so does every cat guardian!

Whether they vocalize or hide quietly, fireworks and storms can be very stressful for many animals.

I have developed a deep aversion to fireworks. Not necessarily for my own sake, but for the anxiety it induces on our beloved pets, zoo animals, wildlife, and certain other small beings called children. Those booming sounds and dazzling lights aren’t in any way exciting, but instead are extremely stressful for our furry companions.

Some harmful effects from exposure to what must seem like a sonic boom to them can include hearing damage, PTSD, and toxicant exposures.

Lend me your ear and I’ll explain…

HEARING DAMAGE

I am sure I lost some hearing from rocking out at many a concert back in the day. Unknowingly, I assumed my body would be fine and my love for loud rock and roll prevailed. But the hearing of most animals is many times more sensitive than ours, meaning the possibility of permanent damage to the ear drum is much greater.

For example, dogs and cats can hear things at -5 to -15 decibels (that’s MINUS decibels) - way lower than we can detect; and can hear pitch in the range of 3,000-60,000 Hertz (Hz). We can only hear pitch up to 20,000 Hz - about one third of what they can. You can understand why they freak out with loud, sharp sounds; and it’s exactly why they make excellent service dogs to help the hearing impaired. I’ll tell you Alice’s story as a poignant example.

ALICE’S EARS

I have a client named Miranda, who has a hearing deficit. Her hearing service dog, Alice, is trained to help notify her about all sorts of things we in the hearing world take for granted. Not too long ago we were having breakfast together and Alice kept standing up, nudging Miranda. I thought Alice just wanted some of our breakfast but Miranda told me Alice was ‘notifying’ her about incoming messages on her phone. The cafe was only moderately noisy, and I would have certainly heard a bing coming from a phone sitting on the table between us. But those notifications were completely inaudible to me.

But, Alice heard them and wanted to be ‘paid’ for doing her job - which Miranda promptly did!

I know a lot about dogs and their hearing, but this example of superior hearing was amazing!

So, when your dog or cat freaks out with sudden loud noises think about what it might sound like to them.

PTSD

We are finally acknowledging how repeated exposures to emotional traumas can damage our psyche and lives. It’s no different in the animal psyche. Repeated blasts or noises can over-sensitize them to all sorts of noises. But in the immediate situation these frights can cause severe panic, leading to escape from enclosures, or harm to themselves and others. Repetitive emotional trauma connected to a time of day, person, or location can be permanent.

Think about how traumatic it can be to take your animal to the v-e-t. The smells and noises must be overwhelming to them, stimulating the flight-or-fright sympathetic nervous system to race to overdrive. Then repeating that trauma with each visit just reinforces the emotional pain.

Please don’t forget about the PTSD for wild animals or zoo animals where many municipalities often hold their 4th of July firework events. Eek!!

TOXICANT EXPOSURES

A recent compilation of studies by animalethics.org shows the many ways companion, urban, rural, zoo, and wild animals respond not only to the noise of fireworks, but to the small particulate matter (PM10) from the explosions. These tiny toxicants can travel great distances, are inhaled and cause respiratory problems - even if they don't seem to affect humans. 

Although not everyone chooses to celebrate with firework, their use seems to grow with each year. To the dismay and terror of our animals, in some neighborhoods kids will find ways to thrill themselves for weeks before and after the 4th of July holiday — even if it’s not legally allowed. I always ask why there isn’t more enforcement of laws preventing their continual use and abuse.

PRACTICAL OPTIONS

I’ve used many products over the years to gently calm animals through July or other stressful times. This list is only a portion of what can be used, but please know that you might need to combine them, or find products that have combined these ingredients. You’ll have to experiment before the fireworks fly, or before you jump in the car on your way to the vet. Plan to experiment and dose them on a day you will be home to watch the response, which should be calmness and possibly even sleep.

• Homeopathy - always consider using homeopathic remedies even if you don’t understand them. They are safe, very efficacious, and easy to dose. Consider using Aconitum napellus (Aconite), Argentum nitricum, Phosphorus, or Hylands Nerve Tonic. Dosing of remedies is as follows.

  • Aconite is my first choice for acute fear, fright, and anxiety. These specific indications might describe your animal:

    • Great, noticeable fears: ​​​​​​​crowds, strangers, new situations, noises, smells, lights, thunder, gunfire, fireworks, etc.

    • Inconsolable anxiety, panic attacks

    • Restlessness

    • Forebodings of impending events

    • Oversensitive to light, noise

    • Intense pains ​​​​​​

• l-Theanine - a calming amino acid extracted from green or black tea. Because theanine can cross the blood/brain barrier it can affect the part of the brain to help reduce anxiety, create calmness and induce sleep. Dosing is about 100mg per 20 pounds body weight given every 8-12 hours or in combination formulas like this.

• Casein, colostrum, milk-based supplements - often mixed in combination products, these extracts have the active ingredient that promoted the idea of drinking warm milk before bedtime to help sleep.

• Dog Appeasing Pheromones - DAP’s are natural chemicals secreted by mama dogs from birth to weaning that provide calming and bonding between mama and offspring. Some studies have shown synthetic DAP’s to be effective for stress including thunder and fireworks. Some are plug-ins, some are worn on the collar, and all are an easy and worthwhile option.

• Essential oils - a very popular option in recent years. But be careful with lavender as it can agitate some animals. Some are so strong they will antidote homeopathic remedies. I love this mixture created by my friend at Farm Dog Naturals.

• Flower essences - many companies make all sorts of formulas. We love Green Hope Farms and the lovely ladies that handcraft their products. Passionflower is also a nice essence. All of these can be added to the water daily.

• Melatonin - use only animal versions as the human ones might have ingredients not safe for dogs and cats. Start low and increase as needed. Do NOT use for puppies or pregnant animals.

  • Cats - 1 - 5 mg 1-2x/day depending on the size.

  • Dogs -

    • up to 10 lbs - 1mg every 12-24 hrs.

    • 10-25 lbs - 1.5mg every 12-24 hrs.

    • 25-100 lbs - 3mg every 12-24 hrs.

    • over 100 lbs - 3-6mg every 12-24 hrs.

• CBD - there are a million reasons to use CBD, with the most common to help anxiety. And there are also a million companies using liquid or treat forms each with some degree of support.

• Thiamine - vitamin B1 is known as the vitamin for the nervous system and a very good addition to combination products.

• l-Tryptophan - one easy way I like to dispense the amino acid tryptophan is by feeding fresh turkey which contains high levels. But supplements are now available after having been off the market for years.

• Valerian - although a great calming herb, some dogs react with the opposite effect and get stimulated. Many formulas contain some valerian.

• Chamomile - as a herbal tea chamomile can calm the savage beast; but I prefer to use it in homeopathic form where it it’s easier to dispense. The dog or cat who needs homeopathic Chamomilla usually can’t be consoled, is restless, anxious, and cross with everyone.

• Anxiety shirts - work very well for many dogs. But for those hot-natured dogs, putting a shirt on can overheat them. Be careful! Most cats will not tolerate this sort of indecency — except for very calm ones, making the need for it unnecessary!

• Chewable Mushroom combinations - when you have advance warning that something stressful is on the way, a chewable form of a adaptogen, amino acid, herb, and mushroom formula can work beautifully. But you must plan ahead as these can take some time to take effect. Slow acting but very gentle, your dog will be so chill others will notice the difference!

• Rescue Remedy - the combination flower essence formula from the Bach Flower Company dates back 1930 with this long history of helping calm anxiety in humans and animals alike. Although many folks don’t think it’s strong enough, and it might help in a super excited animal, it’s worth a try if you combine it with some other items I’ve listed. And it’s always good to put in your animals’ water on a daily basis, but again, you need to experiment a bit.

• Other options - Cat nip, Ashwagandha, Calcium, and Magnesium — and the list goes on... so don’t think you have to cave and revert to drugs.

There is not a one-size-fits-all for every animal in every unique situation. But, unless you use pharmaceuticals to knock your pet out, you will have to use the trial and error method. I can’t imagine you, like most of my clients, would feel good about giving drugs for weeks, or for an entire rainy season. Don't give up! If your animal is severely affected by these noise assaults, be patient and remember their acute hearing. Please don’t turn up the TV or music so loud to drown out the fireworks - this can harm everyones’ ears as well. You can support them with natural, less toxic options. The idea is to calm them, not tranquilize them.

---

---

Here are some real life stories from clients of mine:

My Border collie Deuce has suffered from thunder phobia for years. Recently I tried the Mushroom Relax formula and it has made quite a difference for Deuce. I am careful to administer prior to the event (not always easy to do, because weather is so unpredictable). But when I do, I notice that he is more able to relax. He is not panting so heavily with pupils dilated, unable to settle or even shaking. He has been so relaxed that he has fallen asleep on occasion. -Almudena

---

Relax oil is awesome!

The Farm Dog Relax blend is the favorite for my *very* wired puppy! I think this will be a staple around here. It is not too strong at all and it is a very nice blend, already diluted for topical use. He enjoys it very much when I put a couple drops on the inside of his ear flaps and on his chest and give him a massage before bed. He actually DOES RELAX with this! He is NOT overwhelmed by the smell and has already carried the bottle around the house. He seems to be a little more mellow with the Relax oil. -Lizzy

---

Sandy is a client of mine with a German Shepherd Dog that is not tolerant, to put it kindly, to vets and their shenanigans. I coached her on using some support to help calm Alta and calmly tolerate the vet visits which have typically been an emotional and physical trauma episode in slow motion. Here is what she said today:

We started the morning with a dose of lavender on her head (and mine), then gave Aconite 200C right before we got in the car and another dose right when we got to the vet’s office. Alta was perfect! They drew blood and we were out of there in minutes. I was calm. She was calm. We all made it out alive and without any trauma at all!

References:

AKC: Sounds only dogs can hear

Animal Ethics: How fireworks harm non-human animals

Thank you for reading this article and for helping your beloved animals through their stressful times!