At Oaks North Animal Hospital in San Antonio, TX, our experienced veterinarian and highly trained staff are experts at treating pet anxiety of all types. Most of all, we understand your pet’s suffering from loud noises like fireworks, roaring engines, or booming thunder, and we know how to help.
Loud noises like fireworks may trigger a deep-seated fear response or inflict pain on your pet’s sensitive ears and hearing. Either way, the worst thing a pet owner can do is ignore the anxiety response and let it play out. The first step to helping your pet is understanding the meaning of pet anxiety, and its symptoms, causes, and remedies.
Sources of Anxiety in Pets
Pet anxiety may arise from several sources. Anything from being kenneled and left alone to high-pitched or loud noises has the potential to create a terrible sense of anxiety in any pet. Thunderous or piercing noises have a particularly negative impact on pets and their physical and mental well-being.
Symptoms and Causes of Pet Anxiety
Symptoms are a sign that something is wrong and needs to be corrected. To adequately address the symptoms, it is helpful to understand the cause. Your veterinarian can then apply this knowledge to ease the symptoms and their effect on your pet.
Symptoms of Pet Anxiety
Some symptoms of pet anxiety may be impossible to overlook, while others may not. If you suspect that your pet may be suffering from anxiety due to loud noises, first consider what is happening in the environment or surroundings. Then, observe your pet for signs of distress.
Signs may include:
- Trembling
- Cringing
- Rapid panting
- Salivating or lip-licking
- Rapid heart rate
- Desperation to run and hide
- Muscle stiffening
- Lowering the head to the ground
- Refusing to eat or drink
- Inability to focus
- Irritability, snapping, or biting
Causes of Pet Anxiety
Loud noises such as fireworks can trigger a pet’s anxiety. These triggers may initiate responses in your pet that cause them physical, mental, or emotional pain.
Triggers may set off causes that include:
- Fear that impending doom is upon them
- Fear from a past experience
- Ear or hearing pain for sound-sensitive pets
As humans, we often forget that we are desensitized to the majority of loud noises. We understand what they are, where they are coming from, and that they will not harm us. Most animals do not have this understanding or desensitization, so we must help them in other ways.
Remedies to Ease Pet Anxiety from Loud Noises
Temporary remedies and permanent behavioral remedies can help alleviate pet anxiety from loud noises. Temporary measures may work well, but they do not address the underlying phobia that may always cause a pet to respond negatively to a trigger sound. Permanent remedies take on the phobia to change the pet's response, but they take time, patience, and routine work.
Temporary remedies include:
- Medications
- Homeopathic blends
- CBD oil
- Jackets or body wraps
- Eye coverings
- Aromatherapy
- Masking the noise with other sounds like white noise
- Permanent remedies involve:
- Desensitization training or therapy sessions
- Turning the negative trigger of loud sounds into a neutral or positive stimulus
End Your Pet’s Anxiety Today
Oaks North Animal Hospital and our veterinary team, serving San Antonio, TX, specialize in treating pet anxiety through compassionate treatments and therapies. We can help end your pet’s anxiety and suffering from the panic and trauma of loud noises.
Call us today at (210) 697-9585 or use our convenient online appointment request form to schedule your pet’s appointment. Pet anxiety can end here.