When a situation or person causes you to feel scared or apprehensive, you might experience anxiety. The same is true for animals: When they perceive something to be a threat or don’t understand why something is happening, it can cause them to grow anxious. This can often result in unpleasant behaviors such as constant barking or meowing, excessive grooming, or destroying your belongings. If your dog or cat suffers from anxiety, the veterinarians at Ohana Veterinary Hospital in Honolulu, HI, suggest trying the following tips to help ease their fears.

5 Veterinarian-Approved Tips for Treating Pet Anxiety

1. Exercise

Although this might be a bit trickier if you have a cat, dogs with anxiety can really benefit from going on a long walk or run each day or playing a vigorous game of fetch. Exercising helps to produce more serotonin—a “feel-good” chemical—in the pup’s brain and allows them to burn off any excess energy.

2. Schedule Small Absences

If your pet has separation anxiety, you can help to calm their nerves by planning mini absences away from them. This will allow them to slowly adjust to the fact that you are not always around. To do this, you will need to separate yourself from your pet for brief periods while you are home. If you have an upcoming trip planned, you might want to gradually increase the time you are away.

3. Provide Regular Attention

Both cats and dogs are companion-centered animals. When they grow close to their owners, they can feel neglected if there is a change in the amount of attention they are shown. You can limit the anxiety they might be feeling by showing them the same amount of love and affection all the time.

4. Retrain Departure Cues

Animals are smarter than humans tend to acknowledge. They know that picking up your keys and putting on your shoes means they are about to be alone for hours. You can ease their worries by regularly performing all the acts of leaving without actually going anywhere. For instance, you could pick up your keys and then put them back down or put on your shoes and hang around the house.

5. Create a Distraction

Most pets are naturally bothered by certain situations. While it might be hard to stop your dog from getting anxious when they hear fireworks or prevent your cat from being scared of the vacuum cleaner, you can distract them during these times so they are less afraid and stressed. A great way to give them something positive to associate with the situation is to play games where the end result is winning a treat.

For more tips on helping animals overcome anxiety, contact Ohana Veterinary Hospital. You can speak to one of their veterinarians today by calling (808) 845-1762 or visit their website for more information about their services.