This is a subject that often incites strong opinion both for and against, but with the launch of Sileo late in , another product developed in the US specifically for the treatment of noise fear, We ask whether medicating anxious or nervous canines is absolutely useful, or whether this just prevents your dog from experiencing natural canine instincts.
If you have a very anxious or nervous dog who finds experiences such as strangers coming to the door, loud noises, or novel situations difficult, you may have wondered whether medication might help.
The main thing that any owner should do when considering, what some would describe as a drastic measure, is to seek professional thoughts and opinions and ask lots of questions beforehand because there are a lot of different opinions on whether dogs should receive medication for canine anxiety or stress.
Sileo was launched in the US and is specifically aimed at owners with dogs who have a fear of loud noises such as fireworks. Research has shown that around half the pet dog human population has some issue with noise aversion, but many would argue this is a flawlessly natural reaction and not something that should be treated with pill popping.
Sileo works by blocking norepinephrine which is a chemical much like adrenalin in the dogs brain. That is reported to be open to owners to manage to your dog by putting pre-measured gel onto the dogs gums, which is then utilized into the cheek tissues and will begin to consider impact after about thirty to one hour. The result lasts for about hours and, essentially, mildly sedates your dog; it is actually a similar medication to that utilized by vets for minimal surgery on pets.
However, there are concerns that the drug has a poor influence on the heart rate of some canines and a straight bigger worry would be that the drug can be utilized in a home setting where owners may inadvertently give their dog an excessive amount of the drug. Inside a society where taking medication as a quick fix is just about the norm, this is likely to lengthen to providing the same for our household pets rather than getting the time to get to the root of the problem.
There have certainly been a lot of advances in behavioral medication for dogs recently and for dogs with chronic fears, this can definitely impact on the standard of their lives and well being. However, many behaviorists will be the thoughts and opiniupons that providing medications only is never enough without simultaneously addressing the reason for the panic and giving training and behavior modification simultaneously. If your dog is showing aggressive tendencies, for instance, medication is unlikely to greatly help; instead, owners should try to learn the way to handle their dogs to avoid problems occurring.
Exercise is one of the best treatments for reducing anxiety and stress in humans and dogs! A good aerobic exercise workout has a similar mind-altering effect as mild drugs and can help make a dog feel more relaxed and calm. A canine that is not exercwill beed or mentally stimulated enough is more pra single to react to external influences in more negative ways and you will be less able to deal with slightly stressful situations.
A consistent training programme is an essential element to dog ownership and this must be carried out in a positive manner throughout the dogs life. Inconsistency or aggressive exercising methods will result in a confused and stressed dog that could well be more likely to demonstrate aggressive or fearful tendencies. For specific issues such as fear of loud noises, you can embark on a programme of desensitization using recordings of particular sounds, such as fireworks that, in conjunction with positive training methods and counter conditioning, might help the canine to stress significantly less when they hear loud sounds.