Looking after a pet with stress or anxiety can be hard on both you and your furry friend. In fact, up to 77% of pets suffer from stress and anxiety, many from very common triggers such as socialising, loud noises, travel, new environments and separation.  If you are worried your dog or cat is experiencing distress or anxiety you can look out for the following tell tale signs:

What can i do to help my stressed or anxious dog or puppy?

Adaptil have a range of vet recommended pheromone therapies that are proven to reduce signs of stress and anxiety in dogs. Adaptil replicates the Dog Appeasing Pheromones that a mother dog uses to communicate with their puppies. These are odourless messages that are only perceived by dogs, not cats or humans. Dog Appeasing Pheromones provide comfort and security to dogs of all ages, helping them to feel reassured ad relaxed in challenging situations.

The Adaptil Diffuser is perfect for use in your home in situations such as staying alone, loud noises, visitors and fears. Just screw the vial into the diffuser unit, plug it into the socket and you’re set. You can leave the diffuser switched on continuously. Don't forget to stock up on refills to replace the diffuser every 4-5 weeks.

If your pooch suffers from stress and anxiety when travelling or visiting the vet, the Adaptil Travel Spray is a great solution. You can spray it directly in your car or in your dogs carrier every 1.5 - 2 hours. Do not spray directly onto your dog.

Many dogs experience fears and stress while they are out and about, whether it be skateboards, people or other dogs. This can sometimes make your dog’s daily walks challenging. The Adaptil Calm On-The-Go Collar provides 4 weeks of constant support using the same pheromone technology that calms and reassures your dog. Leave the collar on constantly for 4 weeks except during swimming and bath time.

Try a ThunderShirt. It’s vet recommended and helped millions of dogs across the world. The ThunderShirt is a natural calming solution that reduces anxiety in dogs in a drug-free. It uses a swaddling technique, much like swaddling an infant. This special vest applies gentle and constant pressure to calm all types of anxiety, fear and over-excitement. It is proven to be over 80% effective in reducing anxiety for fireworks, thunderstorms, separation anxiety, travel, vet visits, problem barking and more.

What can i do to help my stressed or anxious cat?

Feliway’s range of cat calming products work using a synthetic copy of Feline Facial Pheromones. This is the pheromone that your cat leaves naturally when they feel safe and secure in their environment. You may see your cat marking their territory as familiar by rubbing their face against corners, furniture, people or other cats at home. This indicates that are comfortable and happy, and by doing this they release the Feline Facial Pheromone which provides them with reassurance.

If there is something inside your home that is causing your cat distress such as a new pet or addition to the family, loud noises or visitors, The Feliway Diffuser is the perfect solution. Simply plug in to a socket, and the release of pheromones has been proven to comfort cats at home and reduces signs of stress such as spraying, scratching or hiding. Don't forget to stock up on refills to replace the diffuser every 4-5 weeks.

If your cat hates their visits to the vet, or needs extra support in the home, the Feliway Spray can be sprayed directly into their carrier or in areas around the home to provide reassurance and support. If you’re on a longer car journey, you can spray every 4 to 5 hours. Around the home it can be used for targeted management of areas marked by your cat. Spray on doorways, cat-flaps, window sills and prominent areas around the house. For areas that have already been marked or scratched, clean the area thoroughly and then apply Feliway spray.

*It is important that you never spray Feliway directly onto your cat, or into the carrier while the cat is inside.

Not sure wether your cat or dog is suffering from stress or anxiety?

It is always a good idea to discuss any concerns with your vet to make sure there are no other underlying health conditions to be concerned about. For any questions or concerns about Adaptil, Feliway or ThunderShirt, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Pet Direct customer service team on 0800 200 240.