Dr. Marty Becker’s Recommendations for Stressed Out Pets 1/25/12

We live in a world of sensory overload. Human made sounds are constantly buzzing, beeping, dinging, and ringing. Each sound represents something that is calling our attention. And if we treat ourselves well, we have mechanisms for providing our bodies and souls with de-stressing techniques such as yoga, meditation, drinking green tea, etc. But, how about our pets? They don’t know what a text message sound or the buzz of the laundry machine finishing it’s cycle means. If they are lucky, they get a lot of exercise, but what about environmental enrichment that helps calm them?

We put domesticated dogs and cats in our human world and basically say, “Please adjust“. I feel it’s our responsibility as loving pet owners to provide them with natural remedies to relieve the stressful human world they live in with us. Recently on Good Morning America, Dr. Marty Becker, known as “America’s Veterinarian”, recommended four products that help de-stress pets. Each is a natural product that appeals to a different sense. Since dogs and cats rely so heavily on their senses, it’s no surprise that these products help to calm them while engaging their auditory, tactile, olfactory, or visual capabilities.

Dr. Becker’s recommendations for stressed out pets:

1. Scent: Feliway Electric Diffuser (for cats) and Adaptil (for dogs)

The scent hormone in the diffuser duplicates the smell of a cat’s natural scent glands and permeates throughout the environment. The diffuser helps to restore a feeling of calm in cats. Adaptil contains DAP^® (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) and is recommended for preventing and reducing stress-related behavior in puppies and adult dogs. Dr. Becker sprays this on his hands to help calm his patients.

2. Sound: Through a Dog’s Ear

This specially designed and simplified classical music is clinically demonstrated to calm the canine nervous system. Anxiety issues were greatly reduced with 85% of dogs when tested in their home environments, and over 70% of dogs in shelters calmed to the soothing sounds of Through a Dog’s Ear. As a side benefit, the music also calms the human nervous system. Listen to sound samples and watch the video below to see how the dogs at the Humane Society of New York chill very quickly when Calm your Canine Companion is played for them.

3. Sight: Gentle-Leader Calming Cap

The Calming Cap reduces the visual stimulus that makes a dog agitated by filtering his vision. Like horses, sometimes reducing some of their visual stimulus helps to calm them. While the gentle fitting cap covers their eyes, it is sheer so they still have some visibility.

4. Touch: Thundershirt

This pressure wrap uses gentle, constant pressure to calm dogs, effectively aiding anxiety, fearfulness, barking and more. Using pressure to relieve anxiety has been a common practice for years. Originally developed to help dogs with thunder-phobia, it has also helped with many other anxiety issues.

Watch Dr. Becker on Good Morning America discuss his recommendations.