Pets - Keep Calm and Stress Free

At the end of last year (I can't believe we're already in March), I wrote a post about trying to keep your pets calm and relaxed throughout November and the New Year. As we all know, this is the season for fireworks and the bangs and flashing lights can often leave your pet feeling stressed and frightened.

Two people I know have dogs that really suffer when fireworks are let off and nothing seems to help keep them calm. Last November I was sent some Pet Remedy products, which are designed to tackle stress and I thought I would see if this could help. I gave my horse riding instructor Teresa two Pet Remedy plug in diffusers and my sister's work colleague Debbie a diffuser and a mini spray.

Teresa's 13-year-old creme coloured labrador Oscar reacts badly to fireworks. When they go off, he shakes uncontrollably, his breathing becomes rapid which makes him sweat and, in addition, a muscle spasm occurs in his hindquarters which causes paralysis. One time, he resorted to eating through a door frame.

Before the diffusers Teresa would try to hug him and keep him close when the fireworks were let off, but he would just shake even more. She tried some pills from the vet, but there was no change. She also purchased a 'thunder coat' for him, which is worn like a normal dog coat, and although these helped a bit, there was only a minute difference. Teresa also tried another diffuser, igloos for him to hide in and put the TV on loudly, but none of these helped. He would also not eat for the whole firework period, which amounted to a whole month.

When Teresa used the diffuser, and sprayed the 'thunder coat' with this solution, she noticed an immediate effect. Although, Oscar still shook, it was not enough to cause paralysis in his hindquarter and he thankfully kept eating throughout this period.

Debbie, my sister's work colleague, owns a male labradoodle called Harvey. In November last year, he was just under six years old.

Harvey's normal reaction to fireworks is complete panic. This would result in pacing, panting, scratching and digging, as well as slight aggression. He then developed a general noise phobia and became nervous around all loud noises.

During the firework period Debbie and her family would talk to Harvey calmly, try to distract him with loud music and play with interactive toys. She also tried Harvey in a 'thunder coat', built him a safe den and tried a range of medication such as diazepam, calmeze and zylkene.

The Pet Remedy was used in addition to Xanax tablets as prescribed by a vet. Harvey seemed a lot calmer when the diffuser was used and Debbie was able to give half the maximum does of Xanax for Harvey's weight. It lasted for more than three weeks and Debbie now uses the diffuser when she leaves Harvey home alone.

Teresa also has another dog called Archie, who is a 13-year-old fox red labrador. When fireworks go off he paces and hides, hence why Oscar chewed through a door frame to get to his brother. Although he still eats, he will only have a limited amount and is usually affected by his stressed out brother. 

As like Oscar, Teresa tried to hug Archie to keep him calm, but it made him worse. Medication from the vet, a 'thunder coat' and different diffuser had no effect on him. He did not appreciate the igloos Teresa bought for him to hide in and the TV on loud and the lights out did not make any difference either.

Both the Pet Remedy diffuser and the 'thunder coat' sprayed with this solution helped Archie. It was particularly evident to see when Oscar was also relaxed. Nothing else works on Teresa's dogs to keep them calm and she will continue to use this in the future. 

Pet Remedy is a natural way of tackling stress and anxiety and helps to keep your pet calm without the need for sedation. It can be given to a range of different animals, including dogs, cats, rodents, horses and birds. 

This solution uses a blend of natural oils to calm the nerves when they are overstimulated in times of stress. It is available as a plug in diffuser and calming spray. For more information, visit: www.petremedy.co.uk www.facebook.com/petremedy or call 01803 612 772.