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Natural treatments for anxiety

- Scent detection experiences. Dogs’ primary sense organ is their nose, and a large proportion of their brain is devoted to sniffing and analysing smells. It’s their happy place! I strongly recommend KIVADOG for their enrichment rooms and thoroughness in educating us as owners and allowing dogs to safely utilize their skills. It is the number 1 skill for calming anxious or reactive dogs. Here is a link to their booking page: https://www.kiva.com.au/

- While you are waiting for your first class (they are very popular and quickly get booked up) you can do a couple of things to start your dog off at home: 1. scatter a handful of small treats or kibble on the lawn or indoors and let them sniff them out, and 2. hide a few treats around a room (2-3 at a time) and ask him/her to ‘find’.

- Mushroom blends are helpful in general gut health and serotonin boosts. A good starter is a 5 mushroom blend such as: Metagenics 5 mushroom liquid, or many others. Mushrooms vary in quality and potency depending on which part is used and the method of preparation.

- Acupuncture or electroacupuncture is enormously helpful to all dogs, and dogs with anxiety benefit from the release of endorphins, adenosine and GABA which amongst many things lower blood pressure.

- CBD oils: see separate handout, there is SO much misinformation on this topic. However they are a useful adjunct for anxiety

- Essential oils: many oils have calming qualities because the molecules produced for damage control in plants have to do double duty (it’s efficient) and also assist healing. These molecules (terpenes, aldehydes, etc) also affect mammals because of our shared evolution. Always test your dog’s aversion by presenting a closed bottle, and if the dog likes it start by diluting it. Rub on your hands first then along the dog’s back, or leave on a tissue in the corner of a room, or diffuse, always leave doors open. Never apply undiluted, or force your dog. Care if you have birds in the house, they are super-sensitive. Examples of suitable and generally safe oils are : lavender, petit grain, frankincense, cedarwood, and more. Consult for more info.

- It goes without saying that a conventional diagnosis is ideal before you start, so xrays, blood tests and any biopsy results are helpful. This ensures we know what we are treating.

- Food: real food makes an enormous difference to health and well-being in our pets. A favourite site for healthy pre-cooked home-delivered meals is: https://lyka.com.au