Whining, hyperventilating, foaming mouth - these are all signs of dog anxiety in car rides. Learn here how CBD can help put your pup at ease.
Dogs are more like their humans than you might think.
From their love of food to their snuggling habits, their similarities to us is just one of the many reasons we fall in love with them.
However, what many pet owners don't realize is that dogs can share our anxiety as well. One of the most common causes of canine anxiety is car rides.
If your pup has ever had an adverse reaction to a car ride, you know how confusing and frustrating it can be.
Figuring Out the Root of Your Dog's Anxiety
Before you start treating your dog's car ride anxiety, it's important to try to figure out the root of their fear. That can help you figure out the best approach for treating their anxiety.
One reason some dogs experience fear or nervousness when in the car is similar to why many humans hate long car rides: motion sickness.
If your dog has gotten sick during or following a car ride in the past, it could be a sign that they get motion sickness.
However, just because your dog doesn't vomit doesn't mean that they aren't car sick. They may merely experience nausea, which can be almost impossible for their owners to detect.
Another reason your dog may get anxious during car rides is that they are utterly unfamiliar with them. Puppies, recently adopted dogs, or dogs who just don't ride in the car often may all exhibit fear during even very short car rides.
The best way to figure out whether this is the case is to take your dog on frequent, short rides to get them used to the feeling. Unfortunately for any loving dog parent, it can be painful to force your dog to do something he or she hates.
Similarly, if your dog had a bad experience during a car ride, they might hate all trips after that. If you only take your dog in the car to go to the vet, they'll expect that vet visit and act accordingly every time you carry them out to hop in the car.
Treating Your Dog's Car Ride Anxiety
Never taking your dog on another car ride is hardly an option. After all, they'll need to leave for yearly vet check-ups, grooming appointments, and any time you need to have them boarded.
Since that isn't an option, you need to find out how to reduce dog car anxiety for your pup.
How you go about treating your dog's anxiety depends on the severity and what you think could be the underlying cause.
Treating Mild Anxiety
If your dog only shows mild discomfort, start by learning how to calm a dog down in a car.
Turn on soothing music to help drown out the sound of traffic. Avoid making sudden stops or sharp turns that might excite or startle your dog. Bring along your dog's favorite bed, blanket, and toys to give them something familiar.
You can also calm your dog down before the ride by making the few hours before the trip as calm and relaxed as possible.
Treating Severe Anxiety
When your dog exhibits extreme anxiety or fear before and during a car ride, you'll need to do more than bring along toys or playing gentle music.
While you should at least try all of the above tips, you'll also need to take other measures to calm your dog.
You might try scheduling your car rides only during the early morning hours when your dog may still be drowsy. Putting your dog in a dog crate in your trunk and covering the container with a blanket might help to calm your dog some.
Treating Car Sickness
If your dog experiences car sickness, merely trying to calm them down won't do much good.
Instead, you may need to avoid feeding them for several hours before your car ride. That means plenty of planning for every trip.
Keeping them calm during the ride is still a good idea, as it can help prevent vomiting.
Treating Your Dog's Car Anxiety
Medicating your dog with prescriptions can help ease their anxiety. However, it isn't the healthiest choice for your dog.
It could cause other adverse reactions. So over time, your dog may grow immune to the medications effect. You'll be back to where you started needing a different solution for calming your pup on car rides.
CBD offers a safe and effective alternative.
Dog biscuits infused with CBD or hemp oil (either added to food or directly to your pet's mouth) can help calm and relax them before a car ride. It can also help to alleviate any nausea that your dog might experience.
Not only is it safe and great for treating your dog's car ride anxiety, but it also provides an array of other benefits as well.
CBD oil reduces pain and inflammation, can help treat appetite loss, and even brightens your dog's coat to give it more shine and luster.
Helping Reduce Dog Anxiety in Car Rides
If your dog experiences car ride anxiety, it can be as stressful for you as it is for your pet.
You want to protect them from the fear and nervousness. However, car rides are often necessary if you're going to keep your dog healthy with a vet visit or comfortable with a trip to the groomer.
You could turn to prescriptions or expensive dog shirts to see if they provide your dog any relief.
However, the results of either option are mixed and could end up hurting your dog even more than their car anxiety.
Instead, it's best to stick to natural, effective measures if you want to avoid dog anxiety in car rides and help your pup relax. If calming music or exposure therapy don't seem to do the trick to calm them down, CBD dog biscuits and oils may be the perfect natural alternative.
References:
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/signs-your-dog-is-stressed-and-how-to-relieve-it
