I have a 14 month old pit mix that has terrible anxiety. He is terrified of being by himself, even if we are just behind the closed door using the bathroom. He cries terribly & will pace the house until we’re done. If I take a shower or bath I leave the door open so he feels a little better, but he then cries & tries to grab my arm to pull me out (not in an aggressive way). When people come into the house he paces, jumps, & whines for them. He also does this outside when he sees people or other dogs. He is told “down” when he jumps & warned with the beeping noise on his training collar. He will sit but it is very hard for him to stay still, as he continues to whine, shakes, & then rolls into the ground. It’s like he knows to listen & tries very hard but literally can not stay still. He also is terrified of thunder & the sound the trash truck makes. When those sounds are occurring he runs right under the table & won’t come out. We are in the process of training & we were told by them that they also think he has anxiety. They think he would be able to comprehend better if it was under control. I have been researching non stop for things to help with this major issue. I don’t want him on prescription anxiety meds that cause him to seem “sedated” & not like himself (that happened with my family dog). I have come across a tablet to help with separation anxiety & the behaviors that come with it. It is called clomicalm & every review or story I have read about it was positive. I really do think this could be a successful choice for him IF I know this is something that is not harmful. There are possible side effects that could occur but that could happen with pretty much any medication humans or pets. This tablet does not cause dogs to seem drowsy from what I’ve read from people’s experiences & has a high success rate to treat anxiety. We have tried natural treats, oils, thunder vests, etc. & nothing has helped him in the slightest bit. I just want to know if this something that would be okay for him to take daily or even okay to take at all?

Hi! My 14-year-old shiba, Cody, has a slipped disc. This happened on Thursday (today is Saturday) and he seems to be doing much better. The vet that saw my pup on Thursday said this was a mild case since he was still able to walk. He’s on prednisone, a muscle relaxant and a nerve relaxant and his disc is in his lower back. He’s been on rest and I’ve been icing the area. My question is if there is anything else I should be doing? Any other at home treatments? I read online that strict confinement is key but my dog has anxiety issues with cages/crates but he has been laying down most the day, just walks to go to the bathroom really. Also, ive been noticing his energy is back up and wants to walk longer distances but haven’t let him to make him rest.

I have a 5 year old male Maltese and all he does is bark we have tried everything I have done training with him I have tried anxiety meds for dogs I have tried bark collars thunder vest and even leaving a tv on with dog music a blanket with my scent toys bones and nothing at all works and my neighbors get really upset and complain about his barking and have even threatened to call animal control but I don’t know what to do any more please help

Hi I’m curious as to the general thoughts in treating anxiety in small canines with CBC oil. Shitzu breed in particular when it comes to fireworks, thunder storms, and trucks or buses accelerating. Any information is appreciated and thank you all for what you do. Regards Kathleen

Hi I’m curious as to the general thoughts in treating anxiety in small canines with CBC oil. Shitzu breed in particular when it comes to fireworks, thunder storms, and trucks or buses accelerating. Any information is appreciated and thank you all for what you do. Regards Kathleen Munna

Hello Pawbly friends-
Quick question. Our youngest GSD (1 & 1/2)is not comfortable getting his nails trimmed, and it is getting worse?I will admit- ever since I quicked our Dierks years ago, I am always apprehensive about doing nails. Butch HATES getting his nails trimmed. Riva “tolerates” it. I know it is important, so I take a deep breath, calm myself and keep going. My thinking is that Rontu can still sense my anxiety and I need to get it in check. I realize that I could bring him in to get his nails trimmed, but at this point, and how involved with my dogs I try to be, I feel bringing him in is a cop out of sorts. I am also feeling like trimming nails, as small as that sounds, has great potential in building a better level of trust- but I need to approach it just right. Any advice is so very appreciated ???thanks

I adopted a 4 year old rescue small lab mix about 2 weeks ago. She is already deeply attached to me, and is starting to show some separation anxiety. Keeping her contained and safe while I’m at work has become a challenge. My Boston Terrier is content gated in the kitchen, but my rescue Duchess simply climbs over the gate. So I put her in a crate and I have attached a pic of the result (it’s sideways). She had bloodied her mouth and scraped her muzzle. The last couple of days I’ve left her loose in the house and hoped for the best. I saw evidence of her trying to push the gate through to get into the kitchen – to be with my other dog? I don’t know. Any advice is welcome.

Any advice for traveling in a car with cats. We have 2 cats and they are about 9 months old. we enjoying camping. They will go into the crate on their own and we buckle them in. They have their own blanket and toy. Our vet is about an hour drive normally they meow for a bit then quickly calm down. For this first time camping trip the 2.5 hour drive going up they were ok after meowing a bit. Arrived safely..new place so it took them a bit to get used to it. I went outside for a few minutes after an hour of being there, my husband was inside with them and both cried at the door till I came back. That night (several hours after we arrived) one of them was panting. I assume due to anxiety but that shortly passed. I took them in another room and stayed with them. The next day both of us went outside for short periods of time and they were completely fine and they were fine the day after. At home they are independent except at night they will sleep with me. The trip home both meowed but one continued for a full 2 hours. Do you think a larger crate for travel? Put both of them in 1 crate together? I am going to try and do short trips around the block and reward with treats when we get back. I prefer to have them with us when camping versus getting a sitter. These are short trips mostly 2-3 days in total with a 2.5 hour drive each way. Any other suggestions?

I have 5 cats and 2 dogs. All of our pets area rescues. We just took in our second rescue dog. She is 7 mths old and is terrorizing the cats. I need some advice on how to have a happier home with all the pets. The cats are indoor/outdoor but spend most of their time outside. 3 of the cats tolerate the new dog the other 2 won’t come near her. I did the proper introductions, I’ve given the cats a “safe space” but nothing seems to help the last 2 cats. The biggest problem is that the new dog likes to chase the cats. She is a small dog, smaller than the cats. She doesn’t nip at them or try to bite them, she’s just curious and wants to play with them. All of my cats love my other dog who is 11 years old. They were raised with him, sleep with him and play with him. I’m sure the chasing and the spontaneity of the new dog freaks out the cats because they are nor used to that. I am at my wits end trying to figure this out. Countless hours of research has not helped at all. I am not giving up not am I giving any of my pets away, as has been suggested. I know this can work out, I just need help. Or just possible reassurance that my cats won’t be permanently scarred and things will work out as time passes. My anxiety level is at an all time high and everyone tells me just leave them alone and let them work it out. I don’t think I can do that. HELP!!