Many pet and dog owners think about their fur babies more often than they admit. However, these thoughts can impact your mental health if you are constantly catastrophizing about the worst that could happen. If you are an anxious dog owner who finds that they are always worrying about their furry friend, there are many steps that you should take to try and alleviate your concerns and enjoy your time with your animal as a dog owner, and here are some of the best of these.
5 Simple Tips For Anxious Dog Owners
Find a Good Vet
One of the main steps that you can take to shake off your worries is to find a great vet. An excellent vet who you can trust and rely on is essential as you will be able to go to them whenever you believe that your pet might be ill or if they have an accident. Not only this, but they might be able to calm your worries by talking through certain issues in an informative and factual manner and giving you preventative advice.
You should also try to look for a vet whose clinic is close to your house so that you do not travel far to visit them in an emergency, and you should make sure that you can contact this vet whenever you need to. If you are looking for a new vet, you should consider looking at the services that are provided by saltwateranimalhospital.com.
Try Relaxation Techniques
However, if you are worrying about your pet even when there is nothing wrong with them, you should try to put your mind at rest by practicing relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques and mindfulness, such as deep breathing, long nature walks, and meditation, can help you ground yourself when you are panicking and can give you the time that you need to organize your thoughts. If you are struggling to implement these into your routine, you should look for apps that might help you to do this.
Avoid Showing Your Dog
Your pet might often feed off your anxiety, and this can make them stressed and ill. You might notice that they hide, pace, whine, or go off their food. This means that you should try not to make your pets anxious by staying calm around them, using a soothing voice, and avoiding constantly checking them for diseases, injuries, and other issues. Instead, when you are feeling tense, you should consider going to a different room or taking part in a fun activity with them, such as playing in the park.
Get a Pet Camera
If you have separation anxiety and this is distracting you during work and social occasions, you should consider installing a pet camera within your home. This camera will allow you to see what your pets are doing at all times and check that they are alright. These often connect to your mobile phone, which means that you can always look in on your animal while you are on the go. You might even be able to get one that has a microphone, allowing you to speak to your pet from anywhere in the world.
Get Support
However, if your anxiety is getting too much for you to cope with, you should consider speaking to a doctor and getting support for your condition. They might be able to give you advice about self-care, as well as refer you to a therapist with whom you can get to the bottom of your anxieties and who can provide you with a safe space to explore your worries. They might also prescribe you medication if your anxiety is affecting your day-to-day life and is often more generalized.
