Introduction
Excitement is a natural state for dogs, especially puppies and young dogs. However, over-excitement can lead to undesirable behaviors such as excessive barking, jumping, biting and other displays. Fortunately, there are many ways to alleviate anxiety in dogs. Let's take a closer look at the causes of hyperactivity in dogs and how to calm them down? Can you use dog sedatives and the correct way to use dog sedatives. Also, how can you sedate dog? (Non-use of drugs)
If you want to know the answers to these questions, read the following article!
Causes of Dog Excitement
Dogs can become very excited for a number of reasons. Here are the main factors that contribute to hyperactivity in dogs:
Waiting for a walk or play - Most dogs love to walk and play. Therefore, when they realize that they will soon be going out for a walk or play, they start to become very excited and expectant. Dogs can jump, bark, and run around the house waiting to go outside.
Meeting other animals - Many pets are very excited to see their relatives on a walk. Especially if there are unfamiliar dogs. Excitement can be expressed by happy barking, jumping and trying to run close to another dog.
New people or places - unfamiliar people and new surroundings often trigger excitement in dogs. For example, during a guest's visit, a dog may begin jumping on the guest, barking, and running in circles. Also, in an unfamiliar place, he will get excited by a plethora of unknown smells and impressions.
Boredom or Loneliness - Dogs are often left alone at home feeling bored or lacking stimulation and activity, and they tend to overreact when their owners are around. They will jump, bark, and chew on toys because of the extra energy and attention.
Stressful situations such as trips to the vet, loud noises and even family arguments can trigger ADHD in dogs. In this case, arousal is associated with fear and anxiety.
How to Recognize Excitement in Dogs?
To know if your dog is excited, look for the following signs:
- Jumping and bouncing - The dog may jump in front of you and onto the couch/bed.
- Violent tail wagging - When a dog is excited, the tail may wag violently from side to side.
- Loud barking or even screaming - An excited dog will usually bark or wail louder than usual.
- Pushing with nose or paws - A dog may push its nose into its owner's lap, poke its nose into its owner's hand, and scratch with its paws.
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Running or circling aimlessly - Overexcited dogs often run around the room constantly and circle in place.
If several similar signs are observed at the same time, your dog is likely to be very excited.
How Can You Sedate A Dog?
Fortunately, there are many ways to help your dog calm down and get rid of excessive excitement. Let's consider the most effective ways:
1. Exercise
Active exercise is a great way for your dog to release excess energy. Take a vigorous 10- to 15-minute walk or play catch in the park or garden. You can leave a ball or a stick and play Frisbee.
Many experts recommend physical exercise as a healthy and effective way to calm your dog down, especially before traveling or doing anything that might make them fidgety and agitated. A well-exercised dog will have an easier time staying calm because he will use up all of his excess energy.
In addition, exercise is known to promote the release of serotonin in a dog's body, making him feel better.
Long walks as well as complex games (catch, search) are great companions.
2. Chewy Treats
Never underestimate the power of snacks to calm an irritable dog. If more chewing is required, these treats will be more effective. The chewing action, combined with the pleasure from the treat itself, has a tremendous calming effect.
A highly recommended option for calming an anxious dog are stuffed toys, such as Kongs. These work wonders by making getting food difficult. Use them as a calming agent during situational anxiety attacks, e.g., thunderstorms, trips to the barber store, etc.
Over time, dogs can learn to see these stressful situations as something positive.
2. Games and Activities
Involve your dog in finding snacks and give him new ones Interactive toys for mental training. Also use tasty treats. Such games and activities will help distract and calm the dog.
3. Training for Your Dog
Teaching your dog basic command techniques and obedience is a great way to channel your pet's excess energy into calming channels and get his mind working. Practice simple commands together to reinforce training skills.
4. Soothing Therapy
High in tryptophan, such as turkey, cheese (hard) or special dog cookies to help calm an agitated dog. Give your pet such a snack prophylactically before it starts to become very excited.
5. Pheromones Therapy
Another effective way to calm your dog naturally is pheromone therapy. Different studies have shown that all mammals, including dogs and cats, produce calming pheromones when nursing their pups. This is the goal of this therapy, which can be found in various presentations.
It usually comes in the form of sprays, necklaces and diffusers. Each product is designed to release pheromones that mimic those of the mother.
Once placed around the dog's neck, the calming collar continues to release pheromones for about 1 month. For its part, the diffuser must be connected to an electric current and it also remains effective for 1 month. Sprays are a more practical alternative to spraying cars or cages.
There are pheromone collars and sprays designed specifically for dogs that mimic the effects of calming hormones. Their odor helps to relax nervous and excited dogs.
6. Medicinal Herbs
Some plants, such as chamomile, lemon balm, and valerian, have a calming effect. You can add them to food or give them as an infusion as recommended by your veterinarian.
Some dog sedatives commonly used by humans can also calm an anxious or hyperactive puppy. Chamomile, for example, is a great natural sedative for dogs; Valerian promotes generalized relaxation and calms the nerves. Both of these plants can be used to treat anxiety, excitement, travel-related behavioral issues, and more.
One of the easiest ways to use them is to make your own homemade tea, add a little to your dog's water or soak a snack, but chamomile and valerian root are also available in capsules and drops.
Keep in mind that the dosage of herbal supplements for dogs always depends on your pet's weight. It is important not to exceed the recommended dose. Always consult your veterinarian before proceeding.
For reference:
1 to 20 lb dogs (1/4 cup tea, ½ capsule, or 1-4 drops)
20 to 50 lb dog (1/2 cup tea, 1 capsule or 5-10 drops)
50 to 100 lb dog (1 cup tea, 1-2 capsules or 10-20 drops)
7. Essential Oil Aromatherapy
Have you already tried aromatherapy? There are several essential oils that have a calming effect on dogs. These include lavender, chamomile, vetiver and rose oil. Of all of these, lavender is usually the most popular. To use them, simply add a few drops of essential oil to the water in your diffuser. Always make sure your pet can move to another room if they want to get rid of the odor.
Never add essential oils to your dog's water or apply them directly to his skin.
8. Soothing Clothing
Another very creative dog calmer is a calming undershirt or shirt, a piece of clothing designed to wrap around your pet and make him or her feel cuddled. This creates a slight but constant pressure on your body. It is said to work in a similar way to the swaddling accessories typically used to put babies to sleep.
You can purchase it at your local pet store or online.
9. Melatonin Supplements
Not sure what to give your dog to calm him down for sleep? Melatonin supplements may be the solution. This sleep hormone allows your pup to relax and rest better. It is commonly used to treat separation anxiety and other stressful situations like noise anxiety.
If your dog tends to get nervous before traveling, or if you know he's going to be in a potentially scary situation soon, consider using a melatonin supplement to help him sleep.
The most common form of presentation is pills. As always, the correct dosage depends on your dog's weight and size.
10. CBD Therapy for Dogs
CBD oil or cannabidiol is a chemical extracted from the marijuana plant and is very popular in treating stress and anxiety. As in humans, this compound promotes serotonin production and a state of relaxation in dogs.
According to experts, one advantage of this natural sedatives is that it works fast; it is available only when needed. Simply place a few drops of the product in your dog's mouth 30-60 minutes before a stressful event (travel, vet visit, nail clipping, etc.).
Keep in mind that CBD oil comes in different concentrations and purity levels. It is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions or your veterinarian's recommendations.
11. Give Your Dog A Massage
Sometimes a little cuddling is all it takes to calm an agitated dog. Touch and massage are known to be powerful calming agents. This is an effective, pleasant and completely natural method.
Gently rub his entire body with the palm of your hand, starting at the base of his neck and working your way down to the tip of his tail. Massage slowly and deliberately, gradually increasing the pressure applied.
12. Dog Separation Anxiety Toys
Your dog's favorite toys, blankets and other accessories contain many of his familiar scents. Bringing them along can help ease his jitters when traveling or visiting unfamiliar places.
So far, we've seen a summary of the best natural sedatives for dogs. Consider that not everyone will work the same way. Depending on the individual dog or situation, some remedies may be more calming than others.
When to Consult Your Veterinarian?
If the above methods do not help and your dog often shows uncontrollable and intense excitement, you should consult a veterinarian. Your pet may be suffering from an anxiety disorder or another problem that requires medication. Your veterinarian may recommend specific dog sedatives, pheromones, or behavioral therapies depending on the cause.
So, excitement is a normal, natural state for dogs. However, significant hyperactivity may lead to undesirable behavior. In order to help your dog calm down, it is important to determine the cause of the excitement and choose the appropriate method of influence - whether it is physical exercise, whether it is play, whether it is training, or whether it is special treatments and medications. By doing this the right way, you will teach your dog to control his level of excitement.
What Are Some of the Dog Sedatives?
Maybe it's the New Year's Eve fireworks and thunderbolt smoke, maybe it's the owner must go out to be alone, or even suddenly landed in a strange environment where people and dogs are not familiar with each other, or even a summer thunderstorm can make some sensitive dogs or dogs that have suffered from a change of life feel the panic of a catastrophe, and thus appear to be wailing, running away, fleeing and so on, disturbing their owners and endangering their own health and safety of their own behaviors, not to mention those who have been in a car accident or abandoned fur children and how easy it is to overreact in a state of stress. Not to mention how easy it is for a dog that has been in a car accident or abandoned to overreact in a state of stress.
Traumatic experiences will often be in these unfortunate dogs in the psychological, deeply imprinted, affect and even change their behavior, more so that they suffer from panic, fear and anxiety, but also bring great anxiety and distress to the owner, not only is it difficult to control the dog's behavior, but also worried about overreaction not only to damage the physical and mental health of the dog, but also may lead to loss and accidents and endangering the life of the dog.
If a human being encounters an emotional state of excessive tension and anxiety, in addition to all the measures of psychological stress reduction, you can also use the appropriate dog sedatives under the guidance of a doctor to achieve emotional stability and soothe anxiety. If the situation is not very serious, you can also take some food or herbs that have the effect of calming the mind to ease the symptoms.
So, for this kind of situation that makes the owner's headache dog suffer, is there a similar measure that can be taken? Of course, if the dog is nervous and anxious to the extent that it is difficult to control, it is necessary to choose a sedative under the guidance of a doctor to control the dog's excessive tension, after all, when life is at stake, the first step is to stabilize the mood to avoid losing control.
A better option is to avoid the situation from developing to this point, pay attention to your dog's mental health early on, and once you realize that the tension and anxiety has the potential to develop further, take stress-reducing measures to avoid the situation from worsening. On the one hand, it is important to figure out the source of the stress and improve the dog's adaptability through desensitization training to relieve the stress and get to the root of the problem.
In the face of some occasional circumstances and individual changes that must be experienced, such as relocation and transportation, foster care, learning to be alone and so on, the use of pheromone-containing canine soothing agent, is not a simple and easy to implement effective support measures.
The following changes in your pet's behavior may indicate stress:
- Eating quickly (especially since pets usually eat slowly)
- Increased excitability
- Refusal to eat
- Reluctance to go for walks
- Indifference and apathy to what is happening around them
- Sleep disturbances
- Frequent howling of the pet
- The appearance of tremors in the limbs
- The animal is looking for a hiding place in a corner
Ideally, if the above symptoms recur, the owner should contact a veterinarian. The veterinarian will prescribe sedative medications based on the dog's characteristics. Drugs have enough contraindications and side effects (even those of plant origin), so you should not choose them yourself. Taking into account your pet's health, age, and weight, the doctor will choose the best medication regimen, tell you how long to take it, and set the maximum dose. This is especially important because there are different classes of dog sedatives:
| Drug Name | Indications and Uses | Dosage and Administration |
|---|---|---|
| Barbiturate | Inhibits the central nervous system. Low doses have sedative effects, while higher doses induce sleep and have anticonvulsant properties. Often combined with antipyretic and analgesic drugs like aminopyrine to enhance analgesic effects. | Oral: Dogs 0.15–0.5 g per dose; Cats 0.1–0.3 g per dose. <br> Intramuscular injection: Dogs 0.05–0.1 g per dose. |
| Phenobarbital (Luminal) | Long-acting barbiturate. Increases in dose produce sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, and anesthetic effects. Also has antiepileptic properties. Used to treat epilepsy, encephalitis, tetanus, and to induce anesthesia in experimental dogs and cats. | Oral: Dogs and cats 2 mg/kg per dose, once daily. <br> Intramuscular or intravenous injection: Dogs and cats 6–12 mg per dose (sedation, anticonvulsant), 6 mg/kg per dose (epilepsy treatment), 80–100 mg/kg per dose (anesthesia). |
| Pentobarbital | Medium-acting barbiturate used for sedation, hypnotic effects, and as a base anesthesia. | Oral: Dogs 15–25 mg/kg. <br> Intravenous injection: Dogs and cats 2–4 mg/kg (sedation), 30 mg/kg (anesthesia). |
| Secobarbital (Seconal) | Short-acting barbiturate used for sedation, hypnotic effects, and base anesthesia. | Oral: Dogs and cats 0.03–0.2 g per dose. |
| Sodium Bromide | Sedative that calms agitated dogs and cats, reduces pain response, and has antiepileptic effects. | Oral: Dogs 0.5–2.0 g per dose. |
| Chlorpromazine (Wintermin) | Potent central tranquilizing effects. Calms aggressive and stubborn animals. Used to treat tetanus, encephalitis, and to sedate aggressive dogs, cats, and wildlife for transportation. Also used for antiemetic and analgesic purposes. | Intramuscular injection: Dogs and cats 1.1–1.6 mg/kg per dose. <br> Compound chlorpromazine injection: 0.5–1.0 mg/kg per dose. |
| Promazine Hydrochloride | Similar to Chlorpromazine. Used for sedation, antiemetic effects, and transportation of dogs and cats. | Intramuscular or intravenous injection: Dogs and cats 2–6 mg/kg per dose. |
| Diazepam (Valium) | Has calming, sedative, hypnotic, muscle relaxant, anticonvulsant, and antiepileptic effects. Used to treat epilepsy in dogs. | Oral: Dogs and cats 1 mg/kg per dose. <br> Intravenous injection: Dogs 25–70 mg per dose; Cats 2.5–5 mg per dose. |
| Phenytoin (Dilantin) | Controls major epileptic seizures in dogs. | Oral: Dogs 55 mg/kg per dose, once daily. |
Medications commonly used by veterinarians to sedate dogs include:
- Acetylpromazine
- Diazepam
- Alprazolam
- Dexmedetomidine
Essentially, they work by blocking certain signals from the central nervous system (CNS) to produce a sedative effect on the animal.
For example, acepromazine is a strong sedative that is usually prescribed when you need to sedate a dog quickly; it takes effect within 20-30 minutes of administration. The medication usually comes in the form of a pill or liquid that is sprayed on your pet's gums and cheeks. The usual dose is 1 to 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
In the case of benzodiazepines, such as diazepam, alprazolam and lorazepam, they are single-use or short-term medications. They also work quickly, but the effects don't last long. Any of these can relax a dog before their vet or groomer appointment.
Warnings to Consider
Regular use of these sedative medications can not only be addictive to your dog, but can also have other long-term side effects.
Never try to combine multiple dog sedatives individually for a longer lasting calming effect.
Although they are alternatives for treating anxiety, irritability, and hyperactivity in dogs, medications are not always the best choice; an obvious example is air travel (which is often prohibited).
Some Dog Separation Anxiety Toys
Nowadays, more and more people have dogs, and most dog owners are working people, so the vast majority of dogs have to adapt to life alone at home. We all know that dogs are very clingy creatures, can't wait for their owners to be with them 24 hours a day, so it's not easy for dogs to adapt to being at home alone, so separation anxiety has become a common mental illness in dogs, and it's not easy for dogs to adapt to being at home alone, so it's not easy for dogs to adapt to being at home alone.
A dog suffering from separation anxiety will have the following typical symptoms.
- Nervousness and fidgeting when the owner is out of the house.Constant barking when the owner goes out and when he is not at home.
- Tearing at objects and furniture in the house to relieve stress when the owner is not home.
- Overstimulation leading to urination and defecation in the house.
- Extreme anxiety leading to obsessive-compulsive behavior, where the dog licks or chews itself constantly, leading to hair loss or ulcers on the surface of the body.
Funnel toys: Have a funnel toy ready to give your dog something to do. Mix snacks with yogurt or peanut butter, fill the ball and freeze it in the refrigerator. Leave the frozen ball in the freezer before you leave the house each day, and you'll have enough to keep your dog occupied for most of the day before he goes to bed exhausted.
Snack Dispensing toys: These toys hide snacks and require dogs to chew, roll or solve puzzles to get to the treats, which is a great way to distract them from their owner's absence.
Puzzle toys: by setting different difficulty levels, they stimulate your dog's intelligence and problem-solving skills, keeping them occupied while playing.
Bite-resistant and teething toys: satisfy your dog's chewing instincts while protecting dental health.
Licking pads and audible toys: Licking pads provide soothing effects, while audible toys attract your dog's attention through sound.
Interactive Sniffing toys: Combine olfactory and auditory stimulation to keep your dog busy while searching for hidden treats.
Comforting toys: reassure your dog through the owner's scent or pheromones that mimic those of a female dog.
Suggestions for selection
Make sure the toy is made of safe material with no small loose parts to avoid accidental ingestion by your dog. Choose the right material according to the dog's biting force, such as hard rubber or nylon. Choose the right size of toy according to your dog's size and preference.
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