Introduction
Does your dog seem anxious? Are her concentration and focus sharp? If not, then she could be experiencing dog anxiety.
Just like any human, your dog could be anxious if she is stressed, separated from her usual environment and companions, or even put in a startling situation (1).
What are the effects of dog anxiety?
Well, dog anxiety may affect your dog in the following ways
- Increased or even significant loss of appetite
- Inhibiting digestion
- Negative emotional, physical, and mental tendencies
Did you know that you can naturally address dog anxiety using essential oils? Essential oils for dog anxiety help to improve dog anxiety through therapeutic means. These are the top recommended essential oils for dog anxiety.
5 Essential Oils for Dog Anxiety
1. Lavender Essential Oil
Have you ever thought of using lavender essential oil to treat dog anxiety?
This oil is regarded as a versatile natural essential oil. The oil has the potential to create senses of harmony and peace. As a result, lavender essential oil is an adequate remedy for dog anxiety.
Lavender essential oil for dog anxiety works by soothing and calming your dog’s central nervous system. Therefore, you may rely on this essential oil to improve your dog’s anxiety to safer levels.
Conclusions from research hold that traditional remedies for anxiety as a result of traveling are costly, time-consuming, and have undesirable side effects. Lavender essential oil is a safer and practical aromatherapy solution to your dog’s anxiety (2
).
Use lavender essential oil for dog anxiety whenever your canine is in a stressful situation especially when traveling. The oil also significantly lowers training-related hyperactivity.
2. Cardamom Essential Oil
Cardamom essential oil is good for respiratory and digestive system complications. But do you know that it can significantly reduce dog anxiety? Even though this essential oil is regarded as a gentler alternative with even better results for kids, pet experts have justified that the oil achieves significant calming effects in stressed dogs.
How? Well, cardamom essential oil improves breathing, promotes respiratory health, calms stomach upset, eases indigestion, and promotes optimal gastrointestinal balance. Most notably, this oil will uplift your anxiety-ridden or sullen canine’s mood.
Therefore, if you wish to enable your dog to regain control whenever she is overwhelmed, then cardamom essential oil will prove useful. This oil works exceptionally well with dogs having long aggression histories.
3. Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense is thought to be less potent than a majority of essential oils for therapeutic healing. However, research confirms its usefulness when it comes to improving the immune system, reducing external ulcers, and discouraging tumors. But is the oil beneficial for your dog’s anxiety?
Critics hold that frankincense attains significant outcomes when used to calm an anxious dog. However, if your canine has cancer, it is recommended that you get professional insight from your vet on how to use this essential oil for dog anxiety (3).
Leicester University studies on frankincense essential oil suggest that it dramatically improves pancreatic, stomach, colon, and brain cancers which helps trigger a positive mood (4).
4. Citronella Essential Oil
What comes to mind when citronella is mentioned? This oil can overpower dogs and their owners with its sweet calming scent.
Therefore, if you must use the oil in its purest form, it is wise to use it sparingly. Using it in small amounts, it eases your dog’s stress and nervousness without overpowering her.
Citronella essential oil comes with additional non-toxic, insect-repelling features. This means that when you use citronella on your dog to calm her, you potentially keep at bay any fleas and ticks away.
To utilize this anti-stress and insect-repelling double benefit, consider mixing citronella essential oil with two or three water drops and massaging the mix to your canine’s coat.
5. Cedarwood Essential Oil
Often referred as cedar oil, cedarwood essential oil is best known among vets and dog owners as a reliable oil for the stimulation of circulation to improve mood. The oil also makes an excellent remedy for stiffness in aging dogs or those with back pains and arthritis.
Cedarwood essential oil also helps to calm dogs. Mainly, the oil works well for dogs exhibiting nervous aggression. Therefore, if your canine is timid or shy, or if she needs a special sense of inner safety, cedarwood essential oil is a recommendable natural remedy (5).
Cedarwood essential oil has notable calming effects on my dog who has to battle several separation issues in the past.
Conclusion
When used safely, the above essential oils are reliable in calming nervous and anxious dogs. Whether your dog is experiencing age, fear, or even separation-related stress, these essential oils will work to alleviate the levels of anxiety in your canine.
Ruby is the proud owner of Pet So Fun. She is also responsible for the abundant content creation on the website. She knows that there are millions of pet owners looking for the right kind of information online. And this is where her expertise lies. Smith writes about pet care health and fitness along with the best pet product recommendations. There is nothing on her blog that doesn’t encourage others to create a healthy and friendly environment for their pets.
