Sources Of Pet Stress

     Even pets can suffer from stress. Stressed pets live unhealthy lives and are burdensome to their owners. You owe it to yourself and your pet to keep stress out of your lives.

There are many sources that can cause stress for a pet. Here are some of them.

     You. The pet and its owner have an undeniable bond. If you are stressed yourself, or if you are depressed, unhappy or anxious, your pet will pick up on it. Your pet can sense your emotions through their senses and they will be influenced by it. If the person you love is sad, you'll be sad too. Same thing with your pets.

     Sickness. Especially sickness that lasts a long time. If your pet isn't getting better there must be a reason. Stress is one of those possibilities. It could be that the sickness made your pet more prone to stress. But whatever the true reason is, you will have to find out. Place your attention on the situation and be sure to be prepared for any situation that may come up. Unrelenting stress can make your pet's sickness a chronic one. Don't let it happen.

     Stressed eyes. Visual stimulation and irritation comes everywhere but the modern world has many and varied sources. Our eyes and the eyes of our pets can't cope with them all. There is TV, smoke, pollution, flashing lights, etc. All these can put a strain on eyes. Turning off or avoiding these stresses can be a welcome break for you and your pet.

    Noise pollution. TV once again gains a spot here. They get this honor far more than radios these days, as a lot of listeners use ear buds. Loud noises can stress a pet very much. Their hearing is a lot better than ours. They hear more and are bothered more by sound than we will ever be. Turn of noise sources so that your pet won't feel the stress. If you feel like leaving something on, try classical music. Mozart's tunes are universally loved by animals. There are even music for pets that exist.

     Nose stress. For many animals, the nose is more useful than the eyes. The odors they smell can be a source of much irritation for them, if the smell of your perfume, or deodorant, or air freshener, or hair spray, etc. is annoying to you. Imagine how your pet must feel. Try to use natural fresheners instead of artificial air fresheners. Don't use the smelly beauty products around your pet. Keep those products segregated. If your pet's nose stress is confirmed, let them smell relaxing scents. There are dog appeasing pheromones available or you can take an even more natural route. Lavender scents are relaxing to humans as well as pets.

     Poor Diet. The things that go into your pets' digestive system can cause a lot of stress to them. Unhealthy food causes stress to our bodies and it should be no surprise that it does the same thing to our pets. Make sure your pet is eating a balanced diet. Maybe try the raw food system or other nutritional diets. Keep the water fresh too.

     Weather. If it's too hot or too cold, stress follows. Don't place your pet in harsh environments.

     Physical pain. We train our pets as well as we can, but we can inadvertently make them do more than they should. It's not fun to keep on running for your master when you're tired. Pet exercise should be appropriate for the species, breed and age of your pet.

Jonathan Russell is an artist and blogger that has been writing articles on many different topics for the last 2 years. You can find him contributing articles at Guinea Pig Hutch a website dedicated to taking care of guinea pigs and their homes, the guinea pig hutch.