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Is your pet feeling anxious? Here’s how to recognise the signs and help them feel better

Anxiety is not limited to humans – pets can also experience stressors that can be overwhelming and debilitating. The golden rule is that every pet is different, with some triggers affecting certain pets while others are unaffected. So, what causes anxiety, and what are the behavioural signs that your pet might be going through something? What causes anxiety? Like us, our pets’ stress results from many situations, including environmental, health or stimulus-related causes. It can also come about due to bullying, past mistreatment, separation anxiety, fear of the unknown, and moving house. Many owners report changes in behaviour after losing another pet in the household, or noise phobias caused by hairdryers, lawnmowers, or construction work. In cats specifically, being kept indoors, not changing the sand in a litter box, or not having a safe place to rest can result in anxiety. What are the behavioural signs of an anxious dog? Pets wear their emotions on their furry sleeves. If they’re feeling anxious, their behaviour will differ from how they usually behave. They might communicate this verbally or through their body language. Be aware of any behavioural changes or changes in routine, as this is usually the first indication that your dog might be experiencing anxiety. Being overly alert Dogs in an alert state will stand in one place, lift their front paw, and run around before taking the same stance again. They might stare without blinking with their ears forward and erect. Submissive behaviour It might be a sign of stress when they crawl closer and flop onto their backs to expose their bellies. Typically, they will pull their ears flat and keep their tails close to their bodies (wagging slightly or not at all). Anxiety The dog will crouch low with their front body lowered and shiver or shake. Other signs are squirming, slightly dilated pupils, pulled-back ears and grimacing with their teeth showing. Displaying Dogs will cower with their legs slightly bent and their fronts lowered. They will constantly scan the environment and will stare without blinking. They might even growl or snap when the person or object that’s terrifying them comes too close. Aggression A scared dog can quickly turn aggressive and might lie on the ground or run to find a safe place to hide. Their pupils will dilate fully, and they might pant, bear their teeth, or bite. What are the behavioural signs of an anxious cat? Cats don’t take kindly to changes in their routine and can become anxious when their environments change. The symptoms of stress and anxiety in cats are diverse and can be expressed through aggression, agitation, and destructive behaviour. Anxiety Unusual isolation is one of the first signs. They will lay with their legs tucked underneath their bellies or keep their legs bent while standing. The tail tip will also make slight movements, and their ears might be partially flattened. Slinking away When your cat senses a threat, it will try to move quickly without drawing attention to itself. They will keep their bodies close to the floor with their front legs extended and the tail close to the body. Ears will also be perked up in a listening position. Nervousness Crouching in slow movements, shaking and fast breathing are signs of nervousness. The cat’s tail will be positioned close to the body, and its ears will be flattened. Being scared Ready to defend itself, the cat will lower the back of its body while lying on its side or stomach. It will extend its front legs, and their tails might twitch wildly. Hissing, spitting, and growling are common signs. Reacting to terror When there is danger, cats will make themselves appear bigger than they are. It will puff up, lower its chest, and raise its behind. Fast breathing, dilated pupils, spitting, hissing and extreme vocalisation will occur. How to ease anxiety in pets If stress and anxiety is caused by environmental factors such as thunderstorms, fireworks, moving house, loud music or construction, it’s important to try and reduce the impact of these stressors on your pet. You can do this by: Removing your pet from the environment where possible. Placing them in a well-lit room with bedding that’s familiar to them, drawing the curtains to dampen any noise, and playing soft background music. Using calming agents such as Bob Martin Naturals Calmcare or Vetcare Calmcare. These come in tasty tablets, easy-to-apply spot treatments, and collars. Bob Martin’s calming products can be used long-term for pets that show signs of chronic stress and anxiety or behavioural problems, such as separation distress. The products are safe to use in young pets for weaning, as well as older pets. Identify the changes in your pet’s behaviour and lock down their triggers to help them live longer, happier lives.  

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Managing anxiety and stress in pets

When it comes to the well-being of your furry family members, Bob Martin’s Naturals Calmcare is a trusted ally, offering a scientifically sound and holistic approach to managing stress and anxiety. Cats and dogs, just like humans, can experience stress and anxiety and this can present at different stages in their lives, and as a result of certain traumas and events. Helping your beloved pet through difficult times with calming medicine is an important part of your overall care routine. Why add a calming tablet to your pet’s wellness routine? As we approach the end of the year, our calendars are filled with exciting events like Guy Fawkes in November and New Year’s Eve in December. While these festivities bring joy to our lives, they can also be a source of stress and anxiety for our furry companions. Fortunately, Bob Martin’s Calmcare Range is here to help you manage your pet’s stress and anxiety during these busy times. Pets can experience heightened stress and anxiety when faced with sudden loud noises, fireworks, and changes in routine. These situations can lead to various behavioural issues, from excessive barking and destructive behaviour to trembling and restlessness. It’s important to note that as a dog or cat parent it is your responsibility to look after your pets and to make sure they’re comfortable, feel safe and are not put into situations that cause them anxiety. Incorporating a calming treatment into your pet’s wellness routine is a valuable step in ensuring their emotional well-being, especially during times of stress and anxiety. However, it should be complemented with responsible care practices that prioritise your pet’s comfort and mental health. Both of these aspects go hand in hand, and here’s why: Calming tablets, collars or spot-ons as a supportive measure: Calming tablets, collars or spot-ons like Bob Martin’s Naturals Calmcare can be a significant aid in helping pets manage stress and anxiety, whether it’s due to loud noises, unfamiliar environments, or changes in routine. These calming aids provide a sense of calm and relaxation, making challenging situations more manageable for your pet. Bob Martin’s Calmcare can be given both short term and long term. Responsible pet care: While calming aids can be highly effective, responsible pet care also entails understanding and respecting your pet’s unique needs and preferences. It’s crucial to recognise situations that may trigger stress or anxiety in your furry friend and take steps to avoid or mitigate them whenever possible. Knowing your pet: One of the fundamental aspects of responsible pet care is getting to know your pet’s temperament and preferences. Just like humans, every pet has their individual personality, and some may be more sensitive to certain stimuli than others. For example, if you know your dog doesn’t like crowds and loud noises, it’s essential to plan your activities accordingly. Avoiding high-stress situations: If your pet doesn’t fare well in crowded or noisy environments, consider alternative arrangements. Instead of taking them to busy places, restaurants, or parties, opt for quieter and more pet-friendly settings. This proactive approach can prevent unnecessary stress and discomfort for your furry companion. Creating safe spaces: For particularly anxious pets, creating a safe and familiar environment at home can work wonders. Providing a comfortable and quiet space where they can retreat when they feel overwhelmed allows them to self-soothe and reduces stress. Combining care and calming medicine: When you combine responsible pet care practices with the use of calming aids, such as Bob Martin Calmcare, you’re taking a comprehensive approach to your pet’s emotional well-being. Calming tablets, collars or spot-ons can provide that extra layer of support during unavoidable stressors, but minimising exposure to stress triggers is equally important. Bob Martin believes that caring for your pet’s mental health is just as important as caring for their physical health, and it involves a multi-faceted approach. While calming aids are a valuable tool to have in your pet care toolkit, responsible pet ownership means understanding your pet’s needs, avoiding stressful situations when possible, and creating a nurturing and supportive environment. By taking these steps, you can ensure that your furry companion lives a happy and stress-free life, with tail wags all round. Bob Martin’s Calmcare Range is not just about managing stress during the holiday season; it’s a year-round solution for pets that struggle with anxiety in various situations. Whether you have a dog that dislikes thunderstorms or a cat that gets nervous during car rides, these products are designed to help your pet feel more at ease.   More about Bob Matin’s Calm Care Range: Naturals Calmcare: A Holistic, Natural Solution: Bob Martin’s Naturals Calmcare harnesses the power of Valerian, Lavender and Rosemarry  to provide a comprehensive solution for managing stress and anxiety in pets. By stress hormones and promoting a sense of well-being, it aids in creating a more relaxed and confident pet. Long-Term Benefits: Beyond immediate stress relief, Naturals Calmcare can also assist in addressing underlying behavioral problems. By providing your pet with the emotional support they need, it contributes to their overall health and happiness, ensuring a harmonious relationship between you and your beloved companion.  

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Flea-ing the scene

Tips on defleaing your pet by Bob Martin  Summer in South Africa is a wonderful time, especially if you have a much-loved furry friend that you can take on outdoor adventures. But, sometimes, uninvited guests arrive, such as ticks and fleas. Fear not preventing ticks and fleas as well as defleaing your pet if they do become an issue is simple with the correct products and care.  Finding the flea  Different remedies are needed to get a parasite infestation under control. A good way to check for fleas is to run a flea comb through your dog or cat’s fur or to stroke the hair just above the tail base upwards, if you see either fleas or little granules that look like ground coffee, you unfortunately have a flea problem. The little black granules you see are actually flea droppings and is made up of dried blood. A tell-tale sign is also hair loss just above the tail base.   A tick and flea shampoo or a dip will help to kill all fleas on your pet immediately. As these products have short activity, it is necessary to use a longer acting product like a tick and flea spot on, spray or collar to ensure long-term coverage. Products such as Bob Martin Clear Spot-on powders and shampoos are specifically formulated for the treatment of ticks and fleas in dogs and cats.  It is VERY IMPORTANT to use dog only products only on dogs. Some dog products are highly poisonous to cats, so should never be used on or close to cats. Please always read your package instructions carefully and consult your vet for further advice.   Regular, once monthly treatments are necessary to get rid of a flea infestation as fleas do not live on animals, but in the environment and only jump on a pet to have a blood meal and will jump off again shortly after.   As fleas prefer dark areas like cracks where the floor meets the wall, under beds, carpets and especially in between wooden flooring panels, it is vitally important to also treat the environment with either a tick and flea powder or environmental spray with residual action against hatching fleas.   Dr Jan, Bob Martin’s consulting vet explains that: “During the lifecycle, some stages are resistant to products. This means that, even though there is a comprehensive treatment, this may need to be repeated as those stages will still continue developing. The area must also be properly cleaned, swept and vacuumed, including carpets and along the edges of walls. A flea powder can also be used on pet bedding to kill fleas dropping off to lay eggs or hatching in the bedding.”  It’s not uncommon for pet parents to be unaware that their dog or cat has fleas, especially if there are fewer than 3-5 fleas on your pet. This is why it’s important to continue defleaing treatment all year round, even in winter when the flea life cycle slows down. Every flea lays 40 to 50 eggs, so if fleas are not treated in winter, it allows the flea population to grow exponentially during these months silently.   Dr Jan adds, “Once an infestation is under control, prevention can be relatively easy by continuing with once monthly treatment and also keeping the environmental clean and treated.”   Spot on!  Don’t put off summer hikes with your pooch for fear of fleas, those small critters can be prevented and treated effectively when armed with your amazing fur parent skills and the right treatment options and advice.   Bob Martin’s tick, flea & mites treatment and prevention products are a simple and effective solution to keep your pets (and you) happy and healthy.  Check out link below to the Cape FM radio talk with Dr Jan Mol on Defleaning pets. Cape FM radio talk  

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COVID-19 and Your Cat

Here are seven questions with answers your cats wish you knew about the COVID-19 disease. I heard that I can carry COVID-19. Is this true? No! The World Health Organisation has stated that there is currently no evidence that cats (or dogs) can carry and/or transmit COVID-19 to humans or other animals. There are however different types of Coronavirus which cats and dogs can carry respectively, BUT these have been around for a while already and CANNOT be transmitted to humans. But a dog died in Hong Kong? We understand that the dog in Hong Kong tested Negative for COVID-19, was returned home from quarantine and has since passed away, BUT most likely from natural causes as the pooch was already 17 years old. Our sympathies go out to the owner(s). So I don’t have to wear a mask? There is currently no evidence that masks can prevent cats from contracting infectious diseases – especially due to the variations in muzzle shapes. If anything, wearing a mask may just scare and confuse you. Can my pet food carry the Coronavirus? This is VERY unlikely. The hygienic handling of raw materials and thorough cooking of foods is already a top-priority for us, as we have to comply with many laws – Coronavirus or not! What’s more, our food is nutritionally complete which will also help you fight infections. For added peace of mind your owners can give you a good multivitamin. One of my humans has contracted COVID-19. What now? Simply as a measure of precaution, it is recommended that you are kept away from the infected member of your family and that your healthy owners follow normal hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before and after handling you. What if I show flu-like symptoms? There are several other viral and bacterial infections that you can contract, that aren’t COVID-19 and aren’t infectious to your owners. If you show any signs of sneezing, coughing or fatigue, your owners should schedule an appointment with your veterinarian who will diagnose and help you get better! So there is really no reason for my owners to drop me off at a shelter? No! The shelters are already battling with day-to-day operations outside of COVID-19 and your owners should not be adding to this problem due to fear. In fact, there has never been a better time for them to bond with you through grooming and play (to keep your mind and body in tip-top shape), whilst also remembering not to overstimulate you. Photo by Yerlin Matu on Unsplash

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Tick & Flea Advice

So your Best Friend won’t stop scratching? Itchy skin and discomfort might be a sign that your dog has fleas and its time to take action with Bob Martin. How will I know if my pet has fleas? If any of the below signs are prevalent in your pet they may have fleas: Increased irritability on the skin Looks for cold places to stay on to relieve the itchiness Suffers from secondary skin infections Shows signs of small and red flea bites on their skin If the symptoms above sound familiar, inspect your friend with a flea comb. Fleas are tiny but visible to the human eye when inspected closely. How do I spot fleas on my pet? Fleas are very small (1mm – 4mm) and cats are good groomers. This makes spotting fleas difficult, but if you nod your head to more than one of the following points it’s a good idea to treat your friend with one of BOB MARTIN’s Tick and Flea Products for Cats: Intense scratching and biting of their coat Excessive grooming Hair loss and bald patches Avoidance of certain rooms in your home (fleas like carpeted rooms – your cat will avoid these rooms) Agitation and restlessness Red and inflamed bumps Lethargy (your friend might seem even more lazy than usual) Tiny peppercorn-specks on your cat’s fur (this is flea “dirt”). What do I do if I spot a tick on my pet? Don’t rush to pull out this nasty monster – you might cause more harm as its mouth-part might break off and get left behind. This can cause a serious infection. The best way to remove a tick is to grasp the tick firmly with tweezers as close as possible to where it is attached to the skin. Slowly and steadily pull the tick straight up. Remember! If Felix has a flea or tick you need to treat all the animals in your home! How can I fight a flea infestation? Outdoor cats and dogs especially those that hunt will need more regular and thorough flea control than an indoor pet or one that just steps out into the garden. Depending on how serious the flea infestation is, we would recommend the following action. Give some instant relief with tick and flea shampoo (available for cats & dogs) or tick and flea dip (dogs only). Follow up with a Spot on, this will continue to kill fleas and ticks for 5 weeks (available for both cats & dogs). Fit a tick and flea collar to extend the protection period between treatments (available for both cats & dogs). In the meantime, wash the pets bedding over 40⁰c, vacuum wherever you can (you can apply tick and flea powder and let it sit for a while before you vacuum), paying attention to warm, dark, protected areas – a flea’s idea of a perfect home! Don’t forget to deworm your pet regularly as fleas and a certain type of tapeworm go hand in hand (available for both dogs & cats). ! Always read the instruction of a product prior to use for your family and pets safety. How do I know if the Flea treatment worked? If you continue to find fleas on your pet after correctly applying the treatment, this is probably because of flea eggs hatching and growing into adult fleas in the home. Some forms of the flea life cycle are resistant to even the best household sprays, so you’ll still get fleas developing for up to three months after your house and cat have been treated. As long as you follow the instructions and use the product correctly, you should see a vast reduction in fleas within the first month, and in most cases, an elimination of the problem after three months. Keep treating the home accordingly and re-treat your pet if necessary. This can be done 1 week after initial application of the Spot On. For more advice, contact our consumer care line. What can I do about ticks? If you live in a tick-prevalent area it’s worth checking your pet regularly by running your fingers through their coat feeling for a little lump, look inside their ears and between their toes. They are usually easy to see and feel. If you find a tick on your pet, it’s best to remove it as soon as possible as it can spread disease. If you’ve never removed a tick before, or you’re unsure how to do it, you should consult your vet who can show you – if you don’t remove the tick properly you risk leaving the head buried beneath the skin, which can result in a nasty abscess. The best tool to use is a specially designed tick remover. This hooks under the body of the tick and will remove the tick whole with a gentle twist. It’s very quick and easy to do. Alternatively, you can use tweezers, but make sure you always twist, rather than pull the tick out. Once removed, check the tick is whole, then soak it in alcohol to kill it or squash it in tissue and dispose of it, be careful as engorged ticks will contain potentially infected blood. You do not want this to splatter on you when crushed. Do not crush the tick with your fingers and do not allow the crushed tick or the blood it carried to contact your skin. It was once thought that you should burn the tick or rub it in alcohol before it’s removed. This has been proven to stress the tick and increase the likelihood of spreading blood borne diseases, so this is no longer recommended. Occasionally, your pet may get a small, localised swelling where the tick was removed. As long as the tick has been completely removed and your cat isn’t bothered by it, the swelling should disappear within a couple of months. How can I treat my home for fleas? When we are busy trying to eliminate a flea problem,

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Why is my cat vomiting and what can I do?

Seeing your cat ill is one of the worst feelings in the world, and when they’re vomiting it’s even worse. While vomiting can sometimes be a somewhat natural response to discomfort, it can also signal something more serious. Hairballs The most common reason for cats vomiting is that they are trying to get rid of hairballs. This is reasonably uncommon in short-haired cats, but is likely to happen now and then with long-haired breeds. While this is not necessarily dangerous, it’s important to check that it’s not happening too often, or that your cat is choking when this happens. Speedy eaters Another common reason, which applies to all kinds of cats, is that they are eating too quickly. It is important for your cats to eat at a steady pace, in order to avoid swallowing their kibble whole, which can induce gagging and vomiting. In this case, a larger, rather than smaller kibble is a better choice so that your cat is forced to slow down, chew for longer and then swallow. Another option is to feed your cat more often, in smaller portions. Make sure that if you have more than one cat, there is the option for separate bowls in separate areas, as the desperation to get food from one bowl can cause this frantic, fast eating. What about grass? One peculiar behaviour you may have noticed is your cat occasionally eating grass and then vomiting it up. This is also reasonably natural, despite the fact that it looks uncomfortable. Cats don’t have the stomach enzymes to digest grass, so they eat it to clear their digestive tract of hair, bones and parasites, which are released when they vomit. However, this behaviour can also signal a serious stomach irritation or infection, so if the behaviour becomes more frequent, or you notice blood in your cat’s vomit (for this or any other reason), seek help from your cat’s vet as soon as possible.   Photo by Nika Benedictova on Unsplash

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