How Can CBD Oil Reduce Aggression Caused by Anxiety in Dogs & Cats?
Aggression in pets takes many different forms, and all cats and dogs will show some kind of aggression from time to time. Common causes for aggression include injury or illness, unfamiliar people, unfamiliar surroundings, travel stress, taking possessions, feeling cornered or trapped, frustration, or fear. Pets will express aggression in many different ways, including growing, snarling, showing teeth, hissing, lunging, clawing, and biting. If aggression frequently escalates to biting or other physical harm, this can be cause for the animal to be put down, so it is best to curb signs of aggression quickly.
There are many different ways to curb aggression, which include training, conditioning, and other methods. Sometimes aggression caused by fear and anxiety is harder to overcome. Here are some practical tools and tips for helping you stop aggressive behavior caused by anxiety in your pet.
Identifying the Cause
Try to identify the source of your dog or cat’s anxiety and what is causing them to act out aggressively. Commonly, loud noises like fireworks or thunderstorms, new people or animals, strange environments, certain surfaces, and traveling can all cause fear and anxiety, triggering your pet to act out of self-defense against the assumed threat which has invaded their lives.
Training Methods
Once you have identified the cause, try to reduce your pet’s exposure to whatever is causing them to act out aggressively. Or expose them slowly, bit by bit in small chunks, to whatever is frightening them in a controlled situation, where they can get used to it. This is called desensitization training, and while painstakingly slow, has proven incredibly effective. Another method is called counterconditioning. To implement this, expose your pet to what is frightening them, but use positive re-enforcement, like rewarding them with a treat for facing the fear. They will begin associate the feared thing with a positive instead of a negative.
Professional Help
Taking your dog or cat to a professional trainer or vet can help you learn how best to deal with your animal’s anxiety induced aggression. A professional trainer can show you the best ways to integrate desensitization methods along with helping you include counterconditioning and positive re-enforcement. A vet can help rule out any potential health issues that might be causing your pets aggression. Animals who are sick or in pain often act out in aggression, and this may be a warning sign that something is wrong in a normally calm well-behaved pet. Your vet may also be able to prescribe anti-anxiety medication if the situation is severe enough.
CBD Oil
Another more natural approach is the use of CBD oil. CBD oil is derived the cannabis plant, but does not contain any of the compound THC, which is associated with getting high. CBD oil has many health benefits for pets including improved joint function, better neurological health, shinier skin and coat, and reduced anxiety. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, which is a complex cell and nerve signaling system in the body. It binds with CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain and helps reduce inflammation, pain, and anxiety. Reducing your dog or cat’s anxiety and pain will help lessen their aggression as well.
As discussed, there can be many different things causing your dog or cats anxiety, which is in turn causing them to act out aggressively. Identifying the cause and trying various training methods can help stop the behavior. If needed, you may need to consult a professional trainer or veterinarian. There are also other natural methods to reduce your pet’s aggression, which include CBD oil. You can find not only CBD oil, but also CBD treats and CBD peanut butter at Kind Paws. Find the perfect treat for your pet and help them relax and be their best.