Nearly every day, we find ourselves being on the receiving end of countless anxieties. So it is with our four-legged furry friends who have their own set of stress to deal with. But there are certain signs your doggy may initially display to indicate that it is under distress. The most common ones of which include
- excessive licking, panting, yawning
- flattened ears
- tail tucked between hind legs
- nervously pacing the room
- incessant whimpering
It would be disastrous on your part to ignore these oddities because just like with us, stress can cause both short and long term damage to your pup’s overall health. In case you happen to miss these signs or think nothing of them, your pet may go from being energetic to lethargic, losing appetite and interest in activities that earlier brought it joy. Untreated anxiety may also spiral into diarrhoea, vomiting and insomnia, raising serious health concerns.
Hearing these alarm bells ringing may cause you anxiety as pet parents who want the best for your pet. Setting up a tighter routine, regular exercising, more socialising and longer playtimes, etc may prove useful, but not by themselves alone.
Have ever considered the role nutrition plays in maintaining your pet’s overall well-being? If not, now is the time for it! For nothing beats the impact a well-balanced diet has in raising your doggo from the pits of stress and anxiety.
So read on here to find out about some special foods that will work on your pet as natural stress-busters:
Sweet Potatoes: Full of fiber, iron, minerals and the vitamins B6, A and C, sweet potatoes are one of the superfoods. Their complex carbohydrates help in regulating blood sugar, fluctuations in which can make your dog anxious, especially when on a kibble diet. Just make sure they are served cooked and not raw.
Spinach: Do you wish your furry friend to dig into an enticingly green and leafy meal? Then, grab hold of the spinach! A vegetable containing volumes of vitamins (A, C, K), folic acid, magnesium, and antioxidants, spinach can become a cheap source of rich nutrients, provided you give your pet organic spinach, avoiding the one with pesticides!
Whole Brown Rice: Is another fibrous carb containing properties that slow down digestion. This improves the absorption of tryptophan, which in turn leads to higher levels of serotonin, the brain’s self-produced antidepressant, while the fiber takes care of your pet’s GI track.
Almonds: Stuffed with vitamins E and B, zinc and magnesium, whole almonds
as well as almond butter are a delicious addition to your doggy’s diet.
Pumpkin Seeds & Quinoa: While the former are known to contain selenium, a deficiency of which causes physical as well as mental fatigue, quinoa are another superfood (with 8 amino acids) brimming with iron, calcium, potassium and zinc.
Eggs: Neatly packed with almost all the vitamins and proteins, eggs are also full of zinc which improves immunity. Trust a well-equipped immune system to positively affect the way the brain reacts to stress-inducing stimulants. If you find your pup reacting to eggs (loose stools, itchy skin) do visit the vet.
Oily Fish: Too much adrenaline can cause aggression and anxiety, and so eating oily fish, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that lower the ‘flight or fight’ response caused by adrenaline is a good idea. Salmon, sardines and tuna in particular are also great for your dog’s coat and skin. Fatty acids also help in reducing cognitive decline, a sad but true fact for senior dogs and also a source of stress for both them and you.
You may also want to consider our very own PetChef Meals and 24-Hour Bone Broth, both prepared using the very same micronutrients, fresh vegetables and organ as well as muscle meat whose benefits you have just read above and which you now know will aid in the overall upkeep of your fur baby’s mental and physical health. This is because PetChef’s powerhouses of energy have been prepared keeping in mind the role a balanced diet plays in maintaining positive stress levels.
You can have your pick of the super-healthy PetChef Meals, available in four different and delicious varieties: Wholesome and Grain-Free Mutton Nom Nom as well as Wholesome and Grain-Free Chicken Chow: whatever your pet prefers to lick his tongue with! There is also a Trial Pack which contains all these meals in a small quantity of 200gms each. Lastly, we offer you Mix Magic which a magical mixture of all our meat-based products.
And in case you prefer home-cooked meals, then try out our Super Topper, cooked in bone broth (rich in potassium, sodium, etc) and made using chicken organ meat which is full of vitamins (B12, A, D, E,K) and minerals such as zinc, magnesium, and selenium.
Over and above this, if you still want to make further additions to your distressed doggy’s diet, you can always come back to the list of superfoods given above and include them as supplementary stuff.
Lastly, while implementing these dietary changes, it is important to remember that dogs may find it difficult to process them all at once. This might add to their stress. Hence, it is advisable to go slow and steady in order to successfully stand down those armies of anxiety,ever invasive but always conquerable.
