Surprising Ways To Calm A Dog With Severe Anxiety

*Updated: October 8, 2024

Budget tip:
Helping your dog with anxiety is good for your dog and your pocketbook. A dog that is very stressed can hurt themselves or others. That means you could get hit with an unexpected vet bill. Worse is your dog escaping and becoming lost. Thus, providing your dog with aids and help to overcome anxiety is a win-win for your dog and your wallet!

Note: Always talk to your vet before giving your dog a new supplement or changing his diet.

If you don’t have a vet you feel is a good fit, then this article will walk you through the process of finding a great one!

What does anxiety in dogs look like?

Anxiety in dogs can look different for different dogs. However, as I’ve stared into Henry’s eyes the only thing I can think of is he’s having what in human terms would be called a panic attack. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of experiencing a panic attack, then you’ll relate to your dog even better.

I mentioned to my veterinarian that Henry’s stress was basically a panic attack and he agreed that’s the human analogy. That’s horrible!

I’ve experienced two of these attacks and I can tell you if I could’ve somehow crawled out of my skin to escape it, I would’ve done it. There’s certainly nothing fun or logical about a panic attack.

In a dog, the physical appearance of high stress, anxiety, or a full-on panic attack, can include:

• panting
• pacing
• shaking
• pawing
• drooling
• excessive barking
• aggression
• destruction of items
• peeing or pooing, excessively especially in the house
• compulsive, or repetitive behavior

None of that sounds fun from the dog’s perspective and you probably already know none of it’s fun from the dog parent’s perspective.

In this article, I discuss aggression in dogs. 

What causes a panic attack in dogs?

Stress, panic, or anxiety in dogs can be triggered by many different factors. And again, this can be very unique to each dog and their experiences. However, there are certain triggers that seem to be universal for most dogs, such as fireworks, thunder, and sirens to name a few.

Some dogs have traumas and we don’t realize how deep that trauma goes or what’s involved.

For example, Henry is a rescue. He spent four months in foster care. I later learned, that his foster mom didn’t like him. Additionally, I discovered his original family was an elderly couple. When they died, he was thrown out with the trash. He definitely came to me with some trauma. Initially, Henry’s panic triggers included:

• loud noises, such as fireworks or thunder
• wind
• rain
• snow
• being left alone
• windshield wipers
• fire of any type

Specifically, the triggers will change depending on the dog’s trauma.

For instance, Henry has a puppy friend who’s also adopted. She runs and hides at the sight of men especially men with any facial hair. Additionally, I had a childhood dog with anxiety.  She had a similar trigger to Henry’s friend and would shake and pee on herself at the sight of men with long hair. 

Each dog has their own traumas. Our job as dog parents is to recognize the traumas and help them cope as best as we can.

In this article, I talk about how I adopted Henry as a foster dog.

Is there anything that will help a stressed dog?

Once again, every dog is different. Additionally, the level of anxiety and trauma will be different. Henry’s journey has been a long and winding one. I spoke with his veterinarian many times about different things to try. I’ve always been willing to try just about anything as long as the cure doesn’t hurt or make things worse. On this long road to find some relief, we’ve tried a multitude of remedies, including:

1. Calming shirts 

While they work well for some dogs, they made no dent in Henry’s anxiety. However, Henry’s best doggy friend loves her calming shirt and it definitely helps her anxiety.

Here’s where you can get a calming shirt.

2. Calming Spray collars 

These are supposed to spray a calming spray (mostly chamomile) to get your dog to a zen state. While it’s a fabulous theory, it had no effect on Henry.

3. Various herbal remedies 

Some herbal remedies work fabulously for dogs with anxiety, but sadly not for Henry. I think I’ve tried every type, but not every brand.

4. Ear massage

This did help a bit with Henry’s anxiety, but it didn’t eliminate a panic attack completely. It basically knocked his anxiety down a few degrees, but that wasn’t good enough for me. 

5. CBD/Hemp oil

This seems to work like a charm for some dogs. I have to admit at times, if Henry wasn’t having a really bad attack, it would help somewhat. But it still wasn’t good enough.

6. Calming supplements

There are many pet-calming supplements on the market. Some are in the form of pills that you must administer. Others are in powder form. But my favorite, and Henry’s favorite, are in the form of dog treats. Currently, Real Mushroom calm treats work great for Henry.

7. Calming Rx 

I had to think hard about giving Henry an actual prescription. But when I would see him pacing and panting in a full-on attack, I knew my choice. This did help. However, the problem was that it made him loopy for a few days. That’s no good!

8. Heartbeat pet toys

I was uncertain about heartbeat dog toys until Henry received one. It works amazingly well for him.

Here’s a heartbeat stuffed dog very similar to the one Henry uses.

One more note on Henry’s trauma. About 1.5 years after I adopted Henry, he was brutally attacked through a friend’s backyard fence. He nearly lost his eye and his life. Since then his anxiety has gone up a few notches. I think mine has gone up about 20 notches.

Want to learn more about heartbeat toys for your dog? This article breaks it all down.

9. Cuddler bed

A cuddle bed can give your dog security. Henry loves his!

This bed is just like Henry’s cuddler.

10. Safe space

Giving your dog a space is critical for anxiety. It can help more than you would even think possible. Henry has several space spaces and uses them according to how he feels or his anxiety level. However, if he’s very stressed, then he’ll go to his crate, I’ll put a cover over it, and sit next to him.

Want to learn how you can create a space space for your dog for free? In this article, I walk you through the process.

11. OTC calming medications

My vet recommended an OTC calming medication called Zylkene by Vetoquinol. While it worked for several months it doesn’t help much now. However, it may help your dog. It was very effective for months. However, these are capsules. So, I broke the pills open and mixed them with pumpkin to encourage Henry to eat it all. That was a good trick.

If your dog is great at spitting out or simply not taking medications, then you’ll find help in this very detailed article on giving stubborn dogs medicine.

You can buy Zylkene here.

12. Cooling vest

Whenever Henry is stressed, he begins to overheat. While a cooling vest doesn’t necessarily address the anxiety, it does help with the symptoms of being hot. As such it does seem to help calm Henry in combination with other aids.

This is a cooling vest your dog will love.

What helps with calming my dog’s anxiety?

While you will most likely have to do a trial-and-error process as I did with Henry, I have found a combination of products that work for him. Currently, when Henry gets scared by fireworks or some other environmental issue, this is what I do:

• I move his crate near me and cover it with a towel
• Place his heartbeat toy either inside or on top
• Give him a calming mushroom treat
• Place his cooling vest on him

This recipe worked like a charm during our last fireworks experience. To be honest, the noise bothered me more than it did Henry.

How do I save money when I calm my dog with anxiety?

You may think that your dog is just stressed out. But a dog in a panic attack will escape or even hurt themselves trying to get someplace that he thinks is safe. This can mean your dog is lost or you’re left with a large emergency vet bill. Or you could even have your couch shredded. As such, consider the following possible expenses.

Related articles:

• 10 Steps to Find the Best Vet
• The Keys To An Aggressive Dog
• How To Adopt A Foster Dog
• Cuddly Cute! A Dog Heartbeat Stuffed Animal
• Creating Dog Safe Spaces: Easy and Cheap
• Dog Won’t Take Pills? Easy Solutions Revealed!

From a stressed-out dog to ways to calm a dog

I couldn’t be more impressed and surprised with the results I’ve seen in Henry with his safe space, calm Real Mushroom treat, and heartbeat toy.

Dog anxiety is a difficult issue to solve. Heck, most dogs suffer from anxiety.

Some dogs will respond to calming shirts. While others it won’t help at all.

The bottom line is to keep trying different remedies or even combinations of remedies until you find what works best for your canine companion. That’s what I did for Henry and I’m glad I didn’t give up (as is he).