Only two more days until December then it’s the start
of the holiday
shopping rush. I’ve already started to see the stores
in my hometown get
busier and busier with frantic holiday shoppers. While I
normally love this
time of year, it’s the actual prep work that can
really frazzle a
normally pulled-together person like myself.
While you may be too busy or overwhelmed to notice, our pets
do see how
stressed out we get this time of year. And being the
compassionate creatures
that they are, they too may become stressed out which
undoubtedly will leave
you with another thing to worry about, compounding the
frustration of the
holidays.
Our guest writer, Rev. Susan Griffin from The Clip Joint &
Naturals for
Animals in St. Petersburg, Florida shares with us some
insight on how to
handle stressed pets during the frantic holiday season.
Happy holidays,
Amber Keiper & the rest of the BARF World team
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You, Your Pets and the Holidays
By Rev. Susan R. Griffin
The holiday season is upon us. Chestnuts roasting on an
open fire; peace on
earth; good will; angels singing; so happy; so relaxed, so
idyllic.
Right! Frantic last minute shopping, late nights wrapping
gifts and mailing
cards, standing in lines, working overtime or a second job
to cover the added
expenses, relatives coming from everywhere because Jack Frost
is nipping at
their nose (if you live in Florida like I do), the kids are
out of school
again, and there’s no way Calgon can take you away.
Which sounds more like your reality? Yes, we love the
holidays, but the fact
is, even if you enjoy the hustle and bustle, it changes your
routine, makes
you a bit more tired, and at some level causes you
stress. Now we all
know what the ultimate effects of stress are on our physical
and mental
well-being. Even the medical profession is finally
admitting that the effects
of everyday coping with stress is the root cause of
dis-ease, but what in the
heck does any of this have to do with our pets?
A great deal actually. We tend to believe that just
because our pets
don’t go to work or pay the bills and since they
basically stay at home
and eat, sleep, and play, that they don’t experience
stress. Not so.
Many of the physical symptoms and behavior problems
exhibited by pets are
often stress responses. Scratching, chewing and licking at
their own bodies,
skin eruptions, excessive drooling, destructive behaviors,
housebreaking
problems, excessive barking, and many other symptoms can all
be signs of
stress in your pets’ life. Signs that your pet is
being effected by
stress - Yours. This is the reason that people who
have pets live
longer than those who don’t. Your companion animal is
there for you to
take on your stress energy and replenish you with his own
energy of pure love.
This he does on a daily basis, but during the holidays both
your normal
stress levels and his are higher. He is now coping with the
excitement and
changes in routine caused by the holidays which cause him
stresses of his own
to deal with.
Make sure to keep a bottle of Rescue Remedy® handy
to help both you and your
pet through the stressful holidayseason. Only
$12.97 online at www.barfworld.com.
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The important things to remember in order to help your
friend get through the
holidays are the following:
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If any of the previously mentioned stress responses
appear or worsen at this
time, don’t panic. Give yourself and him more
quiet time together just
sitting and deep breathing and relaxing. It will help you
both. If he’s
not coping well, you’re not either (whether you
recognize it or not).
-
Try to keep your routines as normal as possible,
especially the ones involving
him, or get back to normal routines as soon as possible
after the holidays are
over.
-
It is all too tempting to change his diet with fabulous
holiday treats and
leftovers. DON’T! His system may not be able to
cope, and the results
can really cause stress for you both.
-
Although it is tempting, Christmas is not a good
time to introduce a
new pet into the household. The excitement of coming
into a new home can be
overwhelming enough to an animal, especially a young one,
without the added
energies of the holiday season. The long-term
consequence could be
devastating.
-
Company can be wonderful, but if he isn’t used to
a lot of people and
excitement, give him space and plenty of alone time. Be
sure you watch how
people are relating to him and make sure he is
comfortable emotionally at all
times. If he gets defensive or protective, it’s
not necessarily his
fault.
So this holiday season, enjoy the wonder, the
festivities and the love they bring, and take a little extra
time to
say,”thank you” to the furry faced angel that is
there for you all
year round.
Rev. Susan R. Griffin owns and operates The
Clip Joint & Naturals for Animalsin St Petersburg,
Florida, specializing in
holistic pet care. She has been studying canine nutrition
and natural health
for over 20 years and has been a professional dog person
for over 40
years.Visit her web site athttp://naturalsforanimals.com
to read more articles,
get Susan's book on holistic pet care, "Simple Steps to a
Healthy Pet", and get
quality natural products like Critter Oil®. Be sure to
also visit her Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/CritterOilor call The Clip Joint
at (727)
327-2356.
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