How to lower your pet dog's anxiety during festive celebrations

Ganesh Chaturthi marks the start of the festivities for us, along with it, the chaos too. The dhol, the loud music, the crackers… while Mumbai’s largest street festival takes place, the city becomes an uncomfortable place for the voiceless, our animals.

Countless community animals are seen running helter-skelter and getting displaced because they are simply terrorized by the chaos and loud noises. In some areas where caring for community animals has become so organised, carers have tagged the animals with name tags and their numbers, so they can be picked up if found. Such was the case of Waggy, a lovely female indie from Colaba, who was found wandering after all pet owners and their pets in Marine Drive on the morning of the 9th of September as if asking for help. I stopped and read her collar and a short phone call later, senior citizens Nilima Long and her husband, were on their way in a cab to pick her up. We need more citizens like these, but what we need is more consciousness amongst the masses about the anxiety and worry we are creating in animals due to the way such festivals are celebrated. It is indeed time for change!

It is not only our community animals, but our home pets are also suffering. Being a pet nutritionist and being in close contact with my clients who are left feeling absolutely helpless during this time of the year, here are some hacks that could work to make the festive season a little less stressful for our pets:

Shut your windows and put on some relaxing music
- Use ear muffs for your dogs to help drown out the noise (Amaari Petware has some fantastic and cute ones)
- Use CBD to help with anti-anxiety and relaxation (recommended brands cure by design) – they also have a fantastic calming spray with lavender
- Bach Flower remedies for calming
- Homeopathy can help
However, if you have exhausted all options above and your pet is still trembling like a leaf due to the ruckus, we recommend you speak to your vet who may be able to help with medicines that help them relax.

Authored by: Anjali Kalachand, Pet Nutritionist

05:03

How important is your meal timing?