Reducing Stress in Displaced Pets

The tan dog is stressed about being confined in the car with the white dog (note her furrowed and tense brow, blinking, and panting).

The ongoing fires of the past few weeks have sadly left many people and their pets homeless. Many pets are therefore being housed in unfamiliar environments, often with unfamiliar people and unfamiliar pets. Their routines are disturbed, frequent travel may be involved, and nothing is familiar. Owners are busy trying to salvage what’s left whilst starting to rebuild their lives. All of these sudden changes, lack of routine and unfamiliarity cause most pets some stress and anxiety. Consequently, this can lead to a number of behavioural and/or medical conditions in your animals. We need to consider both the displaced animals, as well as the pets who are now sharing their home, as they can all experience stress and anxiety during this time as well.

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