Ask Dr. Paola- I Need Help With My Dogs Anxiety! (March 16, 2026) – Dogster

Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we deliver professional recommendation straight from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their canine’s well being and well-being.

Whether or not you’re a brand new pet dad or mum or a seasoned canine lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions to your most urgent questions. From diet ideas and preventive care to troubleshooting widespread behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to supply insights that can preserve your furry buddy blissful and wholesome. Keep tuned for professional steerage on a spread of subjects that matter most to you and your canine, so you can also make knowledgeable choices and supply the absolute best care in your canine companion. ‎Have‎ a ‎question? Send it in here!

Assist! Can I Use Flea + Calming Collars Collectively?

“Can you place a flea and tick collar and a chilled collar on a canine on the similar time?“  – Denise

Hello Denise,

A flea and tick collar can typically be used alongside a chilled collar, however there are just a few sensible components to think about. Most parasite collars include lively elements similar to imidacloprid or flumethrin that unfold throughout the pores and skin’s lipid layer to regulate ectoparasites. Calming collars might include an artificial dog-appeasing pheromone or aromatherapy blends like lavender or chamomile. There is no such thing as a identified pharmacologic interplay between these elements, so from a systemic security standpoint, they don’t cancel one another out. The considerations are extra native and sensible than chemical.

Carrying two collars can enhance friction, entice moisture, and create stress factors on the neck, particularly in lively canine. Over time, this may occasionally result in irritation, hair thinning, or irritation, significantly if important oils are concerned, since some canine can develop contact sensitivity. As well as, many flea and tick collars have a noticeable odor that may overpower or alter the scent launched by an aromatherapy calming collar. As a result of aromatherapy merchandise depend on a constant perfume to affect conduct by the olfactory system, a stronger competing scent might cut back their meant calming impact. It’s much like attempting to note a delicate lavender scent in a room the place a robust disinfectant is current.

If Flash has delicate pores and skin or really wants calming assist, a considerate mixture could also be extra comfy and efficient, similar to utilizing an oral or topical parasite preventive paired with a chilled collar, or sustaining the flea collar whereas selecting a non-contact calming choice like a house diffuser. This method helps protect each pores and skin well being and the meant behavioral profit whereas conserving his consolation and general well-being on the heart of the choice.

Form regards,

Dr. Paola

I Want Assist With My Canines Nervousness!

“I need assistance concerning my canine’s anxiousness… I’ve a 15-month-old Yorkie, Bailey, that actually shakes and cries when out and about, using within the automotive, stroller, and so forth. On every day walks, she lunges and barks at anybody strolling by and, after all, different canine. I imagine out of worry. If a neighborhood canine barks from inside their home once we go by, she turns round and heads for dwelling. I spoke to her vet about CBD, and she or he talked about an organization known as Ellevet. I hate to place her on every day meds, however I can’t take her anyplace, and I’m feeling trapped at dwelling as she runs to take a seat on the door when she sees me on the brink of go anyplace. My earlier Yorkie beloved to go in all places, beloved automotive rides, and so forth.“ – Diane

Hello Diane.

The behaviors you describe in Bailey, shaking, crying, retreating when canine bark, and lunging on walks, are very according to fear-based anxiety. At fifteen months, she continues to be emotionally maturing, and a few small-breed canine are genetically predisposed to heightened vigilance. When she barks and lunges, she is just not attempting to be troublesome; she is making an attempt to create distance from one thing that feels threatening. When she turns towards dwelling after listening to a canine bark, that tells us she doesn’t really feel secure in that second. Her nervous system is reacting as if the world exterior is unpredictable, and that fixed state of alert is exhausting for each of you.

For canine like Bailey, the muse of remedy is managed desensitization and counterconditioning. This implies exposing her to triggers at a distance the place she notices them however doesn’t panic, and pairing that publicity with one thing she loves, similar to high-value treats. Over time, the mind can start to affiliate these beforehand scary sights and sounds with constructive outcomes. Consider it as regularly adjusting the brightness on a light-weight fairly than flipping it on at full depth. Administration is equally essential. Stroll throughout quiet occasions, create distance from different canine, and keep away from forcing interactions. For car rides, start with merely sitting in a parked automotive and rewarding calm conduct earlier than progressing to quick drives.

Concerning CBD, present veterinary analysis doesn’t present robust, constant proof for anxiousness aid in canine, and product high quality can differ extensively. Whereas some canine might present delicate enchancment in situational stress, proof is just not but robust sufficient to think about it a main remedy for important anxiousness; due to this fact, it shouldn’t exchange conduct remedy. If Bailey’s worry considerably limits her high quality of life, there are well-studied anti-anxiety medications similar to fluoxetine or sertraline that can be utilized safely below veterinary supervision, typically briefly, to decrease her baseline anxiousness so studying can happen. Treatment on this context is just not about sedation; it’s extra like decreasing the amount on a radio that’s caught on excessive, permitting her mind to course of new experiences with out panic. I hope this helps!

Form regards,

Dr. Paola

Are Bark Collars Inhumane?

“My canine Honey is 9 months previous. She barks incessantly. Normally early night. Or when a leaf falls 🤪. Is it inhumane to make use of a bark collar? “ – Shirley

Pricey Shirley.

At 9 months, many canine are in what behaviorists typically describe as an “adolescent phase,” a bit like a human teenager discovering their voice and reacting to each little stimulus within the surroundings. Barking at falling leaves, passing sounds, or motion within the yard is quite common at this stage as a result of the mind areas liable for impulse management are nonetheless maturing. Most extreme barking in younger canine is linked to pleasure, alert conduct, or an absence of structured retailers for bodily and psychological power, particularly within the early night when many canine expertise a pure exercise surge.

Bark collars, significantly those who ship electrical stimulation, are typically discouraged in trendy conduct medication as a result of they suppress the conduct with out addressing the underlying motivation. From a welfare perspective, they’ll enhance anxiousness or create unintended associations with environmental triggers. Think about if each time you spoke, one thing disagreeable occurred, however nobody defined why, the confusion alone may elevate stress ranges. I might suggest specializing in positive reinforcement training, environmental administration, and enrichment as a substitute. Instructing a quiet cue, rewarding calm conduct, growing train earlier than the night interval, and offering structured actions like meals puzzles or scent video games typically reduces one of these barking rather more successfully.

If the barking feels overwhelming, working with an expert constructive reinforcement coach could be extraordinarily useful, particularly whereas Honey continues to be younger and extremely adaptable. The objective is to not silence her voice fully; barking is a standard type of communication, however fairly to assist her be taught when it’s acceptable and when calm conduct pays off. With constant steerage and ample retailers for her power, most adolescent dogs regularly develop significantly better self-control as their nervous system matures and so they be taught the social guidelines of coexisting with people in peace. Good luck!

Dr. Paola