Whether it’s July 4^th fireworks or crowds, summer fun can be a stressful time for your furry friend, but have no fear – Kriser’s has a few recommendations for how to help them cope:

ThunderShirt™ helps pets feel safe and sound by surrounding them in a gentle but constant pressure to their torso. It’s similar to swaddling a baby! This pressure relieves anxiety and slows the heart rate to a more normal, less stressed level, promoting a feeling of relaxation and comfort. Simply place the ThunderShirt on your pet’s back, wrap lower straps around the torso to create a snug but comfortable fit, and pull down and secure the top cover torso flap to adjust the snugness.

Bach® RESCUE® Remedy Pet is a natural pet supplement that features rock rose, star of Bethlehem and cherry plum herbs/flower essences to help relieve fear, anxiety and nervousness. Impatiens relieves restlessness and calms irritation and impatience, while clematis relieves instability in the mind and increases focus and stability. Drops can be administered directly into your dog or cat’s mouth, in food, treats, water or even rubbed on the tips of their ears, nose or paws. Administer 4 drops at a time as needed, preferably up to 30 minutes before a stressful event. Our educator Jen offers up a quick tip for dosing: “Rather than force open the mouth, hold muzzle shut, lift the lip and apply drops directly to the gum line.” Along with summer activities, try this for trips to the vet or for travel anxiety!

Licks® Pill-Free™ ZEN™, with separate formulas for dogs and cats, are some of our favorites, because they are just so easy to use. These single-dose packets of slurp-able gravy, mixed with natural compounds that calm your kitty or pup’s nerves, are highly palatable while facilitating increased absorption. The formulas contain L-Theanine (cats) or chamomile and theanine (dogs) to relieve stress and anxiety while relaxing the body. Trypto­phan and ashwagandha root work together to stabilize mood and reduce depression. We’ve used this with overly hyper or stressed pets in the office, and they just lick it off our hands or their bowls, but Jen says you can also dribble it directly on their paws, and they’ll likely lap it up in an attempt to clean themselves.

Ark Naturals® Happy Traveler® is made with Valerian root, chamomile and St. John’s Wort help to relieve anxiety and nervousness while relaxing the body and nervous system – ultimately curbing “bad” behaviors like barking and whining. L-Tryptophan releases serotonin stabilizing mood and decreasing depression. Great for dogs and cats, this one should be given as needed about 20-40 minutes before stressful events. This product is in a capsule form, but can be opened to mix the powder in with food if your pet isn’t into pills.

Visit your local Kriser’s store to talk to a Pack Member about these and other natural wellness supplements to find out what will be best for your furry friend this summer.