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Walking into the vet or being home alone rate as highly stressful times.
But there’s one surprising way to tell if they're fine or freaking out. And it appears in an unexpected place...
Here’s what it is…
Just a warning. It’s pretty adorable…
Sure there’s the flattened ears, the side eye, the low tail or simply refusing to move. But you’re probably well aware of those. This sign gives such an unexpected and clear window into their workings of their mind that it's really worth knowing...
So here it is. It turns out that our dogs and cats get sweaty palms when they’re nervous too. For real.
You see, for the most part, our pets don’t have sweat glands over their skin. In fact, that lack of perspiration is exactly why so many struggle with the heat. But the one area where they can and will sweat is the soles of their feet. And anxiety certainly gets the juices flowing in their feet.
So if you’re at the vet…a thunderstorm is brewing or they’re freaking out over the neighbour’s dog barking you can check for ‘paw perspiration’ with this simple stress test…
1. Place their paws on a shiny surface like glass, tile or stainless steel.
2. Leave for 10 seconds and then lift up their feet.
3. If they leave a wet paw print behind then they’re probably feeling frazzled.
Of course, the key with managing the anxiety is helping them to prepare for that stressful situation so it’s not as overwhelming. Then over time, you’re a much better chance of them forming a more positive association.
I spent years developing my Drool Calm + Collected treats to do just that. Just one or two an hour before can make a huge difference to their mindset due to the proven calming effects of L-theanine.
Those little foot pad coffee beans are already sweet enough but knowing they’re also how they express their feelings might just be too much…
