Second-Annual Pet Anxiety Awareness Week (PAAW) Launches June 25, 2018 to Educate Owners about Fear, Anxiety and Stress in Pets

TAMPA, Fla., June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- June 25, 2018 marks the beginning of the second-annual Pet Anxiety Awareness Week (PAAW), developed by Kristen Levine Pet Living. Launched last year, the event's goal is to educate the pet-loving public about fear, anxiety and stress (FAS) in dogs and cats. Although veterinarians estimate that over 50 percent of dogs and cats in the U.S. suffer from FAS, the condition is often misunderstood and can result in desperate pet owners relinquishing their beloved pets.

Left untreated, dogs and cats with FAS can develop a number of behavioral problems such as destructiveness, inappropriate elimination, self-harm, excessive vocalization and fear biting. Without access to education, resources and treatment options for FAS, these behaviors may lead owners to surrender their pets to a local shelter. In fact, the ASPCA's National Rehoming Survey reports that behavior problems are the most common reason animals are relinquished, accounting for 47 percent of dogs and 42 percent of cats each year.

PAAW aims to help keep families together by providing resources, tools and expert advice about FAS from pet and veterinary experts like "America's Vet" Dr. Marty Becker, Dr. Jeff Werber and board certified veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Lisa Radosta. These resources can be found on the PAAW website.

The most concerning anxiety condition for pet owners around the July Fourth holiday is noise aversion. Also known as noise phobia or noise anxiety, dogs with this specific condition suffer debilitating symptoms during noise events such as fireworks and thunderstorms. This often causes a strain on the whole family during what should be a festive time.

Given the prevalence of the specific condition of noise aversion during this holiday, Sileo®, marketed and distributed by Zoetis, is the 2018 veterinary sponsor of PAAW. The first and only FDA-approved treatment specifically for noise aversion in dogs, Sileo is clinically proven to be safe and effective without other treatments or training. Dog owners are encouraged to talk to their veterinarian to see if the easy-to-administer, at-home treatment might be right for their dog.

"Sileo can be a huge help because it works quickly," explains Dr. Lisa Radosta, a board certified veterinary specialist at Florida Veterinary Behavior Service. "It's a quick acting medication which can help calm dogs during noise events without causing sedation for the rest of the day."

Radosta is co-author with Dr. Marty Becker of a new book, Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears and Phobias. The book is among the new resources featured on the PAAW website.

Ms. Levine, a well-known Pet Lifestyle Expert, was inspired to create Pet Anxiety Awareness Week by her experiences with her late dog, Buck. "He had a severe case of separation anxiety and thunderstorm phobia that affected his quality of life significantly," she recalls. "Helping Buck cope with his condition taught me how important it is to identify the signs of FAS early and to get help from veterinary professionals before the condition advances to a stage where pharmaceutical solutions are the only option. I want other pet parents to learn from our experience."

PAAW also enjoys support from select pet brands that offer product solutions that serve to calm and comfort fearful, anxious or stressed pets. This year's partners include Calmz Anxiety Relief System for dogs, by Petmate^®; Thunderworks^®, calming solutions for pets and creators of ThunderShirt^®; Bedtime4Dogs bedtime products for nighttime anxiety; and Embrace Pet Insurance's Wellness Rewards, a program that reimburses policyholders for health and wellness expenses, including calming products.

Even after the week has concluded, the Pet Anxiety Awareness page on the Kristen Levine Pet Living blog will continue to offer support with regular blog posts, advice from experts and interviews with leading authorities throughout the year.

Veterinary support also includes industry partners, Fear Free Pets and Vet Vine. 

For more information about Pet Anxiety Awareness Week, please contact Kristen Levine at [email protected] or 877.424.6052.

About Kristen Levine Pet Living
Pet expert, speaker, blogger and advocate Kristen Levine founded Kristen Levine Pet Living to help pet parents live happier, healthier lives with pets. The website is a multimedia platform where Levine offers health, wellness and lifestyle solutions and advice from experts. A leading pet lifestyle and marketing expert for close to 30 years, Levine is a nationally-known speaker, media personality, and author, reaching passionate pet lovers. She began her career in the pet industry as the PR Director for the Tampa Bay SPCA, where she served for 15 years. In 2003, she launched the first pet-focused marketing agency, Fetching Communications, and later acquired PetPR.com. Currently, she is the Senior Vice President for Pet & Veterinary Practices with French/West/Vaughan (FWV) one of the nation's largest independently owned public relations, advertising and digital marketing agencies.

SILEO IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Do not use SILEO in dogs with severe cardiovascular disease, respiratory, liver or kidney diseases, or in conditions of shock, severe debilitation, or stress due to extreme heat, cold or fatigue or in dogs hypersensitive to dexmedetomidine or to any of the excipients. SILEO should not be administered in the presence of preexisting hypotension, hypoxia, or bradycardia. Do not use in dogs sedated from previous dosing. SILEO has not been evaluated in dogs younger than 16 weeks of age or in dogs with dental or gingival disease that could have an effect on the absorption of SILEO.  SILEO has not been evaluated for use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs or for aversion behaviors to thunderstorms. Transient pale mucous membranes at the site of application may occur with SILEO use.  Other uncommon adverse reactions included emesis, drowsiness or sedation. Handlers should avoid direct exposure of SILEO to their skin, eyes or mouth.  Failure to lock the ring-stop on the syringe before dosing SILEO could potentially lead to an accidental overdose. Always review INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE before dispensing and dosing.  See full Prescribing Information ZoetisUS.com/SileoPI

SILEO® is a trademark owned by Orion Corporation Orion Pharma Animal Health. It is manufactured by Orion Corporation and distributed by Zoetis under license from Orion Corporation Orion Pharma Animal Health.
© 2018 Zoetis Services LLC. All rights reserved. SIL-00355

Media Contact: 
Kristen Levine
[email protected]
877.424.5062

SOURCE Kristen Levine Pet Living