Your Best Friend Wants to Feel Happy and Safe
It’s estimated that at least 14 percent of dogs in American households have some level of anxiety–and that’s just what is officially reported by veterinarians and behaviorists. The reasons for canine anxiety vary considerably: too little exercise or socialization, fear of separation from their owners, behavioral changes due to aging or physical challenges, or simply exuberant puppy energy in need of an outlet.
The Right Nutrients Can Help
Anxiety can best be handled with a combination of exercise, training, and a high degree of patience. I would also add that there are nutrients that can make all three of these responses even more effective.
Taurine: Protects the Brain from Stress
Taurine is an amino acid that has already been shown to help dogs suffering from heart issues, but it’s also critical to nerves and brain cell activity.
Taurine protects neural cells from damage, helping your dog cope with and overcome occasional or chronic stress, which may otherwise use up this nutrient. Taurine not only keeps normal nerve signals running properly, it also boosts levels of glutathione, one of the most important naturally occurring antioxidants in the body. It stabilizes cell structures and reduces inflammation, so it can calm otherwise excitable reactions in the brain. Clinical research in humans found that supplemental taurine improved learning ability and motivation in college students, and it is being investigated as a memory preserving nutrient as well.
Providing taurine in a younger dog’s supplement regimen can help them stay healthier overall and reinforce positive training. For anyone with an older dog that is showing signs of restlessness, taurine may help reduce those tendencies by keeping their minds sharp and clear.
Thiamine: Promotes a Healthy Mind and Body
Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is an essential vitamin for your dog (as it is for us), but could easily be lacking in the diet.
Too much “human food”–including meats with sulfites (like sausages) or refined carbohydrates–can lead to thiamine deficiencies. Additionally, if your dog is a picky eater, they may not be getting enough thiamine from food. This deficiency is serious. Along with behavioral issues, a lack of vitamin B1 will affect your dog’s balance, mood, activity levels, and motor skills, and could ultimately be fatal. If you suspect a thiamine deficiency is one reason for your dog’s changed behavior, I urge you to ask your vet to run a blood test and check for levels of the nutrient. As a water-soluble vitamin, thiamine doesn’t remain in the body for long, so it’s a good nutrient to include in a supplementation regimen.
In a well-reported case study, a small dog was fed a boiled sweet potato diet for a month due to its picky eating. The dog became visibly off kilter and started suffering from acute seizures, which prompted a visit to the vet. Blood tests showed a thiamine deficiency, and the dog was put on a regimen of supplemental thiamine, along with enriched food, immediately. Fortunately, symptoms improved within a couple of days, and two weeks later, this very lucky dog was no longer showing any neurological or physical issues.
Inositol: Reduces Panic and Reactivity
Inositol is created by the body and found in many food sources, including meats. It is heavily involved with brain cell communications, helps balance serotonin and dopamine levels, and effectively treats obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and depression in clinical research.
For dogs who exhibit repetitive pacing, panting, or hiding during storms, or who have fears of being left at home alone, inositol may reduce the intensity of their anxiety and reactivity. And even though your dog (like us) produces inositol naturally, and probably gets some level of the nutrient in its food, nutrient in its food, higher amounts are needed in order to reduce anxiety.
L-Theanine: Reduces Reactions to Loud Noises and Social Fears
L-theanine is an amino acid that is unique to green tea and is believed to be responsible for the drink’s calming abilities. Though l-theanine comes from green tea, it does not contain any caffeine. Supplemental l-theanine has a proven track record of alleviating stress in humans and has become frequently recommended for dogs, too.
One of the reasons l-theanine works so well is that it outcompetes compounds that create disturbing levels of excitement in the brain. It may also increase serotonin and dopamine levels, natural neurotransmitters that can help maintain a healthy mental state.
L-theanine is excellent for any dog that becomes fearful or stressed due to loud noises like thunderstorms or fireworks. Veterinary studies of the nutrient show it reduced common panic related symptoms caused by storms–including hiding, panting, pacing, drooling, and excessively following their human companions–with the effectiveness ranging from 75 to 83 percent. It also helped them settle down to their usual selves more quickly and was given a high ranking of 94 percent satisfaction by their owners.
Aside from unexpected loud noises, l-theanine helps dogs overcome social anxiety, too. A controlled study found the nutrient reduced fear responses of beagles when meeting strangers. If your dog struggles with settling down anytime someone stops by, l-theanine could make them much more at ease.
Lemon Balm: Relaxes the Mind and Calms Agitation
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has a well-deserved reputation as a calming botanical. In human clinical studies, it has helped people overcome anxiety and insomnia, and relieved agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientific research shows that extracts from the leaves of lemon balm inhibit an enzyme that would otherwise reduce natural levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is a neurotransmitter involved in muscle signals and mental calmness. By this indirect method of boosting GABA levels, lemon balm can reduce those ‘gut level’ reactions to stressors that are common to both humans and canines.
Like l-theanine, lemon balm may be recommended by veterinarians for dogs with social, storm, or separation anxiety. In addition to working through neurotransmitters, the plant’s compounds may also relieve gastrointestinal issues, alleviating yet another potential source of stress for your dog.
Anxiety Can Be Managed and Ultimately Overcome
Canine anxiety, like our own anxiety, is difficult to live with. With our dogs, a great part of the difficulty is that we can’t just explain to them why they needn’t worry. Instead, we have to work with them and help them get past their fears.
I believe training can work wonders. But I also know providing key nutrients that can address mental and physical health is a must for dogs of any age. The ingredients I’ve outlined here can help your dog overcome stress and anxiety, without causing sluggishness or unwanted side effects, and help you both forge a deeper, lasting bond with each other.