Calming Treats for Dogs

How do calming treats for dogs work? Are these effective? Are these safe? In this article, we'll help you understand more about anxiety in dogs, causes, and how calming treats can benefit your dog.

Just like us, our dogs get stressed out and anxious, too. And dealing with anxious dogs can be a lot of hard work.

Luckily, there are various treatments available - from as simple as avoiding stress triggers to prescription medications and anxiety treats. And then there's the option of calming treats for dogs or calming chews that act as supplements.

Understanding Anxiety in Dogs

The feelings of fear and stress cause a dog to become anxious. According to Central California SPCA, anxiety can show itself in multiple ways in your furbaby, from whining, barking, shivering, or being destructive.

You may also notice that your furbaby becomes aggressive when stressed or anxious. If the feelings of stress and anxiety continue overtime, they may lose their appetite and become totally withdrawn if it is not addressed properly and immediately.

The top most common reasons for anxiety in a dog are the following: abandonment, loud noises, fear of being home alone, being around strangers, traveling, and a lot more! Stress and anxiety can also be seen in furbabies that have been neglected, abused or have experienced accidents and injuries.

Stress and anxiety are how dogs react to things that they interpret as threats and danger like stray animals, sudden loud noises, unfamiliar places & people, thunder, etc. Dogs can even develop anxiety from socialization issues, health conditions, genetics or unpleasant & traumatic experiences. Additionally, dog anxiety can also be because of aging, changes in daily routine, separation anxiety or history of abandonment.

Do Dogs Need Anxiety Treats?

Identifying if your dog is feeling anxious can be difficult since they can't exactly communicate to you through words, but their behaviors can be enough to know that your furbaby is struggling. Here are some signs of dog anxiety:

• Peeing or pooping in inappropriate places even when already potty trained/house trained
• Aggressive tendencies
• Destructive behaviors
• Excessive barking
• Pacing
• Panting
• Shivering
• Restlessness, signs of uneasiness
• Loss of interest in things they used to love doing

In some instances, it is easy to find the cause of your dog's anxiety. You can help your pup by managing the avoidance of situations that trigger your dog, regular exercise, mental enrichment, and more bonding time together. But there are also cases that require more extensive treatment like medications or some alternative remedies - like the calming treats.

Pet Parents® is a member of the NASC, an organization that helps companies ensure their supplements are quality, healthy, and beneficial to the animals that take them. Pet Parents® Calming SoftSupps® can be a game-changer to help aid in stressors that cause anxiety or nervousness in dogs. SoftSupps® are made with active and whole ingredients, like sweet potatoes, carrots, organic chamomile, and valerian root. They contain no fillers like corn, wheat, and soy.

These calming chews for dogs contain:

• Organic Hemp (Seed Powder and Oil): Rich in healthy fats, proteins, & antioxidants that help manage many health issues, such as pain, inflammation, anxiety, & seizures, organic hemp has soothing qualities that help calm your dog’s body.
• Suntheanine®: Helps improve the quality of sleep in your dog, improve their learning performances & mental sharpness, and promotes focus and concentration, all while helping support the immune system.
• Thiamine: This assists in stressful situations by helping the nervous system and brain to function properly and by strengthening the immune system. Thiamine is critical for energy metabolism in your furbaby and brain or nervous system function.

Note: Please use the directed amount of supplements per day based on your dog's weight. Puppies or dogs 25 pounds or under should receive one of the dog calming treats per day, dogs between 25 and 50 pounds should be given two and dogs over 75 pounds should receive 3 soft chews per day. 

Which Dogs Need Calming Treats?

Pet Parents® Calming SoftSupps® are safe for dogs of all ages and sizes. These anxiety treats for dogs can be given to furbabies who experience anxiety or the following:

Genetically-prone. Some dog breeds are more prone to stress and anxiety. This includes Basset Hound, German Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels, and Siberian Huskies. These dog breeds have high energy and intelligence levels and that makes them more prone to being easily stressed out, especially when proper enrichment and exercise are not provided.

Changes in daily routine. Your dog loves to keep his daily routines as similar as possible every day. Instances like visitors at home, a new family member, a new pet, a new place (whilst traveling), changes in the arrangement of home furniture, etc. easily stress them out.

Separation anxiety. Your dog who has separation anxieties can get agitated whenever you leave the house. These pups become destructive when left alone or whenever their owners are out of sight.

Past traumas. Events and experiences in the past are the reasons for your dog's fear of certain things. Traumas may include maltreatment, physical abuse, abandonment, etc. If these are not managed properly, these will eventually turn into anxiety and could turn into depression.

Lack of socialization. Dogs that are not well-socialized (to humans, to other dogs or other animals) can either become aggressive or become fearful. According to Hillspet, without proper socialization, dogs may become anxious and fearful of anything unfamiliar to them. This could give rise to serious behavioral problems, such as aggression or nervous behavior.

Underlying health conditions. This is illness-induced anxiety. The anxiety your furbaby is experiencing is caused by their illness. Some diseases that cause anxiety in dogs are hypothyroidism, encephalitis, diabetes, vision and hearing loss.