Anxiety

Many Rommies will have an anxiety due to their upbringing and UK dogs can also struggle with anxiety when going into a new home.

Aside from going slow and allowing the dog to settle at their own pace, you can place your dog on calming supplements to help to ease some nerves.

Supplements are not drugs, they are herbal meaning that they will work well for one dog, perhaps not as well with another, the results are individual. There are many different things that you can use with your dog but it is advised that you give it at least a month or more to see the true effects of the supplement before changing and trying something else.

Tablets

At the rescue we generally have the very timid dogs on Dorwest Skullcap & Valerian supplements, however, we have also used this with dogs that have displayed separation anxiety and kennel stress. Valerian is the most widely recognised herbal sedative. It’s safe and gentle and calms the nerves. It also promotes physical relaxation. 

There are many different brands of supplements, if you are interested in starting your dog on tablets/capsules, here our top picks:

  • Dorwest Skullcap & Valerian
  • Lintbells YuCalm
  • Beaphar Calming Tablets
  • Zyklene Capsules

This can be given to a dog in a treat or with their food which makes it suitable for very timid dogs.

Herbal Plug-ins

We also use calming plug-ins all throughout the rescue to calm the nerves of all the dogs. These also include valerian but in an oily liquid form. They can be smelly but they do help to calm your dog and are very concentrated. Plug-ins are commonly used around stressful times of the year, such as bonfire night, Christmas and New Year to help calm animals in the home. They do need checking regularly and changing over once the oil runs out.

Here are some suggestions for you:

  • Adaptil Calm
  • Pet Remedy Natural Destress and Calming
  • Beaphar Calming Home Spray/ Plug-in

These are suitable for all dogs.

Calming Collars/Spot on

There are also ranges of calming collars on the market that are infused with calming herbs and can be worn by the dog.

Calming spot-on's come in a similar form to a flea treatment - but they do not protect against fleas. When applied, the liquid which is infused with calming elements is absorbed into the dogs skin and will help to settle the dog.

These are not going to be suitable for very nervous dogs that you cannot touch, but could help with dogs that can be touched but are skittish. Bear in mind that the infused herbs do fade and each product does have a shelf-life so they will not last forever.

Here's some to look into:

  • Adaptil Calm On-the-go Collar
  • Beaphar Calming Collar
  • Beaphar Calming Spot on

CBD/Hemp Oil

We have only recently started to use CBD/Hemp oil with our very, very timid dogs. In some we do notice change, they begin to settle and relax a bit more, and with others we have not noticed much change - it will differ dog to dog.

CBD oil has become very popular as it has many benefits and functions - not only can it aid with anxiety, it is said to aid with pain management, joint mobility, skin and coat condition and more.

It is not a drug and it will not harm your dog - there are specific lines of CBD oil for pets.

This oil is derived from cannabis plants, however, it does not create a 'high' or any form of intoxication. It is extracted from the plant either in oil or powder form, you will be surprised how little a dog needs per day to begin making a difference.

It is believed to help to secrete serotonin - a natural mood stabiliser and help to eliviate anxiety.

It can be given to a dog either directly in the mouth or in their food which makes it suitable for even the most timid of dogs.