Just like humans, animals can experience fear, stress, and anxiety. While a certain level of short-term stress is natural and beneficial for developing resilience, chronic or overwhelming stress is detrimental to your pet’s overall well-being and quality of life.  

In this article, we will examine the following:

1. What are pet calming supplements?
2. Do pet calming supplements work?
3. How do I know if my pet needs a calming supplement?
4. How do I know if the calming supplement my pet is on is helping? 

What are pet calming supplements? 

Pet calming supplements are products designed to help reduce anxiety, stress, and hyperactivity in pets. They can typically be purchased without a prescription, and contain natural ingredients known for their calming properties, such as probiotics, plants and herbs, milk proteins, etc.

These supplements come in various forms, including powders, chewable treats, tablets, and liquids. They are commonly used for stressful situations like thunderstorms or fireworks, separation anxiety, travel, vet or grooming visits, and acclimatisation to new environments.

Do pet calming supplements work? 

In short - it depends. Yes, pet calming supplements can be effective, especially those containing scientifically studied ingredients. That said, not all supplements are created equal, and some might be more effective than others. In addition, each animal is a unique individual with different root causes and severity of anxiety, so varying levels of efficacy with calming supplements are to be expected. 

While results vary based on the individual pet and product, several ingredients in calming supplements have been researched for their effects on stress and anxiety in animals. We suggest opting for calming supplements made with clinically-proven ingredients, in doses significant enough to provide therapeutic relief.  

If you are interested in the research, read our article about the different types of active ingredients often found in calming supplements for pets. 

How do I know if my pet would benefit from a calming supplement? 

Your cat or dog may benefit from a calming supplement if they show signs of anxiety, stress, or hyperactivity in certain situations. Here are some common signs to look out for:

Signs of stress and anxiety in pets:

Here are some common behaviours in pets that can indicate that they’re feeling stressed. Always examine the context and try to identify any triggers to help your pet navigate difficult situations. 

• Hypervigilance and stiff body language: Pets that are always on alert, restless, pacing, or otherwise unable to “switch off” and rest, even after sufficient physical and mental stimulation.

• Panting and excessive drooling: Increased heart rate, panting, and drooling, especially when the environment isn’t overly warm. 

• Destructive behavior: Excessive chewing, digging, and other destructive behaviors such as chewing drywall or gnawing on their own paws/tail.

• Vocalisations: Excessive barking or whining, potentially in response to triggers 

• Hiding or general reluctance to engage: Hiding under furniture, in a crate or safe space, or a general reluctance to engage with the environment or humans

• Recurring diarrhoea or inappropriate urination: Inappropriate toileting, especially without medical cause, often indicates a stressed gut and overwhelming emotions

• Yawning: While pets might yawn because they are tired, yawning is also a sign of nervousness. Examine the context to determine if your dog is stressed or merely sleepy.

• Compulsive behaviours: Anxious ticks such as excessive paw licking and grooming, chasing shadows, or swatting at imaginary flies. 

• Lip licking: Lip licking, especially in the absence of food, is an appeasement gesture that can indicate that your pet is uncomfortable 

• Whale-eyes: Showing the whites of their eyes by turning away while still looking at something 

• Tucked tail: Tail tucked between the legs.

• Pinned ears: Ears flattened against the head, or partially to the side.

• Shaking/Shivering: Trembling when the temperature isn’t overly cold.

• Refusal to eat: If your usually food-motivated pet is uninterested in treats, that’s another sign that they could be feeling too overwhelmed to eat.

If your pet’s stressors are easily identifiable and predictable (e.g. they get stressed during a vet visit or when strangers enter the house), they might benefit from fast-acting anxiety relief supplements, administered before the stressful event occurs. 

If your pet is exhibiting chronic or long-term signs of stress, it might be prudent to put them on a daily calming supplement for overall support. These calming supplements usually exhibit full effects within 6 weeks of daily use.  

For severe cases of anxiety that are out of the scope of calming supplements, we recommend seeing a veterinary behaviorist and putting in place a behavior modification plan. 

How do I know if a calming supplement for my pet is working? 

If you are trying a calming supplement, it is important to manage your expectations - it is unrealistic to expect that a non-prescription supplement will make your pet immune to stressors. Instead, look for other factors like how intense their stress levels are, and how quickly they return to baseline after experiencing a stressful event. 

After trialling a calming supplement multiple times to ensure consistency, evaluate your pet for the following: 

• Frequency of stressful behaviour: How often does your pet display stress symptoms? 
• Intensity of stress: How intense are the stress symptoms? (For example, shaking less is still an improvement!) 
• Recovery: How quickly does the pet return to baseline behavior after being stressed? If your pet still gets stressed but is able to recover faster, that is still a sign of improvement!