Vitamins and supplements are essential needs of fur babies, but can a dog overdose on calming chews? If so, what to do in times like this? Some people might not believe that dogs, like humans, could also experience stress and anxiety at some point in their lives. Typically, if you are not a fur parent, you might have no idea regarding this issue, but if you are, then you definitely know what calming chews are! You might even ask, “Is it really possible to overdose on calming chews?”
Calming chews are usually made from natural ingredients designed to relax and ease dogs in times of stress and anxiety.
Can a Dog Overdose on Calming Chews and Supplements? Since these are natural supplements and not medication, there’s really no harm in ingesting additional chews. Usually, in times of increased tension in dogs, vets even suggest doubling or tripling the dosage to calm and soothe them. However, just like other supplements, it might cause digestive issues for your fur baby.
In case your dog accidentally reaches a bottle of their calming treats, and you found them in one corner, with scattered poop everywhere, call your vet immediately. Your dog might have ingested more than the allowed dosage.
What Are Stress and Anxiety in Dogs?
Dogs, like humans, also experience fear and anxiety. However, unlike humans, dogs can’t directly tell the cause of the stress. Therefore, as a fur parent, it is your responsibility to identify and understand the factors causing your pet’s condition. Typically, anxiety is a fear response of dogs that go haywire. Instead of a fight-flight-freeze natural reaction in times of fear, dogs tend to anticipate something that can harm them, causing them to feel stress and anxious. Loud noise, thunder, fireworks, and visual stimuli, like umbrellas, cause panic in dogs leading to anxiety. Prognosis usually depends on how early the stress is detected. Thus, it is important to observe how your dog responds in times of fear to know if there are any dog stress-related symptoms.
Different Types of Dog Anxieties
As a pet parent, you need to be aware that your dog has emotions, too. Among those emotions include anxieties, and below are the following:
Separation Anxiety
Some dogs associate everything they value (food, company, play) with their owner. They love being with their owner at all times. Separation anxiety happens when he can’t enjoy his own company anymore, even with the presence of his food and toys. Dogs should learn to cope up on their own, even without their humans. Training them to be independent at an early age will help them overcome separation anxiety.
Environmental Changes
Dogs can determine even slight changes in the environment. Their first time visiting the vet, transferring to a new house, or being in the car can agitate them, causing fear and panic. Resource guarding is when dogs display aggressiveness if a valued item is being taken away from them.
Fear of Loud Voices and Noise
Fireworks, thunderstorms, and loud noises can cause stress to dogs. Hearing loud noises and voices will make them flinched and winced in stress and anxiousness. Dogs are usually associated with a lower level of noise, such as rain and wind.
Signs and Symptoms of Dog Anxiety
Since dogs can’t tell you the specific reason why they’re anxious, their behavior and actions will give you some clue. Here are some of the most common behaviors of dogs with anxiety:
- Shivering even when it is hot
- Panting or pacing back and forth
- Excessive barking when their owner isn’t home
- Destructive behavior
- Cringing in the corner of the house
- Excessive drooling
- Digging
- Excessive urinating or defecating
- Excessive licking and chewing
- Loss of Appetite
In some instances, you can easily identify the causes of their stress and treat it immediately. However, if it is beyond your control, you might consider calming treats or seeking professional help.
Ways to Calm Your Dogs
When your dog is agitated, you don’t have to feel helpless as there are many ways you can help ease its uneasiness. Below are the following:
Cuddle Them When Necessary
Older techniques of treating stress and anxiety in dogs prevent touching and cuddling them. However, the newest method suggests dog owners cuddling them whenever they feel anxious and crying. Dogs, like children, need gentle touch and comfort during panic and anxiety attacks. You might also consider buying a thunder shirt, which gives them the impression of someone hugging them.
Relief Crates
Fireworks and thunderstorms always scare dogs, which can cause fear and panic. Getting a relief crate where dogs can go during these fearful events can help them relax. Unlike other dog crates, it is specially built to calm your dog once settled inside by creating warm airflow and playing relaxing music.
Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
Essential oils are also a great way to calm your dogs. It comes in different forms such as mists, oil diffusers, wipes, and roll on to calm and relax dogs. With lavender as primary ingredients, it definitely calms you and your dog’s senses. Lavender is known for its calming and relaxing effect.
Dog TV
As a pet owner, you won’t always be there for your pet every time they have panic attacks. Since dogs react positively to visual and audio stimulation, you might consider buying a Dog TV. It helps to provide proper stimulations to your dogs resulting in a calmer and happier environment.
Body Massage
A gentle touch is one form of communication among dogs to keep them relaxed. Just like humans, dogs’ stress and anxiety are taken away through therapeutic body massage. According to studies, gentle touch stimulates the production of serotonin. This hormone is responsible for releasing happy hormones in the body. Therefore a simple touch can make a big difference! Always spend quality time with your dogs by brushing them down or giving them a relaxing body massage.
Comfort Cuddler
Dogs always love the scent of their humans because it gives them assurance, comfort, and security. Separation anxiety happens when you leave him with nothing to feel and smell your presence. Hence, always leave something that resembles your smell, such as your shirt or perfume. A comfort cuddler allows you to leave something for your pet, which he can use as a pillow or cuddle. With this, your dog won’t feel stressed even if you are not around.
Puzzle Toys
Giving your four-legged friend something to keep them busy while you are away will help them in their flight of stress and anxiety. Toys are something dogs always love to have. Try adding some twist by giving him a puzzle toy to keep him busy and entertained while you are away. This surely helps him divert his attention from disturbing noises. You might want to consider a toy puzzle that automatically dispenses treats once solved.
CBD Oils
The amazing benefits of CBD oils are incredible! Do you think the uses of CBD oils are limited to humans only? According to studies, CBD oils also benefit dogs. Aside from joint pain relief, a few drops of CBD oils soothes nerves and tissues, enhances mood, and even improves heart circulation. CBD oil, along with coconut oils, is a good alternative to treating your dog’s anxiety.
Calming Treats For Dogs
Unfortunately, not all dogs are okay with collars or shirts to relax. It is still best to offer something that all dogs can enjoy, such as calming chews. This treat is known to provide immediate anxiety relief and relaxation among canines. Some of the popular ingredients in calming chews are ginger to prevent stomach upset, chamomile to relax, and L-tryptophan that primarily acts as serotonin or mood enhancer.
What Are Calming Chews and How Are They Used?
Calming chews contain essential ingredients that help relax your dog in times of stress and anxiety. The main components include chamomile, ginger, L-tryptophan, and valerian root. While it is crucial to know the leading cause of your dog’s anxiety, giving them calming chews at the start of panic attacks is essential to relax their mind and body. It usually takes fifteen to thirty minutes to take effect. Calming chews are mood enhancers chewable supplements for your dogs. Depending on your vet’s prescription and dog’s weight, dosage may vary. Therefore, it is required to seek medical assistance before deciding to buy calming chews for your beloved dogs.
Things to Consider When Buying Calming Chews
Like any other supplement, the effectiveness of calming chews mainly depends on its ingredients. Some of the known ingredients that help promote relaxation and act as mood stabilizers are Chamomile, Valerian Root, melatonin, and L-tryptophan. When buying calming chews, always check and ingredients to ensure safety and effectiveness. Checking the label and the required dosage of your dog is another thing to consider. Once you know the prescribed dosage, you’ll identify how many packets you’ll need in a month. Calming chews price varies from Ten Dollars to Fifty Dollars respectively.
What Happens When Stress and Anxiety Are Not Treated Immediately?
Detecting a dog’s anxiety as early as possible is the key to a healthy prognosis. Dismissing the early signs of stress and anxiety may lead to more dangerous stress among dogs. Some of the dangers associated with dogs’ anxiety are self-inflicting harm, destructive and aggressive behavior, and running away from home. Most people think dogs are just naughty when they try to nibble on something, not realizing that this is actually an early sign of stress.
