Natural Ingredients to Calm Your Dog During a Thunder Storm
With the infamous South Florida rainy (aka Hurricane!) season upon us once again, we need to not only focus on batteries and bottled water, we also should be planning ways to help reduce the stress for our anxiety ridden fur babies. If a clap of thunder or noisy rain drops send your pooch into an anxiety attack – or worse – now is the time to revisit all the options available out there.
The good news is there are not only excellent options, but they are natural, and they work! The best thing to do is to give one of these to your dog as soon as the clouds appear – don’t wait for the storm to hit because these will usually take 15 minutes to take effect.
Valerian Root is a favorite mainly because it’s easy to give. The small capsule can easily be hidden in a piece of cheese or a soft treat. There are no side effects to worry about.
Melatonin is already well known as a sleep aid for humans and has been around for years. Usually in tablet form, it reduces anxiety and helps the dogs nap through the storm. (Sure, take one for yourself, too!)
Passionflower is a bit harder to find but another excellent choice. Rather than reducing the anxiety, it actually increases the “feel good” factor. It has been used for hundreds of years, and naturopathic physicians who don’t normally prescribe heavy duty drugs, swear this is as effective as a Xanax!