Do dog calming pills actually work?
You see calming pills, wafers, sprays advertised but does anyone have any experience with them, and what was the result?
4 Answers
I'm a licensed veterinarian, and I would actually say it depends. If you are talking about neutriceuticals (like OTC), then they sometimes work. I feel that dogs mostly respond to their owners. If the owner believes it will work, then it works. Vice versa is also true. If you're talking about sedatives and anxiolytics, then that's a different story. I would talk to the pets' personal vet to determine if a sedative is a good choice.
I have used them, being in a new place is hard for some dogs. I give the dogs lots of exercise and attention. I love when I get regular customers/dogs. The dogs get to know that's its fun, we play and go to the park. I have pups that LOVE to come over and all that fear and anxiety is gone. Do the calming pills work? I don't think they do. Some dogs take more time to warm up and relax.
I used the basic Pro Sense Calming tablets you find at Walmart. My one year foster coonhound was calmer after about a week of taking them. It seemed to take a while for it to get into her system. Honestly I didn't expect to see any results; I bought them because they were on clearance. She still had issues and was freaked out by everything etc. However I could tell a marked difference in her response time. For example if I dropped something, she still jumped but she would relax after 5 minutes or so. Verses before it would take literally hours. Desensitizing did not work for her because she was so scared of everything. She trusted me from day one but never gained confidence to the rest of the world.
I don't think all of them work or for all dogs. I agree that exercise mentally and physically usually brings better results. That being said it worked for me.
Most calming pills, sprays and such work but are to be used in extreme cases and therefore not many people have experience with them. I compare them to antidepressants, they work but I wouldn't want to have to take them.
My grandmother gets a calming pill from her vet for her older dog if she isn't going to be home during the holidays, to help him be more comfortable with the fireworks. She has my uncle give it to him in the evening.
My sister's vet recommended a calming spray for her cat that was licking himself bald. She used it for a while and she said that the cat seemed to be responding to it.
I used a stuffed animal for calming purposes (a pink long legged pig) since my dog would otherwise bark nonstop when we got home. No medicine, it just reassured her.
I'm not familiar with the wafers but it seemed to be a medicated chewable, looks like they are intended for situations like traveling but are packaged like treats. It is my professional opinion that you can help your dog change most undesired behaviors with the right kind of training, acting as a form of therapy.