With stress increasing in today’s society, whether it be from school, jobs, or just everyday life, stress in our pets is also increasing. Have you ever noticed that when you get upset about something your dog either tries to comfort you or starts acting odd? Our pets emulate our emotions, whether good or bad. A high-strung individual is much more likely to have a high-strung dog. However, some dogs and cats simply feel anxious in certain situations. The most common include trips to the vet, being left alone (separation anxiety), and thunderstorms. People now-a-days are searching for remedies for their stressed-out pups. Let me introduce Earth MD’s Calming Aid.

We developed our Calming Aid with these dogs in mind that have high anxiety, especially in certain scenarios. This supplement will not fix hyper and will not make your pet perfectly calm, but it helps them deal with symptoms of stress and anxiety. For those of you with high energy dogs, there is no better remedy for crazy hyperactive pets than exercise! Below are the ingredients in the Earth MD Calming Aid supplement and what they do to help induce a calm state.

Chamomile and Ginseng

I am sure you have heard of, and probably have eaten or drank, chamomile one way or another. Chamomile tea is one of the most common teas used for helping with sleep and anxiety. It has been shown to help people with anxiety disorders [1], as well as reduce aggressive behaviour [4]. This is important, for example, for a pet going for a vet visit. Many pets get fear aggressive and chamomile may help them deal with their fear. Chamomile does this by reducing the production of cortisol, a stress hormone [3]. Cortisol acts like the body’s alarm system. Think of the response your body takes when you are suddenly put under stress, such as a pop quiz you haven’t studied for. Cortisol, released from the adrenal glands on your kidneys, is what induces this bodily response: racing heart, elevated mood, and even indigestion. This also happens to pets when they are taken to places they find unpleasant. This is why we include Chamomile as it can help reduce this response by inhibiting cortisol production. Ginseng also reduces cortisol and corticosteroids in the blood in general in order to reduce stress on the body [5].

Echinacea

The plant Echinacea is also well known. However, it has more fame in the immune department. It has been shown to boost the immune system, and those taking echinacea typically come down with the common cold less often and for less time [7]. However, there is more to this little herb than just this. Echinacea has also been shown to be anxiolytic (anxiety reducing) without affecting locomotor skills [6]. The mode of action is still unsure, but we are looking forward to further studies.

Valerian Root

Valerian seems to be more widely used in the United Kingdom than in North America, but it is quite an effective little root at calming the nerves. A study done in 2004 showed that valerian root’s active compound, valerenic acid, bound to GABA receptors in the body [2]. Why is this interesting? Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors, when activated, suppress the nervous system, reducing irritability and excitability. Essentially, it is a form of sedation. Many people drink valerian tea to help them sleep, which can work well with dogs as well. Valerian root works similar to the little pill that they give to calm you down if you go to the hospital and are anxious.

As you can see, there is a scientific basis to all of the ingredients in the Calming Aid supplement, just like all of the other Earth MD remedies. Anxiety in pets can be a real issue that many deal with on a daily basis.

[1] A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL OF ORAL MATRICARIA RECUTITA (CHAMOMILE) EXTRACT THERAPY OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3600416/

[2] The Gamma-Aminobutyric Acidergic Effects of Valerian and Valerenic Acid on Rat Brainstem Neuronal Activity, https://journals.lww.com/anesthesia-analgesia/fulltext/2004/02000/The_Gamma_Aminobutyric_Acidergic_Effects_of.16.aspx

[3] Matricaria chamomilla CH12 decreases handling stress in Nelore calves, https://synapse.koreamed.org/DOIx.php?id=10.4142/jvs.2006.7.2.189

[4] Effect of chamomile extract on the welfare of laying Japanese quail, http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1516-35982017000900760&script=sci_arttext

[5] ANTI-STRESS COMPOSITION INTENDED FOR INCORPORATION MANLY IN NUTRITONAL VEHICLES, https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/6a/54/fd/7fb8d164042a59/US6576252.pdf

[6] The effect of Echinacea preparations in three laboratory tests of anxiety: comparison with chlordiazepoxide, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.3181

[7] Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17597571