Humans do not have a corner on the market for anxiety. Dogs experience it too. Loud noises, separation from their family, new situations – these triggers, according to PetMD, can cause dogs to pace or pant more than normal, tremble, have diarrhea or even hide.
Desperate to help their dogs, some owners resort to using prescription anti-anxiety medication. Rather than using lorazepam, amitriptyline, busiprone or some other hard-to-pronounce medication, adding omega-3 fatty acids to your dog's diet instead may help calm its anxiety.
Advertisement
A new study by Dr. Ragen McGowen from Nestlé Purina's nutritional research center seems to indicate that omega-3 fatty acids help reduce cortisol, the anxiety hormone, in dogs, reports the Vancouver Sun. The research center took 24 Labrador retrievers suffering from anxiety and fed them a balanced diet for eight weeks. For 12 weeks after that, the researchers fed them the exact same diet with one addition: fish oil.
At the end of these 20 weeks, 21 of the 24 labs showed a 40 to 50 percent reduction in anxious behavior – things such as jumping, pacing and barking. In situations that normally would have made the Labs anxious, the dogs had a reduction in cortisol responses and a lower heart rate.
The American Kennel Club notes that dog owners have been using omega fatty acids for years with their four-legged friends. Omega-6 acids aid a dog's blood clotting ability and cell growth, and helps the immune system. Omega-3 acids act as an anti-inflammatory, helping fight arthritis. They improve a dog's coat, energy, joint health, skin and cognitive health.
Advertisement
With so many health benefits already attributed to omega fatty acids, it's no surprise another one is being added to the ranks. Although omega-3 did not remove all of the Labradors' anxiety, the decrease was substantial and may be enough to control a pet's anxious behavior.