Best Calming Supplements for 4th of July

It’s that time of year again. Fireworks stands are popping up all over America, pops and whistles are sounding off at completely random times, and our dogs are freaking out over it all. 4^th of July may be a fun holiday for us, but our dogs find it terrifying.

If you’re dreading this 4^th of July because your pets are, you may want to stock up on some anti-anxiety supplies before they’re all gone. They tend to sell out right before major fireworks associated holidays. (That’s why we’re posting this at the beginning of June and not the day of the holiday.)

We’ve tested many of these supplements, and if we have not personally tried some we have heard good results from those who have. Before we get into this though, it’s best not to rely on one specific product as your only calming source. One dog may find a thunder jacket soothing, while others don’t seem comforted at all.

Thundershirt

When dogs are frightened by something, they often look for close confinement to comfort themselves. This is why you will find them seeking cover in a closet, the bath tub, under the bed, or if they have one a kennel.

Thunder Jackets provide your dog a comforting squeeze, like their own weighted blanket. Many dogs find thunder jackets helpful during fireworks. If you plan to get one of these, measure your pet to make sure you get the right size.

Happy Hoodie

Happy hoodies are something we used at my workplace for nervous dogs, and it was of great comfort to dogs frightened by the grooming process. The happy hoodie works like a thunder jacket for your dog’s head, giving their ears a comforting squeeze. (It also helps muffle loud noises.)

If your dog is likely to swipe it off they may not get much benefit out of it, but for those who find it comforting these are a great choice. They’re also easy to size, with small dogs getting the small size, and everyone else getting the big size.

CBD

CBD has become almost commonplace for dogs these days. Unfortunately, CBD isn’t regulated. There’s nothing stopping someone from labeling olive oil as CBD and marketing it to you as pain relief for your pet.

We have tried out a lot of CBD products on our dogs over the years. Many of the products we used didn’t seem to do anything at all, even though they were third party tested and had CBD in them.

Just this past month we tried Healthy Roots Paws (ad) found at a local pet store, and found a winner! We tried the 200mg bottle and our dogs were relaxed and calm during one of the biggest thunderstorms we’ve ever had.

We’re really looking forward to seeing how it performs with 4th of July, and are expecting to have a very peaceful 4th of July. Healthy Roots Paws is at some pet stores, but not available on Amazon or Chewy.

We were recently given a coupon code for Healthy Roots: ANDRK20 Please feel free to use it and get yourself a little discount on their products. 🙂

Honest Pet Calming Dog Treats

This anti-anxiety chew is a great treat to reduce anxiety. It claims to be non-sedating, but it’s likely your pet will feel relaxed and sleepy given the ingredients. The first ingredient is Valerian. Valerian root is used in natural medicine as a calmative but hasn’t been studied in dogs.

The only study in dogs showed that in a shelter situation, dogs who were exposed to the scent of valerian exhibited fewer stress symptoms than dogs who were not. Ginger was also tested at this time, and was also found to be effective.

Since valerian calms many other mammals, including humans and rodents, it’s likely that dogs experience calming too, but it simply hasn’t been studied yet.

L-Theanine and L-Tryptophan are also natural calmatives and has been studied. One study in cats found that 91% of cats taking part in the study behaved more calmly when exposed to them.

Chamomile, Ginkgo Biloba, hemp, ashwaganda root and magnesium all have studies that show calming in dogs.

The final ingredient, melatonin, is well known for its calming properties. Overall, this is a very safe supplement with many different herbs and nutrients meant to promote calming in your pet.

Most of the other dog treats we looked at have similar ingredients.

A Word on Rescue Remedy

We’ve tried this several times, but it has never seemed to help our pets. While I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who have used and liked it, it simply didn’t work out for us, and is thus not on our recommendation list.

Distractions

Although these aren’t directly meant to help with anxiety, getting your pet something to work on can help distract them from their fear. Some dogs are too afraid to work on a chew toy, while others find focusing on a puzzle a way to take their mind off the fireworks.

We like stuffing a kong for our pets or giving them a pig ear, as most chews are too hard for our geriatric pets.

Other Ways to Help

You don’t need to rely on items at a store to help your pet. Providing them with a safe place such as a kennel to hide in can help them feel more secure. If you don’t have a kennel, clearing out a spot for them in the closet/under the bed might make them feel more cozy.

Playing the radio for them can also help drown out the noise a little bit, and may provide stress relief on their own.

You should also relax yourself. Pets can sense if you are worried, and if you are stressing about them, they’ll pick up on that and think you’re freaking out over fireworks too. If you act normal and relax, they will be less worried.

Keep ID On Your Dog

Thousands of pets go missing on July 4^th. Keep your pet indoors during the fireworks, and take them out on leash to go potty unless you know your backyard is very secure. Many animals panic and run during this time.

Even if you don’t normally keep ID on your pet, now is the time to update chip information and keep your dog’s collar with ID tags on. Make sure if they do panic and run, they have a way to come home to you.

4^th of July is fun for many—but usually not for your pets. Make sure you order anything you want for your pets now, before it has all been purchased.

Just so you know, we receive a small commission for the links to Chewy.com on our page. There’s no additional fee to you for using these links, but they do help us keep the site running.

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