L-Theanine for dogs will naturally calm that pup in a matter of minutes. Don’t you love that your dog really understands you? We all know that our dogs can feel when their hoomans are stressed. Smart Dog owners should know the other way around too.
Sure, your dog can’t speak, and it can’t let out soothing words when you’re feeling down. But there are other ways your dog comforts you. Maybe your dog snuggles up close to you when you cry or brings you its favorite chew toy to cheer you up.
While this is a lovely gesture, have you ever stopped to wonder about your dog’s feelings?
Dogs are emotionally intelligent, which means they know what’s up. But if they can feel the pain of their owners, what do they feel for themselves?
Yes, our dogs feel stress, anxiety, pain, and sorrow like us. They may look jolly, but dogs can get very anxious, and unlike humans, they don’t know how to deal with it.
Your fur babies don’t have to go through it alone; it’s up to you to nurture and care for them. But sometimes, no matter how much you cuddle them and tell them they’re good dogs, your dog’s anxiety won’t leave them alone.
One of the most effective ways to help your dog get rid of anxiety and stress is L-Theanine, an essential anxiety-reducing ingredient in medicinal drugs for your dog. However, L-Theanine for dogs requires careful administration, similar to most drugs that can harm someone if taken without proper consultation.
What Is L-Theanine for Dogs?
Vets recommend L-Theanine to treat anxiety in dogs. However, you can’t administer L-Theanine to your dog without any consultation. To know more, here’s a little data that we compiled for you.
What is L-Theanine?
L-Theanine is an amino acid (an organic compound) that is found naturally in some mushrooms, black tea, and green tea.
L-Theanine is a significant component in some anti-anxiety medicine for dogs, like NutraCalm by NutraVet and Anxitane by Virbac.
Is L-Theanine Only for Dogs?
We can also use L-Theanine, but we don’t need it as much as our dogs. This is because while L-Theanine is beneficial, we can handle most of our emotions alone. Even if we look for anxiety medication for ourselves, we’ll need a more potent dose than what L-Theanine can give us.
That being said, L-Theanine is not solely for dogs. With the vet’s advice, L-Theanine may be given to cats, but it’s not a common occurrence.
Is L-Theanine Safe for Dogs?
L-Theanine is recommended for dogs, but can dogs have L-Theanine safely?
You’ll be glad to know that L-Theanine is relatively safe for dogs. In fact, this natural anxiety-reducing compound is probably your safest bet.
However, like any drug or medicine, you shouldn’t start your dog on L-Theanine without asking the vet or knowing the correct dosage. L-Theanine is relatively safe, but not every dog may like it.
It might be possible that L-Theanine is safe for most dogs but might not be recommended for yours. Even dogs from the same household may not react similarly to L-Theanine.
If you don’t know the correct L-Theanine dosage for dogs, or if you’d like to get your dog L-Theanine, contact your dog’s vet for more information.
What Is L-Theanine Used for In Dogs?
There are numerous benefits to L-Theanine for dogs, but the one thing that L-Theanine can do for your dog is help with anxiety.
Dogs can feel anxious for several reasons; if your dog has physical or mental trauma, it can flare up its anxiety, or maybe your dog is just a cute puppy who gets anxious when you leave for work.
How Does L-Theanine Work?
L-Theanine for dogs reduces anxiety, improves mood, and helps with sleep.
But how does L-Theanine work?
L-Theanine is a mood booster. But this doesn’t just happen on a whim; L-Theanine programs your dog’s brain to make it feel calmer.
To understand how L-Theanine for dogs reduces anxiety, you should know how anxiety can occur. When your dogs get stressed or anxious, their brain’s alpha waves are either blocked or very low.
Alpha waves are those signals released when you’re doing any activity that keeps you calm, like meditation. Lower levels of alpha waves can lead to more significant anxiety.
L-Theanine works by enhancing the alpha waves, which means that L-Theanine asks your brain to send calming signals. When your brain does this, it releases alpha waves, which soothe your dog.
L-Theanine may also boost dopamine, which is a “feel-good” hormone. This takes your dog to its happy place and reduces the feeling of anxiety.
1) Reduces Anxiety
Medicines with L-Theanine for dogs boost mood and energy and reduce anxious and depressed emotions. L-Theanine calms a dog’s nerves, helping them relax and stay calm. When this happens, your dog returns to its playful mood.
2) Promotes Sleep
An indirect benefit of L-Theanine for dogs is an improved sleep cycle.
Stressed dogs will have trouble sleeping because they might feel uncomfortable or threatened. When this happens, the dog may not be able to sleep properly and can get sick from lack of sleep.
L-Theanine relaxes your dog and helps your dog sleep better. L-Theanine gets rid of the anxiety and the stress that prevents your dog from sleeping, so your dog can stretch out and sleep for deeper and healthier durations.
3) Provides Relaxation
Of course, an L-Theanine dog experiences less anxiety than a dog not taking L-Theanine, so L-Theanine dogs are much more relaxed.
Stressed dogs might stop playing and might not be able to sleep properly, but an L-Theanine dog will soon catch up on missed winks and begin to play like before. You’ll notice L-Theanine dogs are friendlier and healthier than dogs who don’t take the amino acid.
What Causes Anxiety in Dogs?
You know how anxiety occurs in dogs, but do you know why dogs get anxiety?
Dogs also get anxious for different reasons, like how we feel anxious or stressed. Not all dogs will get anxious for the same reason, so you must understand what is causing your dog to get anxious.
Some of the reasons dogs get anxious are mentioned below:
Loneliness
Your dog may not let on, but being away from its owner can be very stressful. You might be leaving for work in the morning and coming back to an excited dog every evening, but there’s a reason your dog is so happy to see you.
Your dog loves you very much and loves to spend time with you as much as you do with him. When you leave the house, your dog gets lonely, even if you have other family members or dog-sitters.
Your dog can also be lonely for an entirely different reason. If your dog lost a sibling or partner, it might be grieving. Grief might make a dog feel lonely so that it will seek solace from its owner.
Fear
Dogs protect us when they can, but there are some things that a dog can’t fight. Loud noises, bright displays, and flashing lights can scare dogs and cause them to be anxious.
If your dog gets frightened of the vacuum cleaner or hides under a dark corner when there’s a thunderstorm, then your dog is scared of the noises that the appliance or thunder makes. When scared and pushed into a corner, dogs can feel anxious for a long time after the fear has subsided.
Your dog can also get anxious from bright and loud displays. Fireworks, gunshots, and even loud musical instruments like drums can terrify a dog, who will feel anxious to relax.
When your dog is scared, it is anxious for its safety. A scared dog gets anxious and has trouble relaxing because it feels the thing that scared it could return at any time. The fear of being scared or hurt makes a dog anxious.
Past Trauma
Anxiety and fear are also experienced by dogs who have gone through some form of trauma. Anxiety associated with trauma is most commonly found in rescue dogs.
Rescue dogs have trouble moving on from trauma and may get anxious without a visible trigger. Dogs who have lived in unsafe and troubled homes or dogs who unfortunately had abusive owners may recall their horrible past and feel anxious.
Sudden Changes
At one point in our lives, we have faced difficulty accepting change. Maybe you didn’t like moving to a new neighborhood, or maybe you can’t sleep on a bed that’s not yours. Dogs can react to sudden changes like us.
You might have noticed your dog frequently gets upset when you don’t feed it on time or become upset when it doesn’t get a treat.
Your dog is used to the routine and environment where they spend most of their time, so if you shift houses, move to a new city, or change your dog’s routine, your puppy will become anxious.
Anxiety from sudden changes doesn’t have to be because there’s something new in the air; it can also be if your dog recognizes a place it doesn’t like. Your dog can get anxious in malls where it gets crowded or at the vet, where the dog knows it might have to go through tests.
Signs Your Dog May be Anxious
Most dog owners won’t realize their dog is anxious unless they visit the vet. Sometimes, delaying treatment can cause your dog’s anxiety to worsen, which can prevent your dog from moving on to a happier mood.
There are some signs that your dog may present when experiencing anxiety. However, it is essential to note that not all of these signs will be presented by a dog:
- Shaking, shivering, whimpering
- Mood swings (anger, growling, barking)
- Aggression and easily provoked to physically hurt by chewing, biting, and clawing
- Restlessness and pacing
- Panting or heavy breaths
- Laying down in dark corners or hiding from view
How Much L-Theanine for Dogs Is Safe?
Can dogs have L-Theanine? Yes. But even if L-Theanine is safe for dogs, you must be careful about how much of it your dog takes.
How Much L-Theanine Should I Give My Dog?
The L-Theanine dosage for dogs is typically prescribed depending on the dog’s health and weight. The L-Theanine dosage for dogs who weigh less differs from that for dogs who weigh more. Administering the wrong dosage can harm your dog more than the L-Theanine can benefit it.
Recommended L-Theanine Dosage for Dogs
Here is a table detailing the generally recommended L-Theanine dosage for dogs for you to see:
Note: this table details a general guideline for understanding how much dosage should be given, but this table should not be followed unless the vet has confirmed you.
Additionally, the dosage of L-Theanine for your dog depends on other factors and should not be administered based solely on this table.
The recommended dosage may also differ among different pharmaceutical products; the dosage of Anxitane is different from that of NutraCalm and other anxiety-relief medications.
Risks Of L-Theanine for Dogs
We know what you’re about to ask. Is L-Theanine safe for dogs in the long run?
L-Theanine is generally recommended for chronic anxiety and not just bouts of stress. In the long run, L-Theanine has no side effects and risks and is completely safe for your dog.
However, in rare cases, some circumstances may lead your dog to react negatively to the L-Theanine; this won’t be because of the compound itself, but your dog’s health.
In what cases is L-Theanine unsafe for dogs?
If your L-Theanine dog behaves strangely after the first few doses of the anxiety relief compound, then the medicine may not be suitable for your dog. This may happen with dogs with other chronic diseases and illnesses like diabetes, kidney problems, arthritis, and thyroid problems.
If your dog takes a lot of medication for other health issues, or if your dog does not tolerate even general medicines, then you should avoid giving your dog L-Theanine. While L-Theanine is harmless, there is no guarantee that it won’t react to specific medicines and treatments your dog is already taking.
It has been observed that a dog who has hypotension and similar problems may not react positively to L-Theanine as compared to L-Theanine dogs who have no such health problems. However, there is no sure way to say that L-Theanine is unsafe for dogs.
Should I be Concerned About Drug Interactions?
Drug interactions take place when one drug, being given for a specific issue, reacts negatively to another drug for the same or different issue, being taken at the same time. Drug interactions can increase the side effects of one or all medicines and cancel each other’s benefits.
Yes, L-Theanine for dogs doesn’t have any reported side effects, but you should always be careful when giving it to your dog. Do not give L-Theanine to your dog without your vet’s advice, as it may harm your dog.
Sometimes, even if your dog is given the green light for L-Theanine, it may get sick because of some medicine it was already taking. Do not give your dog L-Theanine with other medicines unless you have done your research.
It is recommended that dogs taking medicine or under a treatment plan for hypotension and irregular blood pressure should not be given L-Theanine. This isn’t because L-Theanine is bad for them, but drug interaction could happen depending on the exact type of blood pressure medication.
To be safer, ask your dog’s vet about L-Theanine for your dog. Your vet should compare the drug with the medical history of your dog and will let you know whether it is safe to give your dog L-Theanine or not.
How To Serve L-Theanine to Dogs?
You must be very careful with how you serve L-Theanine to your dog. Your dog probably gobbles up everything in sight, so you shouldn’t risk letting the medicine in sight. Also, giving the wrong dosage can harm your dog, which isn’t just for L-Theanine.
Your dog’s vet will tell you how much L-Theanine you should give your dog. If your vet doesn’t provide the dosage information, you should look up the guidelines on the medicine packet.
Do not feed your dog L-Theanine in the incorrect dosage. If your dog has been prescribed a specific dosage, do not exceed it. You also shouldn’t give a dosage lower than the recommended dosage of L-Theanine.
Tablets or Treats?
L-Theanine for dogs is most commonly available in tablets or pills. However, we know that a dog will eat anything in sight but become a big baby regarding pills.
You can always go for treats if your dog hates tablets and pills. But are there treats with L-Theanine?
Various treat supplements contain L-Theanine along with other healthy ingredients available for dogs. An excellent supplement is the iHeartDogs chews with L-Theanine. You can also get your dog’s brighter Zesty Paws Dog Calming Bites.
What Other Way Can We Reduce a Dog’s Anxiety?
If your dog has a messy relationship with medicines and no matter how much you try, your dog won’t take a liking to them, you can always look for other alternatives to help you out.
Although L-Theanine for dogs is the best option, you have to treat your dog’s anxiety and stress; if the good boy says no, it says no. You don’t have to worry about it, though, because you can always rely on other ways to calm your dog down.
CBD Oil Treatment
CBD is found in Cannabis and hemp, which boost mood and help relax a dog. CBD extract or oil is recommended for dogs with anxiety who cannot take L-Theanine.
However, please don’t start your dog in the CBD unless you know it is safe. Not all dogs can handle CBD, so it is best to consult your dog’s vet before you begin treatment.
Exercise
Yes, exercise can help a dog get rid of anxiety. Exercising to get rid of anxiety is recommended for dogs who suffer from chronic anxiety or dogs who are new to their owners.
Exercising helps dogs connect, bond with their owners, and improve body mobility. Remaining active helps your dog feel happy because it can play around more than it could when they were anxious.
Preventing Triggers
Your dog would do anything for you, and it’s time you return the sentiment. Look into all the things that can make your dog anxious and try to prevent them from triggering your dog’s anxiety.
Preventing anxiety triggers may not be easy, as some triggers like thunder and fireworks won’t be under your control. But, triggers like vacuum cleaners, hair blowers, and similar appliances can be stopped until your dog feels better.
Cuddles, Snuggles, and Lots of Belly Rubs
If you cannot prevent triggers that induce your dog’s anxiety, you can count on a lot of love. Cuddle your dog, give them warm snuggles, rub their bellies and tell them they’re the best dog in the world.
Your dog’s anxiety may not disappear immediately, but at least your dog won’t have to go through it alone.
Conclusion | L-Theanine For Dogs
L-Theanine for dogs is your safest option when you have a nervous pupper. L-Theanine has no side effects and has proven to be one of the most effective compounds for reducing anxiety.
Before administering L-Theanine, ensure that you give your dog the correct dosage. Ask the dog’s vet if you do not know how much L-Theanine you should give to your dog. If the vet does not recommend a specific amount, you can follow the recommended dosage provided on the medicine’s box.
Remember, L-Theanine is entirely safe for dogs, but this doesn’t mean you should immediately give your dog the drug. The dosage of L-Theanine differs from brand to brand and should always be given upon prescription.
Dogs suffering from chronic illnesses, especially blood pressure, should not be given L-Theanine and other medicines. Never give a dog with blood pressure problems L-Theanine without asking the dogtor.
We know how scared you must be for your dog, but don’t worry because there’s no harm to giving your dog L-Theanine. The only bad thing with L-Theanine is that it may not heal your dog, but you can always look for alternative ways to reduce your dog’s anxiety.
