Ashwagandha for Pet Health
As dog owners, we want the best for our pets. Sometimes that’s made more difficult if they’re prone to get stressed about a different life situation. In this article, we consider why and how dogs get stressed, and whether Ashwagandha is useful for their health.
Why Is Your Dog Becoming Stressed?
Your dog could become stressed because you’re away at work and they’re frightened that you’re not coming back and they’re lonely, there are strange sounds they don’t understand, other pets are in the home, or for a host of other reasons.
It’s often difficult to isolate the true reason(s) why they’re becoming anxious when nothing obvious seems to have changed in their environment. In which case, it’s necessary to consider a health supplement that may help them in another way.
How Does Stress Affect Dogs?
Your dog has a central nervous system just like you do. It’s not quite the same, but many similar functions and responses are present and recognizable when compared to humans.
The cerebrum in your dog’s brain is where the thinking gets done. The cerebral cortex is where they try to understand their world, decide how to respond to stimuli, and when to act quickly.
When pets become overly anxious, it becomes much harder for the cortex to function well. Thinking becomes difficult, just like with us, and so it can create anxiety and fear. The lack of control then agitates the animal. They then suffer brain fog in a stressful situation where they’re anxious and relying on instinctive reactions.
Keeping a Dog Calmer
It’s obvious from reading the above sections that keeping a dog calmer in all situations, including ones that are naturally stressful to them, is beneficial. They’re better able to think, act sensibly, and rely on their training.
Stress-filled responses like defensive biting are often why owners may get bitten at home by a pet that just woke up, confused, and sensing danger nearby. Seeking remedies to keep them calm can avoid bad behavior and other difficulties for owners. This is where Ashwagandha for dogs may be useful.
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen. It’s not the only one but it’s become extremely popular over the last few years. It was originally used primarily in India, but the promise of what it can do has been getting attention thanks to the wider spread of factual information by dog owners and veterinarians too.
Dogs suffer from stress and taking an adaptogen can help to keep them calmer than they would normally be. Even in a stressful situation, this antioxidant has a comforting effect to reduce what they’re feeling. Because of it, their cortex doesn’t become overactive, so they can think clearer and make better decisions on how to respond to life events.
The cortisol level in their bloodstream is also less than it would otherwise be too. Too much cortisol is bad for animals and humans too. It has a wearing effect where it can become deleterious on health over the long-term when being regularly and repeatedly stressed out.
How Can Your Dog Take Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha can come in powder form, but it can be included in food supplements and other forms. So, it’s easier to incorporate into their diet, even if they’re a notoriously picking eater!
This type of health product for dogs comes in powder, pills, tablets they can chew on, and sticks. Because of this, owners can pick the version of Ashwagandha that best suits their dog and how they like to consume things.
Whether that’s sprinkling some powder on wet food or giving them a chew stick with Ashwagandha on it, getting them to consume it is a solvable problem. That’s a headache removed for pet owners wanting to give their pet an additive or health supplement.
What Are the Health Benefits of Ashwagandha for Pets?
For older dogs who aren’t yet considered seniors, the anti-aging properties of Ashwagandha are useful to keep them active for longer.
Their immune systems get a booster from this adaptogen because it works to help keep them healthier. The fact that they will be calmer and release less stress hormone avoids cortisol from impairing their immune system. Due to this, they’re better protected from potential diseases. Because their body isn’t handling as much stress, it provides a better defense.
From an activity standpoint, they’ll have improved muscle function, good strength, and extra energy. We all know how exhausting stress can be on the body and how we feel wrecked by early evening after a day of it. It’s no different for your pet. Getting a break from their anxiousness allows their body to have more energy to play in the park and have fun with you.
Sleep is also easier to achieve when they’re not overly worried. Sometimes, this means they may sleep during the day when you’re at work, instead of pacing a hole in the carpet.
Does It Offer Value for Money?
Ashwagandha products are not overly expensive. They can also allow you to reduce or cut out other pet supplements that in combination were trying to address the nervousness or anxiety issues your dog has been suffering from. That may also become a cost-saver overall.
Also, it’s important to select a high-quality supply of Ashwagandha from purer sources. If you can find past testimonials from pet owners who’ve tried the product you’re looking at or an independent verification about their lab results, that’s always good to see. As pet parents, we always want to give our pets the best quality, especially if they have sensitive guts that need consideration too.
For dog owners with an overly stressed dog, it’s a difficult time. We often can blame ourselves and try to figure out why they are getting so upset. Even when petting them and playing with them, they may still get anxious about certain things like unfamiliar visitors to the home, children, other dogs, or loud sounds. Whatever it is, it’s worth considering an adaptogen like Ashwagandha because it provides great results for dog owners.
