Nutritional Strategies to Alleviate Stress in Anxious Dogs

It’s hard to keep up with everything when it comes to the nutrition of dogs. Some dog lovers swear that barfing is the best way to feed their dogs, while others prefer high-quality prepared food. The right food can relieve your dog’s stress if he is nervous, restless, or insecure. Here are some tips to help you.

It’s important to not rely on only dog food if your four-legged companion is stressed. Dog sports, mental stimulation and conditioned relaxation can also help your pet to be relaxed, happy and balanced. Diet has an effect on the brain’s metabolism of neurotransmitters, which in turn impacts your pet’s behavior and mood.

Carbohydrates important in dog nutrition

Dogs are omnivores and not carnivores like cats. Dogs need carbohydrates to maintain a healthy metabolic rate. Meat and high-quality protein are important, but they also require carbohydrates. Roger Mugford, a British animal psychologist who studied the influence of dog nutrition on behavior, found that dogs were less aggressive when their protein content was only 15 to 18%. According to Mugford the remaining 82-85 percent of the dog’s food should consist mainly of carbohydrates, with only a small quantity high-quality oils and fats. Otherwise, the food will be high in calories, and dogs may become overweight.

What carbohydrate sources are good for dogs? Cooked potatoes are a good choice, and sweet potatoes cooked for dogs also work well. Whole grain rice and quinoa, also known as pseudo-grains, are good sources of carbohydrates. Dog nutrition is often demonized by low-quality convenience food that uses grains of questionable quality as fillers. High-quality grains like barley, spelt rye millet, or oats are good for dogs, as long as you boil them briefly and soak them in water overnight. Your dog will not be able digest the grain and breakdown all of its nutrients if you don’t soak it in water overnight. You can also add oat or millet flakes to your dog’s food.

Tryptophan, an amino acid that helps reduce stress

The so-called essential acids are the building blocks of proteins. Tryptophan is one of these essential amino acids. It is converted in the body into serotonin after it is absorbed from food. The messenger substance is also known as the “happiness-hormone” since it promotes a positive attitude and balanced behavior. Serotonin deficiency can cause depression and aggressive behavior in both humans and animals. A dog’s diet that is designed to combat stress will stimulate the production of serotonin in the brain.

It would be impossible to just feed the body more tryptophan, so that it metabolizes this amino acid into serotonin. Serotonin is formed by a combination of nutrients, including Vitamin B6, Folic Acid and Magnesium. The tryptophan in the feed also needs to be higher than the other amino acids in order to affect serotonin production. It is true for lamb meat but also for dietary supplements containing tryptophan.

Caution. You should take your dog to the vet if he seems stressed, restless, or nervous. You should not ignore his behavior if it is indicative of an illness and has little to do with diet. A visit to your vet before giving supplements is also recommended. The doctor will give you advice on the right dosage and composition, and can also discuss whether you can get the nutrients your dog needs from his diet alone.