If your dog can’t settle down at night, you may be looking for the best sleeping pills for dogs. Sleeping pills are a topic of significant debate amongst pet parents. Most “sleeping pills” for dogs are actually “calming supplements” that promote stress relief.
When choosing the best sleeping pills for a dog, you need to consider the flavor, texture, effectiveness, and value of each supplement. For your convenience, we have compiled a list of the best calming supplements for your sleep-deprived dog.
7 Best Sleeping Pills for Dogs
Does your dog struggle to settle down at night? Here, we’ve compiled a list of the best sleeping pills for a dog. These supplements are no substitute for veterinary treatment, so make sure that you check in with your vet if your dog’s sleeping habits affect their daily life.
1. ProSense Anti-Stress Tablets for Dogs
Help to relax your anxious pooch with Pro-Sense Anti-Stress Dog Calming Tablets. Made with all-natural plant ingredients, including ginger root, valerian root, and chamomile. Because these tablets contain no harsh chemicals they will not make your pup groggy, and they are easy to eat with their chewable formula! Furthermore, these tablets provide antioxidants to support your dog’s immunity.
Happy customers love the effectiveness of these calming tablets. Many dogs who take a course of these tablets find that they cope better with separation anxiety and stressful situations such as car rides. Satisfied customers also enjoy the value of these calming tablets and see them as a cost-effective aid for their pup’s anxiety. Indeed, for some, these are the best sleeping pills for dogs!
Less satisfied customers dislike the size and taste of these calming tablets. Some dogs refuse to eat them, and others completely ignore them. The tablets are also large, which can make it difficult to give smaller doses if necessary. Finally, some dogs find no change in their anxiety after taking these calming tablets.
2. PetNC Calming Chews
Give your furry friend the gift of a calmer evening with the PetNC Natural Care Calming Aid Soft Chews Dog Supplement. These soft chews are made by veterinarians with the highest quality ingredients, including chamomile, ginger, and l-tryptophan. These ingredients are made with the highest safety standards as set by the National Animal Supplement Council.
Pet parents love the tasty flavor of these chews. Made with natural liver flavoring, your pooch won’t be able to resist taking their daily supplement. Also, relieved owners find that their dogs are calmer during storms thanks to this chewable supplement. Some dogs shake less during stressful times when taking them too!
PetNC Natural Care Calming Aid Soft Chews don’t go down a treat with every dog. For some dogs, the tasty flavor is not enough to entice them to eat these natural chews. Other unhappy buyers dislike the strong smell of these chews. Finally, while these chews help short-term, some owners are dissatisfied with the long-term results.
3. GNC Pets Mega Calming Formula
Keep your canine companion calm with these GNC Pets Ultra Mega Calming Formula Beef Flavor Chewable Tablets. Made with savory beef flavoring, these tablets contain natural ingredients like chamomile, tryptophan, and ginger. Verified by the National Animal Supplement Council, these delicious, relaxing treats make a safe supplement for any dog.
Pleased pet parents love the effectiveness of these tasty chews. For dogs who struggle with storms and car rides, these chews may just do the trick! Also, most dogs love the beef flavor of these chews. This makes these daily chews a fun and enticing addition to any dog’s day!
Every dog is different, and not every dog feels a difference from this supplement. For some, there is no difference in their anxiety levels at all. This still applies after taking the tablets for one month or longer. Some dogs dislike the taste and cannot be persuaded to eat these tablets.
4. Ready Pet Go! Calming Treats
Ready Pet Go! Calming Chews are delicious chewable treats with calming herbs, amino acids, and vitamins to support your dog’s mood. These soft chews are bacon and cheese flavor and contain hemp powder, valerian root, l-theanine, passionflower, and ginger root. Each of these ingredients reduces stress and promotes relaxation.
Customers love how effective and tasty these supplements are. Dogs with separation anxiety, noise phobias, and general anxiety benefit from taking these chews. In addition, these are especially helpful for dogs who become groggy with medicine, as it allows for smaller doses of veterinary-prescribed medicine.
Not all dogs enjoy or benefit from taking these chews. For some dogs, there is no improvement in their anxiety levels. Others do not enjoy the bacon and cheese flavoring and spit the chews out, no matter how they are hidden. So, if your dog is a picky eater, you may need to skip this option.
5. K9 Choice Melatonin for Dogs
Help your furry friend to get some well-earned rest with K9 Choice Melatonin for Dogs! These peanut butter flavor chewable tablets contain 3mg melatonin. Melatonin is commonly given to dogs to treat insomnia, anxiety, and symptoms of Cushing’s disease. So, if your vet recommends melatonin, you may consider buying these tasty treats!
Many happy buyers report that these chewable tablets help their senior dogs, especially with sundowner syndrome. Also, some vets recommend these tablets to help to manage the symptoms of Cushing’s disease. With regular doses of this supplement, many older dogs can get a full night’s sleep as they deserve.
Some unhappy customers point out the potentially harmful ingredients in these tablets. Magnesium stearate is an ingredient in these chews. While it is an extremely common additive in medicines, it may be linked to skin and liver damage when taken in large amounts. It can also delay nutrient absorption.
6. Organic Dog Sleep Aid
Dr. Oscar’s Organic Sleep Aid for Dogs is the stress-relief full package. Containing Valerian root, passionflower, lemon balm, l-theanine, chamomile, ginger root, and melatonin, this supplement targets all aspects of stress in dogs. This helps to give any restless pup a better night’s sleep. Also, it even comes with natural beef flavoring, making it one of the best sleeping pills for a dog!
Most dogs love the roast beef flavor of these melatonin calming tablets. Also, pet parents love how their dogs relax before falling asleep with these tablets. This makes the tablets extremely effective for many dogs, especially with aiding sleep. Melatonin is naturally produced in the body, making it a safe supplement to give to most dogs, with a few exceptions.
Less satisfied owners dislike how difficult it is for their dogs to eat these tablets. The texture can be hard and difficult to break up. For elderly dogs who struggle to fall asleep, this can be an extra issue.
7. Tranquility Calming Aid for Dogs
Tranquility Calming Aid for Dogs is a tasty blend of melatonin, thiamine, l-tryptophan, and ginger. These ingredients combine to provide your pooch with the relaxation they need, while also supporting a sensitive stomach. What’s more, the treats are made in an FDA audited, cGMP compliant facility.
This is one of the most effective calming chews available, as claimed by happy customers! Also, these natural chews help to calm hyperactive puppies as well as dogs with specific noise phobias. Despite having no specific flavor, these tablets go down a treat with most dogs, who love the taste and texture.
Some customers point out the low doses in each treat. More specifically, some people suggest that the product’s active ingredients are not strong enough to ease their pets’ anxiety. In rare cases, some dogs become more stressed after taking these tablets. If a supplement causes adverse reactions in your dog, make sure to discontinue use immediately.
Dog Sleeping Pills – FAQ
Have any more questions or concerns about the best sleeping pills for dogs? Feel free to browse our Frequently Asked Questions section for more details. If in doubt, always ask your vet for advice!
Sleeping pills made for people are not safe for dogs. Sleep aids for humans are either benzodiazepines or non-benzodiazepine hypnotics. While sleep aids help with sleep and sedation in people, they have the opposite effect for dogs. In fact, many sleep aids are toxic to our furry friends, especially Ambien®, Xanax®, and Klonopin®. To begin, Ambien causes pets to experience higher heart rates and agitation. Similarly, Xanax can cause weakness and collapse as it causes a drop in blood pressure. Klonopin causes dogs to become sleepy and wobbly.
Generally speaking, if your dog eats too many sleeping pills, they may exhibit vomiting, stomach pain, agitation, hyperactivity, aggression, tremors, and poor circulation. If you think that your furry friend has eaten a sleeping aid, call your vet or the Pet Poison Helpline immediately for emergency advice.
Your dog may have a dose between 1mg and 6mg. This dose varies depending on your dog’s size. Dogs weighing less than 10lbs should only take 1mg or less. In contrast, dogs weighing 10 to 25 pounds should take 1.5mg or less. For dogs weighing 26 to 100 pounds, 3mg is the best dose. Finally, dogs weighing more than 100 pounds may take between 3 and 6mg. You should not give this dose more than 3 times a day. This is because the effects of melatonin last for about eight hours if the dose is correct for your dog’s size.
For professional guidance on the correct dose for your dog, make sure to ask your vet for more details. You should also consult with your vet to rule out any contraindications. Melatonin does not interact well with some medications and can make some health conditions worse.
Melatonin is widely regarded as a safe sleeping aid for dogs. When made in the body, melatonin tells the body that it’s time to go to sleep. When it is dark, the brain releases more melatonin, aiding with the feeling of sleepiness. Although melatonin is made naturally in the body, you must treat the supplement as you would any other medication. Stick to the correct dosage, and do not give the supplement if there are any contraindications.
If your dog has difficulty sleeping, you must address the underlying cause. Does your dog have anxiety problems? Are they older, and potentially struggling with cognitive decline? By treating the cause, you can find the safest solution that works for your beloved pet. Do not rely solely on sleeping aids if there is a more direct way to treat the issue.
To get your dog to sleep, you will need to do four things. Firstly, you must give them plenty of exercise every day. Double-check your breed’s energy levels and adapt to them. A high-energy breed like the Weimaraner needs at least two hours of exercise daily, for example – is your dog getting this amount? Your dog also needs plenty of mentally stimulating dog toys to stay entertained until bedtime.
Next, you must make sure that your dog goes to the toilet before bed. Sometimes, a dog who goes outside to relieve themselves gets distracted by the great outdoors. So, double-check that your dog has actually gone. Next, make sure that their bed is comfortable. Many dogs will appreciate a soft blanket to curl up with at night. It’s up to you to make sure that bedtime is calm for you and your dog. Avoid hyping up your dog before bed, and do your best to use up all of their energy a few hours beforehand.
Pills can kill a dog if an overdose is taken. Every year, more than 214,000 cases of pet poisoning are seen in the USA alone. Many of these poisoning cases are the result of ingesting household substances like pills. Pills that are beneficial and even lifesaving for humans can have the opposite effect for your dog, and it does not always take a large dose to do the worst damage.
Some of the most common medications that poison dogs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, and blood pressure medications. When these drugs are taken in large doses, a dog may develop stomach ulcers, intestinal bleeding, kidney failure, and seizures. Without prompt veterinary help, a dog can die from eating too many pills. If you think that your dog has eaten a pill, call your vet or the Pet Poison Helpline immediately.
The best sleeping pills for dogs, also called calming supplements, promote better sleep by relaxing your dog. So, for the best results, invest in a natural supplement that is free from harmful additives and is safe for your dog to eat. Always ask your vet before giving your dog a new supplement.
One comment on “7 Best Sleeping Pills for Dogs – Our Favorite Sleeping Aids for Dogs!”
Nothing works for my miniature pinscher. Constantly barking. She’s 2 years old rescued her. If she dont stop sending her back to shelter.