Anxiety Meds for Dogs: Over-the-Counter and Prescription

Is your pup terrified by thunder or fireworks? Or is it impossible to take it to the vet due to extreme fear and agitation? Anxiety is as normal in dogs as it is in humans.

Some of the most common causes of anxiety in dogs are fear, aging, and separation.

Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety in dogs include: panting, shaking, aggression, urinating or defecating accidentally, drooling, excessive barking, restlessness, pacing, depression, compulsive or repetitive behaviors, and destructive behavior.

Anxiety can affect dogs of all breeds, sizes, and ages. In some cases, the anxiety exhibits itself as pretty disturbing behavior and if left untreated can lead to the development of anxiety disorder.

This is why you should work with your vet or with another expert on developing and following a behavioral modification program for your dog.

Along with the program, you can help resolve or at least relieve the behavioral issues associated with anxiety and stress with the help of good and effective anxiety medication for dogs.

Here are the best over-the-counter and prescription anxiety medications for dogs which we can recommend to all worried dog parents.

Vetriscience Composure Calming Treats for Dogs Dealing with Anxiety

For those of you looking for an efficient anxiety medication for your pup which is affordable and yet works, the VetriScience Composure Behavioral Health Bite-Sized Dog Chews could be the perfect option for you.

You can use this daily, or give it only when a need for relaxing is necessary.

Key features:

• The active ingredients are Thiamine (Vitamin B1), Colostrum calming Complex, and L-Theanine
• Made in the form of palatable, chicken-flavored soft bite-sized chews which can be given as treats daily, or only when needed
• Suitable for pups with anxiety, hyperactivity, nervousness, or those responding to stress from thunderstorms, fireworks, and other environmental factors
• The supplement will calm the dog without affecting its personality or its energy levels
• It starts working within 30 minutes of the intake and lasts for up to 4 hours
• It can be given up to 2 times a day or more
• Approved by the National Animal Supplement Council
• Safe for use by dogs of all breeds, sizes, and all life stages
• Great for relieving separation or travel-related anxiety as well
• Available at an affordable price
• Sold in packages of 60 chews
• 1 chew is for dogs weighing 26-50 lbs. 2 chews are for dogs which 51-100 lbs. and 3 chews are for pups over 100 lbs.
• Made in the USA
• Also available in small-sized chews, and in bite-sized bacon or peanut butter chew formulations

Zesty Paws Calming Soft Chews for Dogs – Melatonin, Ashwagandha, L-Theanine & L-Tryptophan

If your pup suffers from severe anxiety during fireworks and thunderstorms you know just how heartbreaking it is not to be able to calm it down and soothe it properly, especially without prescription medication. With the Zesty Paws Stress & Anxiety Calming Bites, you can help your fur baby get through these terrifying moments much easier and reduce the worrying signs of extreme anxiety via natural and safe ingredients.

Key features:

• A supplement made of organic hemp powder, Vitamin B1, organic chamomile, valerian root, and organic passionflower as the main ingredients and help reduce restlessness, jumping, erratic behavior, and fidgeting
• Free of medication, chemicals, and side effects
• Available over the counter
• It contains 750mcg of melatonin which improves sleep and provides safe and natural anti-anxiety support
• It also contains suntheanine which is an amino acid L-Theanine and stimulates the calming waves in the brain
• The Calming Bites help limit common symptoms of anxiety including crying, trembling, crouching, chewing, hiding, and accidental urinating
• It helps soothe stress symptoms such as lack of appetite, panting, excessive pacing, tucked tail, whimpering, and lip licking
• Suitable for adult dogs of all sizes and breeds
• Calms dogs naturally without making them drowsy
• It is a quick-acting medication that will start working after just 30 minutes
• 1 soft chew for dogs up to 25 lbs., 2 soft chews for dogs from 26 to 75 lbs., and 3 soft chews for pups over 76 lbs.
• The container contains 90 soft chews with a turkey taste

Bach RESCUE REMEDY PET Dropper 20mL, Natural Stress Relief, Calming for Dogs

Your dog is a really nervous traveler, or is terrified when going to the vet? With the homeopathic Rescue Remedy Stress Relief Pet Supplement you can help it get through these difficult moments in life without the use of chemicals and without sedating it.

Key features:

• The homeopathic supplement provides natural stress-relief
• Alcohol-free solution
• Excellent and safe solution for dogs afraid of everyday things and events such as thunderstorms, loud noises, grooming, vets, and others
• Also useful for calming dogs with separation anxiety or after dealing with a stressful event
• Made of all-natural ingredients from the following flowers: Rock Rose, Star of Bethlehem, Cherry Plum, Clematis, and Impatiens
• Made in liquid form and comes with a dropper for easy administering directly in the dog’s water bowl
• Non-habit-forming, homeopathic anxiety medication for dogs
• Suitable for all breeds and all life stages
• It starts working after 30 minutes only
• Suitable for dogs, cats, smaller animals, birds, and reptiles
• Sold in bottles of 10 ml and 20 ml

ThunderWunders Hemp Dog Calming Chews

Does your fur baby crawl under the bed and refuse to leave it every time it hears a fire rocket or thunder? It doesn’t have to be so stressful for your dog, especially if you use the wonderful ThunderWunders Hemp Calming Dog Chews.

Formulated to make the pup feel safer, loved, and less stressed, these natural dog chews will do wonders for any anxious dog.

Key features:

• Made of chamomile, thiamine mononitrate, passionflower, ginger, and melatonin, among other natural ingredients
• Made in the form of tasty soft chews suitable for dogs of all breeds
• Great for alleviating anxiety and stress from traveling, thunderstorms, visits to the vet, and others
• The supplement will help the dog relax and reduce the undesirable destructive behavior
• It can help reduce aggression
• The ginger helps reduce nervous tension in the stomach
• No side effects, no habit-forming
• Suitable for dogs aged 12 weeks and up
• 1 chew is for dogs up to 26 lbs., 2 for dogs from 27 to 50 lbs., 4 chews for dogs weighing 51 to 99 lbs. and 6 chews for pups over 100 lbs.
• Sold in bottles of 60 or 180 chews

Solliquin Behavior Supplement for Dogs & Cats

Do you have a large dog that gets terrified by fireworks or other stressful events? Fear not – with the Nutramax Solliquin Chewable Tablet Calming supplement you can help your large fur baby relax and calmly withstand events and noises which usually stress it out.

Key features:

• The main ingredients are magnolia Officinalis and Phellodendron amurense floral extracts and L-Theanine
• Made in the form of chewable tablets
• Suitable for large dog breeds
• Help reduce anxiety and support more balanced behavior in canines
• Promote sleep during thunderstorms and other stressful events
• Can help prevent undesirable behavioral problems such as excessive barking, marking, panting, and shaking
• Safe for daily use
• Helps relieve symptoms of chronic fear
• Excellent supplement for treatment plans for nervous large dogs
• ½ tablet for dogs weighing 31-45 lbs. and 1 tablet for dogs weighing 46-90 lbs.
• The recommended administration period is 30-45 days
• Sold in bottles of 45 chewable tablets
• Also available in formulations for small and medium dogs and cats

Vetoquinol Zylkene Behavior Support Capsules for Dogs – Calming Natural Milk Protein Supplement

If your dog goes crazy when it is time to go to the vet or to the groomer, then you can rely on the Vetoquinol Zylkene Behavioral Support Capsules to help relieve the symptoms and make the experience much more bearable both for you and for the pup.

Key features:

• Made of dried hydrolyzed casein, maltodextrin, and magnesium stearate
• The main ingredient is cow’s milk and is known to have a calming effect on babies, dogs, and cats
• Excellent for alleviating the anxiety from loud noises, thunderstorms, visits to the groomer or vet, traveling or moving to an unknown environment, and other stresses
• Calms the dog without causing drowsiness
• It doesn’t contain lactose or preservatives
• Suitable for a toy or small dog breeds
• Sold in capsule form which can be given whole or opened and mixed with the food
• It should be administered 1-2 days before the visit to the vet or the planned change of environment
• 1 capsule is suitable for dogs or cats up to 10 lbs.
• Sold in bottles of 14 or 30 capsules
• Also available in capsules for large dogs and for medium dog breeds

maxxipaws maxxicalm Natural Non-Drowsy Calming Aid Supplement for Dogs

If your pup is always agitated and hyperactive or gets really anxious during road trips or plane rides, the Maxxidog maxxicalm Calming Aid may help relieve these symptoms, and make life easier on the dog and on you.

Made of premium and safe ingredients, this supplement will help improve your dog’s mood and calm it down during stressful events.

Key features:

• Made of taurine, inositol, chamomile, passionflower, L-Theanine, Thiamine, and Magnesium
• All-natural supplement suitable for dogs in all life stages, and in all sizes and breeds
• Helps support balanced behavior and improves the dog’s mood
• Helps manage the behavior of a fearful pet during visits to the pet, groomers, traveling, fireworks, thunderstorms, and others
• Made in the USA
• Made of wholesome and pure ingredients
• Offered in the form of liver-flavored palatable chewable tablets
• Reduces behavioral issues like hyperactivity and aggression
• ½-1 tablets for dogs less than 25 lbs., 1-2 tablets for dogs weighing 25-50 lbs., and 203 tablets for dogs over 50 lbs.
• Sold in bottles of 120 tablets

Dr. Harvey’s Relax & Stress – Herbal Supplement for Dogs

If you do not want to give your pup any anxiety medications which could have adverse side effects or could harm it, then you can safely opt for Dr. Harvey’s Relax and Stress Herbal Dog supplement.

It is completely natural and safe to use and has a gentle calming effect on dogs with different anxieties, stress, and those engaging in destructive behavior.

Key features:

• Made of all-natural herbs including spirulina, lecithin, nutritional yeast, Alfalfa lead, and others
• It is in powder form so you can sprinkle it on the dog’s food
• The supplement doesn’t include any dyes, preservatives, chemicals, or synthetic ingredients
• Suitable for dogs of all breeds, sizes, and ages
• It can be fed on a daily basis or only as needed
• There are no side effects
• Perfect for anxious or stressed dogs and pups that engage in destructive behavior
• It can help calm hyperactive or overly active dogs
• Sold in a 7-oz tin
• Includes a scoop for measuring the supplement
• 1 scoop for dogs up to 20 lbs. 2 scoops for dogs from 21-50 lbs., 3 scoops for dogs weighing 51-95 lbs. and 4 scoops for dogs weighing more than 96 lbs.

Fluoxetine

If you prefer to give your anxious dog prescription medicine for treating all symptoms causing it and your discomfort, then Fluoxetine is one of the best prescription anxiety medications for dogs available.

It is FDA approved and is found to help manage the symptoms of separation anxiety, OCD, and other worrying behavioral problems in dogs.

Key features:

• The main and only ingredient is Fluoxetine Hydrochloride
• FDA approved, this is a generic prescription drug also available under the name Reconcile or Prozac
• Prescribed for separation anxiety and other types of anxieties in canines including Obsessive-Compulsive disorder and depression
• It is an oral medication in capsule form but is also available in tablet or liquid form
• The drug is a member of the Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitor SSRI medications class which increases the serotonin in the brain
• The drug should be used in accordance with your vet’s prescription
• It should be given in conjunction with training and modification techniques to change undesirable behavior in dogs
• Offered in 10 and 20 mg capsules
• Requires prescription approval

Clomicalm (Clomipramine HCl) Tablets for Dogs

If you need help treating the separation anxiety of your dog, you should ask your vet to prescribe Clomicalm. This is a prescription anxiety medication for dogs, approved by the FDA for treating separation anxiety as well as other anxieties in canines.

Key features:

• Can be taken separately but is more successful when used as part of a behavioral modification plan
• The active ingredient is Clomipramine Hydrochloride
• The tablets are administered orally every 12-24 hours as prescribed
• This is an FDA approved tricyclic antidepressant which helps alleviate separation anxiety and control other behavioral problems
• Doesn’t have a sedative effect
• It influences the serotonin in the brain
• Sold in tablets of 5, 20, and 80 mg.
• Requires prescription approval

Final Words

We have picked more natural over-the-counter and a couple of prescription anxiety medications for dogs which are among the best offered on the market right now.

These supplements and medications can help alleviate the fear, stress, and anxiety in dogs, calm them and make them less aggressive, destructive, or hyperactive.

We have picked safe supplements and drugs which can make life much easier on Fido when it comes time to visit the vet, the groomer, to travel in a car or plane, or when you need to leave him alone at home.

By giving your pup anxiety medication you can also make life easier on yourself. You won’t need to worry about your dog barking and destroying your home when you are gone, and you also don’t need to fear that the dog will shake, hide and pant all night when there is a thunderstorm outside.

We have chosen supplements and medications which come in different forms, so you can choose the ones which you can give to your pup easily.

Also, we have chosen some all-natural as well as homeopathic supplements for alleviating anxiety for those of you who don’t want to give your dog drugs.

Remember, that if you want to permanently resolve the issue of anxiety in your dog, you should combine the anxiety medication for dogs with a behavioral modification plan or protocol for the best effect.

This protocol typically involves teaching the pup to remain calm when exposed to the trigger of its anxiety and getting rewarded for this. Over time the exposure to the event causing the anxiety should be increased in length and intensity until the pup learns to remain calm.

This can happen much easier with one of the above-mentioned anxiety medications for dogs.

Good luck with your anxious pup, and we hope that we will be able to help you deal with this disturbing problem once and for all!