Before reaching for the “calming” supplements take a quick look at the first ingredients on your feed bag. Why? Because the food you are feeding and the amount of it can cause anxiety or other behavioural issues in your dog.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ANXIETY IN DOGS?
- Destructive chewing,
- Excessive yawning, licking,
- Digging and Escaping,
- Low body posture,
- Wide eyed and Flattened ears.
These are all signs of anxiety, stress or other emotional disorder.
WHY A BALANCED DIET IS IMPORTANT?
A high amount of sugar and/or protein can be found in most of processed foods. This is causing imbalance, because sugar is unhealthy and often part of low quality diets. Excessive protein intake can cause stress and anxiety. Reducing protein can affect serotonin production that can resolve in calming effect.
FOOD = ENERGY
Food that your dog is eating converts into energy that needs to be burnt. If your dog eats well and is still skinny, it can be due to anxiety that burns all the calories. Including good fats in your dog’s diet can help ease the anxiety due to no sugar or starch. Balancing the whole nutrient profile of the diet can improve overall behaviour.
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Providing good fats in the diet including OMEGA 3, is regarded as a cool energy source of calories. This means that it has a calming effect and may help with anxiety in dogs. OMEGA 3 and OMEGA 6 are essential fatty acids that can’t be produced by dogs and need to be consumed. They promote a variety of health benefits including:
- Coat & Joint Health,
- Intestinal Health,
- Immune System Health,
- Anti-inflammatory Effect.