Can You Help Your Anxious Dog With Good Nutrition?

Good nutrition is important for so many reasons, as a high-quality diet can support every part of the canine body, helping your pooch to lead a long and healthy life.

However, more recently there has been an increasing amount of research into how gut health and nutrition can also affect the canine brain.

More specifically, scientists have been looking into the links between gut bacteria and anxiety behaviours in dogs, and their findings shed light on how diet may potentially affect our dogs’ overall wellbeing and mental health.

Why is canine anxiety important?

Anxiety is thought to account for up to 70% of canine behavioural disorders, making it a very common cause of behavioural problems in dogs. What’s more, over the past year, anxiety has become a more important topic than ever.

In a recent survey by Purina Petcare of over 1,000 dog owners across the UK, 48% of owners said their dog had shown signs of stress or anxiety, with 28% reporting that they feel the last year has made their pet more anxious – likely as a result of the uncertainty created by the pandemic.*

The past year and a half have turned our world – as well as our dogs’ worlds – upside down! As dog owners will know, many pooches like to have a routine and, with lockdown restrictions resulting in lots of change and uncertainty, the pandemic has been a very unsettling time for many dogs.

Getting over lockdown anxiety 

Despite continuing uncertainty about how quickly or permanently we might be able to return to any kind of normality, gradually owners will be leaving their dogs more often as they go back to the office working or are just going out socially more than they have been.

Across the country, our dogs are now having to once again adapt as we return to work after a year of being by their side every day.

In addition to this, younger dogs may have experienced lower levels of socialisation as they started life with some degree of social restrictions being in place.

Whatever their circumstances, all dogs will inevitably be affected by the changes we have all undergone in our lives in the last couple of years, and it’s no surprise that many of them may be feeling more nervous or worried than usual.

Not only is anxiety unpleasant for dogs, but it can also affect the special bond they have with their owners. In the same survey, although 53% of owners found it rewarding being a pet parent during the lockdown, 21% said they found it challenging, and 14% actually found it stressful.

Identifying canine anxiety

Anxiety in dogs can not only affect your pet’s overall happiness and wellbeing, but it can also affect them physically – for instance, it can also cause excessive panting and raised heart rates. This means it’s really important to identify anxiety so we can help our canine companions live a calm and comfortable life.

However, to complicate matters, anxiety is often tricky to identify as the signs can sometimes be subtle. What’s more, sometimes signs of anxiety can become more pronounced when owners aren’t there to witness them – with many dogs suffering from a particular type of anxiety called separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety manifests when dogs are apart from their owners and start to feel worried or lonely.

The difficulty with identifying this condition is that it normally happens when owners are away from their pets so unless your pet shows signs of anxiety that can be identified on your return, such as leaving scratches on doors or chewing pillows, it may be hard to know that your dog is anxious!

Anxiety and nutrition

There is no denying that anxiety is a big issue in dogs. But what can we do about it? The first thing to do if you have an anxious pooch is to speak to your vet, who will be able to advise on what action to take.

They may suggest various approaches including behavioural support, anxiety-relieving pheromones, calming supplements and certain medications.

On top of these options, though, we’re now learning how good nutrition could also help dogs with anxiety.

The canine gut is filled with trillions of micro-organisms, and recent research has shown a strong link between these microorganisms and the brain. In fact, one study by Purina Petcare found that particular healthy bacteria have a role to play in reducing signs of anxiety in dogs.

We have long been aware of the physical benefits for dogs of feeding them a healthy diet. But qualified vet and Scientific Affairs Manager for Purina Petcare, Dr Libby Sheridan, explains how, based on what we now know about the link between gut bacteria and brain function, nutrition should also be considered for our dogs’ overall wellbeing:

“Feeding a good, complete and nutritionally balanced diet can support a healthy balance of microbes in a dog’s digestive system,” she says, “which, in turn, can help them maintain their mental wellbeing, as well as their physical health.”

The links between diet, tummy health and the brain are exciting, but they’re not yet widely known. Actress, TV chef and dedicated owner of Rory the Miniature Schnauzer, Lisa Faulkner, believes it’s really important that we learn about this to support our pets.

“I know good nutrition is important for Rory’s health, but I didn’t realise the health of the bacteria in her tummy was so closely linked to her brain function. I think it’s important that owners are aware of the need to feed a good quality diet to dogs to help them have a healthy mind and a happy life,” she says.

A good quality diet essentially means that the food is complete, balanced and has been formulated with a deep understanding of pets’ nutritional needs.

If you’re looking for information on pet nutrition or any other elements of how to care for your canine companion, check out Purina’s website here which is full of diet, nutrition and lifestyle information.

*Opinion Matters carried out the survey of 1,005 UK dog owners on behalf of Purina Petcare during October 2021.