Introduction
Usually, sedatives are used in dogs when it comes to grooming, nail clipping, travelling by air/car and in other cases that may cause a pet an excessive stress.
In this article we are going to speak about sedation for a dog to make it calm and relaxed.
What Medication to Choose if Your Dog is Travelling Long Distances?
There are two most common drugs-tranquilizers that are able to sedate a dog very effectively and for considerable long time periods:
- Acepromazine (PromAce®)
- Diazepam (Valium®)
These drugs are widely used by veterinarians to sedate aggressive and frightened dogs before regular vet checks and examinations. Also, these drugs may be applied while grooming or travelling long distances.
These medications are working by blocking certain signals in central nervous system making the animal calm or sedated. Acepromazine and Diazepam are strong medicals, thus make sure, your dog doesn’t have some contraindications.
Herbal Calming Agents
Though above mentioned tranquilizers are very effective, they can do harm for your dog if used too frequently. Moreover, these medications are impossible to buy without a prescription and should be used only by a veterinarian.
There are some natural calming agents that are not so forcible, but they are harmless and highly-available:
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- You can try Dorwest Herbs™ Scullcap and Valerian tablets to sedate your dog. The advantage of these calming agents is that they are natural and can be used since the early age. The dosage is 1-2 tablets per 5 kilos of body weight daily.
- Vetzyme Stay Calm Liquid®: this herbal oil is composed of Chamomile and Ginger oils. These oils perfectly calm, soothe and relax. The dosage is 2.5 ml daily per dog. The medication may be added to food.
Without Using Medications
If your pet doesn’t show excessive aggressiveness or fright towards a groomer, veterinarian or during the transportation, you can try to calm down your dog in the following way:
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- Place a few drops of Lavender oil on your palms and gently massage the back, head and neck of your dog. The odor of Lavender oil has excellent soothing and relaxing properties.
- When travelling by car/train/air put some of your dog’s favorite toys (or blanket) inside the crate. This items will help your dog to smell ‘home’ and stay relaxed.
- Use products that contain appeasing pheromones. These hormones are secreted by a mother to calm down the puppies. These products are available in the form of collar and spray.
- Try melatonin supplements. Products with melatonin are used to calm down the dogs before potentially stressing situations (for example, vet examinations, fireworks, thunder, transportation, etc.)
Now you know how to sedate your dog with the help of tranquilizers, calming herbal agents and other supplements.
