Kava-Kava to Ease Anxiety in Dogs

My dog, Amber tends to stress out. I think it has to do with the fact that she is a very high energy dog who really needs to have a demanding job like sheep herding, sled pulling, mountain rescue or some such. Unfortunately, I am only able to give her a two-mile daily run, and she still has lots of energy to burn. As a consequence, she tends to stress.

It started out as stress during thunderstorms. She would become so distressed as to be impossible to be around. Crying, whining, climbing all over me. As time has passed this distress has become generalized to include cloudy skies, light rain, and something unidentifiable that only she can sense. To handle her stress during thunderstorms, I put her in her airline crate and give her kava-kava, which is an herbal supplement that is useful as a muscle relaxant and a general calming sedative. The combination of the seclusion and the kava-kava seem to help her "weather the storms."

For more on crate training, see:
House Training Your Adult Dog
http://hubpages.com/_33f5nedcxoe0n/hub/House-Training-Your-Adult-Dog

Many dogs experience anxiety in response to a number of stressors. Separation anxiety is quite common. It is marked by a Jekyll and Hyde sort of syndrome. A dog with separation anxiety will exhibit perfectly acceptable behavior while the object of his affection is present, then have a complete personality shift when that person leaves. He may exhibit anxiety when he sees signs the person is leaving, then pace uncontrollably, claw at doors, chew on windowsills, and wreak general havoc while the person is gone, then literally bowl them over when they return.

In the case of ordinary separation anxiety, I would strongly suggest crate training alone. In fact, one reason Amber does not have separation anxiety may be that, when I was working away from home, I crated her consistently every time I was gone. This actually set the stage for the use of the crate in managing her thunder anxiety because it was already established as a safe place that belonged to her. If your dog exhibits extreme distress when you leave, using the combination of airline crate and kava-kava that I use to control Amber's thunderstorm anxiety may be in order.

You may be wondering if kava-kava is safe. In my opinion, and based on my personal experience, I believe it is. Kava-kava is an herbal remedy that comes from the root of a type of pepper called Piper methysticum. It grows naturally in sub-tropical climates and has been used safely and effectively by Pacific Islanders for more than three thousand years.

Kava-kava is an excellent calming agent and muscle relaxer. It has a number of healing properties and, when used correctly, has no side effects. It has been used to treat anxiety, relax muscles, relieve pain, and provide restful, relaxing sleep without "hangover" symptoms. I can personally attest to this latter claim as I use kava-kava myself as a sleep aid from time to time. I have also used kava-kava to relieve muscle aches from sprains, strains, and overuse. Additionally, I recommended kava-kava to a friend who was having trouble getting his prescription muscle relaxant refilled. He tried it, and quit trying to get the refill. He said the kava-kava was just as effective without the side-effects of the prescription medication.

Kava-kava is easy to find at your local health food store, and I recommend having it on hand for dogs and people. It costs about $13 for a hundred 250 mg capsules. The dose for an average sized person is three capsules. For my 75 pound dog, who is a little over half my size, I use one capsule, and that seems to be fine. So, I would say, if you want to try kava-kava for your dog, start with a low dose. I usually just give her one capsule when she is panting, whining and shaking uncontrollably. That seems to take care of it. She doesn't exhibit the symptoms again until something else happens to set her off, usually days later.

For dogs smaller than 60 pounds, open the capsule and measure the powder. You could measure it into a smaller capsule, if you have some on hand, or mix the powder with some very flavorful food like tuna or jack mackerel. Don't try to give the powder as-is. It will cause numbing of the mouth and will not be absorbed into the dog's system. Of course, for you and your dog, don't combine kava-kava with other substances that produce similar effects, such as sedatives or alcohol.

For more about the care and training of dogs, you may enjoy:

Rolling Thunder! Hear My Whine!
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1664973/dogs_terrified_of_thunder_what_to_do.html?cat=53

Advice On What's On Your Dog's Mind
http://www.advice.com/article.jsp?id=329edd3749264b3c9c92082ee44dac9d

Advice On Quieting Your Noisy Dog
http://www.advice.com/article.jsp?id=ba0c4f9ef41448c1a26887fd2198eb30