Melatonin

[Guest badderh]

So I recently read online that melatonin is good "herbal alternative" for dogs suffering for SA. I thought that it might be worth a try for his SA and if it worked for that, maybe it would help him out during the 4th of July when all the fireworks are going off as well. However I'm concerned on what I should look out for when buying Melatonin from the grocery store since it isn't something that I can find at Petco or Petsmart.

 

Everything online that I've found tells you what the proper dosage would be for your pet, but doesn't really suggest a brand or things to look out for when purchasing. I think the only thing that I've found to be helpful when purchasing is they said not to get the "quick release" tablets.

 

So I was hoping that maybe someone who has heard of this, has experience with this, or knows what to look for might give me a little bit of guidance. Any input or suggestions will be appreciated!

Edited June 28, 2012 by badderh

[Guest KsFrets]

Melatonin HAS turned our bald butted male into a fuzzy bear! It HAS also taken the edge off his thunder phobia. He still gets nervous, but now he just goes downstairs and rides it out on the couch. Before he would shake uncontrollably almost like a seizure. Before there was no way he would potty with a storm in the air, and with it, he will potty even as the thunder and lightening approaches. It’s also calmed him down in snippy social situations.

 

We get ours at Walgreens. It is NOT created equal. “Finest” brand is worth it’s weight in gold and is very effective. “Nature Made” sucks, and not good for hair growth, and not as effective for calming. That’s probably why it was on sale as a 2 for 1.

 

We give Magnus 1.5 mg with every meal (half a tablet powdered with a pair of pliers on his food) for hair growth, and 6 mg (two tablets with his food) before social events or on stormy days.

[TheFullHouse]

I buy mine from Costco and have gotten it at Walmart. I use it for Bebe during the 4th of July or severe thunder storms. It takes the edge off so she doesn't react as badly. I also use it as a sleep aid at night.

[juliemac]

Thanks for the info on better brands ... I haven't heard any negative side effects (except the obvious lack of effectiveness) in using some of the lesser brands ... has anyone else?

[3greytjoys]

IF your hound is on any other medication, please check with your veterinarian before offering Melatonin.

 

Veterinarians told me to buy "naturally derived" Melatonin when using for dogs. Contrary to the other poster's experience, we've had good luck with Nature Made (and it is naturally derived). Available at most drug stores, Target, K-Mart, etc..

 

We limit dogs' Melatonin treatment to high stress occasions (like fireworks). We give 6 mg. to our female hounds (weight range 50-75#) about 75 minutes BEFORE expected fireworks. Our most noise phobic male gets 7.5 mg. (If time, you might try 3 mg to watch your hound's reaction to the drug before July 4th, but you will need higher dose for real fireworks.)

 

Just before fireworks start, we turn on fairly loud smooth jazz music + room air fans turned on high speed for "white noise." Keeping hounds in center house, or opposite of noise side of house (away from windows) helps too. Constant music with many chord changes works better here than TV. TV has too many silent pauses between words.

 

(As a human comparison, a physician advised 1.5 mg as a small to average woman's dose to aid sleep without being too groggy the next day. Clearly, that isn't enough for a highly stressed hound during fireworks.)

 

Here is a Melatonin link for humans that discusses side effects and drug interaction cautions:

http://www.umm.edu/a...onin-000315.htm

[Guest Dragon]

I've heard a lot of good things about melatonin, so we tried it. I think it made our girl sick to her stomach, and she wouldn't eat (which was very odd for her). We didn't experiment with different brands/doses, so it's possible we were doing it wrong, but it didn't seem to help with anxiety, so we stopped. Not a huge side effect, but just letting you know our experience.

[Guest KsFrets]

In reference to brands, here’s a thread from just a couple weeks ago:

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/287438-all-melatonin-is-not-created-equal/

[3greytjoys]

Thanks for your link, KsFrets. Can anyone please look on their "Finest" brand label to see if it states "naturally derived"? (I called Walgreens to learn whether their store brand: "Finest" is "naturally derived". I was told someone could call me back in 3-4 days with an answer. (Whatever the reason, it's no longer available through Walgreen's on-line WebSite.)

 

To OP: Along with potentially helping calm hound for fireworks, it wouldn't hurt to try Melatonin for separation anxiety (if no interactions with vet prescribed medications). I'd suggest administering Melatonin at least 1 hour before dog would begin feeling anxious from departure triggers (including early triggers like human's shower, etc). If hound has a chance to go above comfort threshold before receiving Melatonin, it's less likely to have a positive affect on hound.

 

Personal side note (separate from SA and noise phobic hounds): Cosmetically, we embrace bald thighs because every drug/hormone supplement isn't without risk. Long term use could potentially change the hound's own body/brain hormone production (including supressing the hound from making it's own Melatonin), which could disrupt hound's overall healthy brain/body balance. (If on Melatonin long term, I understand it's safer to taper off slowly rather than stopping cold turkey.)

[seeh2o]

Carl had a great response to Nature's Bounty brand, which I bought at Target. I switched him to another brand (can't remember what it was) for the first time with the last bottle we used. Big mistake, I can see the difference. I know he has normal shedding, but his stud tail has come back. He had no stud tail for the year or so he was on Nature's Bounty. I need to buy another bottle of that as I know it works for him.

[Guest june]

I use Natures Bounty for my storm phobic girl with great results. If it is a particularly bad storm and also for fireworks I add one benedryl to help her a bit more. Also loud music which does help. She also picked a place where she feels most comfortable and will retire there when the noise hits. She still pants a bit, but is able to keep from pacing and no longer drools during storms.

[Guest KsFrets]

I looked on both the Finest Brand and Nature Made brand bottles, and neither label says naturally derived. They do both say no artificial colors flavors or preservative. One interesting physical characteristic is that the Finest tablet is about twice the size of the Nature Made tablet, and yet they are both 3mg.

[Guest GreytPlains]

I give out Whippet, Maggie, melatonin for her SA and generalized anxiety. It really works for her. She gets 3mg but weighs only 36lbs.

 

Hadn't thought about long term side effects And appreciate that insight, 3greytjoys. Will discuss with our vet.

[seeh2o]

I bought Solgar brand last week and switched Carl over to it. I don't know if there is a correlation, but his shedding has really slowed down from this time last week. The Solgar 3mg are so much smaller than any of the other brands I've tried.

[Guest WhiteWave]

I am really liking the Natrol brand. It has 6 mg melatonin and 25 mg l-theanine. It seems to work better than melatonin by itself. Plus it is a strawberry flavored tab and Ronon thinks it is a treat. I'm also taking it and it is working better than the prescription drugs the doctor gave me to help me sleep. They weren't working at all and this stuff knocks me out all night, but I wake up fine.