Whether melatonin is suitable for dogs or not, all the information is provided to you here and you will get rid of the persisting question Can I give melatonin to my dog?
So, why delay, let’s get started! At this moment, many dog owners are growing interested in the health benefits of melatonin. Considering the same, we have shared all the information regarding melatonin dosage, which health issues can it treat, and whether it is the perfect fit for your Labrador.
Furthermore, to start with details, let us figure out the real reason for its popularity.
Melatonin Necessity
You might think that you have found an omnipotent cure.
If you look up melatonin online as it has got innumerable health benefits.
Melatonin is recommended by lots of sources and you will get to know the issues melatonin cures that will help your dog stay fit and healthy without any illness and stress. Your dog will always put its best foot forward while fetching and other indoor and outdoor games.
So, if you are contemplating why to give dogs melatonin, here is your list of issues it cures
- The anxiety of your dog can be alleviated
- Phobia of noise will be curbed
- Loss of hair can be prevented
- A great cure for skin problems
- Insomnia is healed
- Seizures can be controlled
- Canine Cushing’s disease can be cured
- Excessive grooming can cause stress-induced behavior which can be cured with the melatonin
So, if you are still wondering whether melatonin works on dogs or not, keep reading to get your all answers.
Melatonin Facts
Melatonin has earned the catchy name “hormone of darkness” as its production is inhibited in daylight and only can be produced at night.
The internal clocks of your dogs are regulated by melatonin which plays the most vital role. Melatonin is extremely essential for your beloved pets as it will ask the nocturnal animals to wake up at night and diurnal animals to go off to sleep. Such a useful organ you see!
Your pets are gently guided to make seasonal adaptations as the duration of day changes throughout the year and the melatonin levels change too with time. Some of your dogs breed at the optimal time as the seasonal changes in melatonin affect their reproductive systems.
Do you know that Melatonin is an antioxidant and works and interacts amazingly with immune function and thyroid function? Melatonin will keep your dog at its feet throughout the day.
So, if you are wondering if can dogs have melatonin, here is your answer.
The antioxidant property can act as a great protector for your dog’s cells and prevent deadly diseases like cancer, heart disease, and other related complications. You can totally opt for melatonin considering all the requirements are fulfilled.
Melatonin For Dogs
You might think, the reason for giving melatonin to the dogs..
Well. This question has been raised by a number of dog users who have been skeptical regarding the usage.
If you are one of them then this section is for you. Tracing back to the 1990’s the therapeutic use and benefits of melatonin first gained eminence and became widely known to pet owners even though the first set was not quite safe for dogs.
Melatonin and sleep have a heavenly connection which was known for a long time. This connection led doctors and clinicians to prescribe people suffering from jet lag and insomnia with melatonin for an easy cure. This was introduced after the healing properties of melatonin came to the fore.
Researchers have discovered that animals in captivity can be offered a calming effect with melatonin so that they don’t feel distressed and left out.
In continuation of this, if you are willing to adopt dogs and free them from captivity, it will be the best thing to do.
Melatonin Usefulness
Melatonin can cure lots of diseases potentially which will come to know later on but primarily it can be great for dogs if it is suffering from anxiety, stress, and fears.
Dr. Linda Aronson pioneered the use of melatonin this way for curing these diseases. She was working at Tuft University, Massachusetts.
In 1999, for the Journal of the Veterinary Medical Association, Linda wrote a review of her trials of melatonin. The review has been the most relevant evidence and even now it is of great importance to the pet owners regarding its healing properties.
She treated a number of dogs and reported that melatonin cured almost 80% of her patient dogs from the early signs of distress. The supplements of melatonin were used which could cure completely or partially at times. Another question that arises, does melatonin help with anxiety In the next section, you will know about the details of curing anxiety. Let’s have a look at it.
Cure for Anxiety
If your Labrador panics in thunderstorms or during fireworks, melatonin can be beneficial and can cure shocks with ease.
While researching Dr. Linda found out that melatonin can be the most effective to cure noise phobias. She recommended melatonin for any fear even though it works best for noise phobias and distress caused as a consequence.
Separation anxiety was also treated by her with melatonin successfully. If your dog is facing anxiety or stress in an unknown surrounding or situation, melatonin can be effectively used to cure the uncomfortable feeling as recommended by Dr Aronson.
This is more useful when anxiety or stress is caused while flying. If you wish to cultivate more on why you need melatonin for your dog’s phobia, then these articles too can come of great help.
Melatonin Incorporation and Its Workings
Melatonin for dogs comes in the form of drops, chewable tablets, or pills. If you can feed your dog melatonin orally then it will be incorporated into the bloodstream at a faster rate. You can feed your lab plain or can mix it with pork.
After taking melatonin orally, no one figured it’s working inside. No further trials were carried out after R. Aronson’s recommendation was taken forward by dog owners and vets. The mechanism of melatonin inside the body was not analyzed following how it heals stress and anxiety.
Melatonin available over the counter or not
If you are a resident of the US and Canada, then you can purchase melatonin over the counter. But, if you are residing in Europe and Australia then you can get melatonin only if you produce a prescription at the drug store as there it is strictly regulated unlike Canada and the US.
Amount of Melatonin to Be Given
If you really want to settle for melatonin for the betterment of your dog then the vet should be consulted in the first place. Against the potential side effects, the vet you consult will help you out in balancing the potential benefits of supplemental melatonin.
If your dog suffers from anything apart from the issues melatonin can care for, the vet will assure you that you don’t give your dog extra doses with respect to the medical history.
Situations For Melatonin Application
You can give melatonin to your beloved only if your vet agrees to it. If your dog is in a state to receive the benefits of melatonin without causing any side effects then the vet will definitely prescribe it to your dog. Even though melatonin is considered safe for your dog, still you should consult your vet for being on the safer side as your dog’s life is dependent.
The vet will assist you to plan a regimen after checking your pet’s entire medical history and ensuring that your dog is safe from any other illness or tension.
Melatonin May be Poisonous…..
For pet lovers, the only disturbing question in their minds is whether will melatonin hurt a dog. Side effects are rare in the part of melatonin’s appeal. Melatonin doesn’t make your dog drowsy unlike sedatives and tranquilizers help to cure stress and anxiety.
So, you can say that melatonin will not hurt your dog except for some extremely rare cases. Melatonin calms rescue and search dogs before flying as reported by Dr. Aronson.
Some melatonin products specifically designed for humans may be poisonous to dogs because of the presence of sweetener xylitol, so, only give melatonin supplements specially designed for your dog and will serve its purpose perfectly. If your vet recommends a specific supplement for your dog, go with it!
In the US and Canada, melatonin for dogs is classed as a supplement rather than medicine which comes down to its loose regulation unlike that of Europe and Australia. FDA, Food and Drug Administration loosely regulates melatonin.
Your vet can come of great help when choosing the perfect supplements for your dog as in the market there are poor as well as good quality products mixed up together. Prescribed supplements can be recommended by your vet so that you buy which is the best fit and will not hurt your dog.
Which Category of Dogs Can be Harmed by Melatonin?
In 1999, an experiment was conducted by Paul Ashley and his colleagues at University College London to analyze some facts. The levels of sex hormones in the blood of dogs were monitored by them. The dogs taken to observation were taking melatonin daily for 28 days at a stretch.
After their experiment was conducted, it was brought to the revelation that a decrease in levels of sex hormones was observed in both male and female dogs.
For the breeding purpose, melatonin might not be suitable for your dog and obviously, you will try to avoid melatonin if your dog is pregnant or is a puppy. So, how much melatonin can I give my dog is solved after these experiments?
In 2018, another observation was made where neutered and intact dogs were affected by the use of melatonin. Dogs were producing less cortisol and more serotonin after melatonin consumption. For dogs that have had surgery lately, might benefit from the extended use of melatonin due to less cortisol production and more serotonin production.
Dogs with autoimmune diseases or diabetes might also be harmed as a result of melatonin consumption. If your dog has a medical history as such then your vet might not advise the melatonin supplements for the Labrador.
Melatonin doses
You can avoid giving melatonin continuously but try giving it according to the occasion. If you are treating your dog’s anxiety or stress, you can take this up. You should start giving melatonin in advance if you know an event is coming up which is likely to upset your dog.
You can also give your dog the first signs of stress as recommended by Dr. Aronson. Until the trigger for the anxiety has ended you need to repeat melatonin dosages every eight hours.
Your dog will be able to cling to melatonin in its bloodstream for some time. Again your vet will know best when and how often can the dosages be repeated for better results to stay away from any possible complications.
Chart of Melatonin Dosage
Melatonin for dogs dosage chart goes as follows. Again your vet will be your savior to help you decide your dog’s betterment. The weight of your dog among other factors is the primary thing that your vet will assess before advising melatonin doses for your lab. In accordance with the secondary factors as well, doses will be advised.
The following melatonin doses have been recommended by DR. Aronson which can be kept as a structural reference. You can get an idea of further proceedings from this chart.
- 1 milligram of melatonin can be used by dogs under 10 pounds
- 1.5 milligrams for dogs between 10-25 pounds
- 3 milligrams for dogs between 25-100 pounds which can be enough but up to 6 milligrams can also be given if needed and will not cause any harm.
Melatonin Side Effects on Dogs
Side effects of melatonin in dogs are not unheard of but in comparison are very rare. If you are planning to provide extra doses of melatonin, then check these symptoms out primarily.
- Fertility changes
- Heart rate is increasing
- Stomach cramps and gastric upset
- Pacing
- Disorientation and confusion
- Itching
So, if you are wondering Can a dog overdose on melatonin? Well yes, it can, and if these signs show up, immediately consult your vet.
Melatonin Overdose
Your dog will excrete in its urine slowly as compared to its fast consumption and absorption of melatonin.
If your dog has too many of the supplements a lot, there is a chance that your dog can overdose. It is better if you keep melatonin hidden away from your pooch as some dog owners tend to flavor it which seems very appealing to the dog resulting in overdosing.
Vomiting, dizziness, and seizures can be symptoms of overdose. Take your dog immediately to the vet in case of any symptoms.
Dog Hair Loss as a Result of Melatonin
In spring and summer, Labradors have a slight genetic predisposition to seasonal alopecia. On their flanks, they develop bald patches that outdo normal molting.
A natural dip in melatonin levels is caused due to longer days and shorter nights. The connection of seasonal hair loss and this dip is quite mysterious but a link is definitely there.
You can easily give melatonin if it consumes orally. In treating 50-75% of alopecia cases, melatonin is implanted under the skin of the dogs. Before taking any drastic steps, consult your vet.
Healing Purposes
Melatonin has reduced oxidative stress after tooth extraction of beagles as experimented with by Antonio Cutando in 2007. As a result of a 2009’s study by Fernando Munoz, it is known that bone formation was accelerated in the early stages at the site of dental implantation in beagles.
After Cataract surgery, inflammation was reduced as a result of Pablo Sande’s study in 2015. Melatonin was better than NSAIDs reportedly. The cancer cells in breast tissues of female dogs were weakened after melatonin application as a result of Juliana Ramos’ study in 2014.
Melatonin for cats
If you are a cat owner you might wonder, is melatonin safe for cats? Yes, it can use as a sleep aid in cats and be also treated for separation anxiety, sleep disorders, and alopecia. Several medical conditions in older cats can be restrictive like pain or cognitive dysfunction. The doses have to be advised by the vet.
Conclusion
You can give your dog a wonderful life if you switch to melatonin. Keeping aside the few side effects, melatonin can soothe your dog if it is fed at proper intervals. Keep your dog active all day and drive away anxiety and stress with this magical remedy.
You have all the information regarding the uses and benefits of melatonin right here in this article. If you have any further queries, feel free to contact us and pay a visit to our website.
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