Why Melatonin is Beneficial for Cats and Dogs

Could Melatonin Be the Answer to Your Pet’s Anxiety?

If you could offer a natural remedy to help ease your pet’s stress, would you? Melatonin might be just the answer you’re looking for. This natural supplement has shown to effectively reduce anxiety in pets, providing a calming effect without the need for pharmaceuticals.

Melatonin for Pet Anxiety Relief

Whether it’s the doorbell ringing, guests arriving, or any new, unpredictable environment, our pets can experience high levels of stress. If you have friends or family coming over for dinner, you may notice your pet feeling a little overwhelmed too—just like us!

We’ve created a new supplement specifically for this purpose. Introducing Dr. Jones’ COMPLETE Canine Calming Chews. This formula includes melatonin and other natural ingredients aimed at helping anxious dogs find calm when they need it most. This supplement could be the relief you’re looking for, helping your dog cope with stressful situations more comfortably.

10 Medical Benefits of Melatonin for Pets

Hello, I’m Dr. Andrew Jones, and today I want to talk about melatonin—a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. Known for its role in regulating sleep, melatonin is actually a versatile tool with a surprising range of health benefits for our pets. This natural hormone could be exactly what your pet needs to support various health challenges. Let’s dive into its top 10 benefits for pets, especially dogs and cats.

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is produced in response to darkness, with its levels increasing at night and decreasing during the day. It originates from serotonin, which is derived from tryptophan. Besides promoting sleep, melatonin is a potent antioxidant, immune-active agent, and mitochondrial regulator, which has led to its use in treating multiple conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and anxiety.

In my practice, I’ve primarily used melatonin to address hair loss (alopecia) in pets. But new research is unveiling additional benefits, making it a valuable tool for various health conditions in dogs and cats.

1. Hair Loss in Dogs and Cats (Alopecia X)

Melatonin has a significant role in the hair growth cycle, making it beneficial for pets with alopecia. If your dog or cat is experiencing hair loss, melatonin could be a helpful natural solution.

2. Improving Sleep Quality

For pets, especially older ones with cognitive dysfunction, sleep disruptions are common. Melatonin helps to improve sleep quality, addressing issues like excessive pacing and yowling at night.

3. Cushing’s Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism)

In cases of Cushing’s Disease, where excessive cortisol is an issue, melatonin can help reduce cortisol levels. This is especially useful if treatments like Trilostane are too costly, as melatonin offers a natural alternative to manage symptoms.

4. Pain and Inflammation

Pain perception and melatonin secretion follow a circadian rhythm. Melatonin can reduce pain perception by blocking inflammatory mediators associated with pain, making it an effective, natural pain management solution for pets.

5. Cancer Prevention and Support

Research on melatonin for cancer goes back decades. Clinical studies show melatonin can support treatment for various cancers, including colon, breast, and lung cancers. If my dog or cat faced a cancer diagnosis, melatonin would be part of our regimen to potentially inhibit tumor growth and improve quality of life.

6. Cognitive Function

Neurodegenerative conditions are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage. Melatonin helps protect mitochondria, supporting cognitive function, particularly beneficial for senior pets.

7. Eye Health

Melatonin may aid eye health by addressing retinal-pineal gland dysfunctions, potentially helping with inflammatory eye conditions like ocular neuritis and uveitis. Some studies even suggest it could be useful for managing glaucoma.

8. Gastrointestinal Health

Melatonin offers broad GI benefits, aiding in conditions like H. pylori infections, GERD, and inflammatory bowel disease. Studies suggest that gut bacteria respond to melatonin, aligning the gut with circadian rhythms for improved digestive health.

9. Autoimmune Disease (e.g., Lupus)

Emerging research indicates that melatonin could benefit autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis due to its anti-inflammatory properties, oxidative stress reduction, and modulation of gut microbiota.

10. Anxiety and Stress Relief

Melatonin is well-known for its calming effects, making it useful for pets with anxiety. It’s especially effective for noise phobias, such as fear of fireworks or thunderstorms. According to Dr. Linda Aronson’s study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, about 80% of canine patients with anxiety respond well to melatonin.

We’ve created a new supplement specifically for this purpose. Introducing Dr. Jones’ COMPLETE Canine Calming Chews. This formula includes melatonin and other natural ingredients aimed at helping anxious dogs find calm when they need it most. This supplement could be the relief you’re looking for, helping your dog cope with stressful situations more comfortably.

Possible Side Effects

Melatonin is generally safe but can cause mild gastrointestinal upset, and it may interact with corticosteroids. If your pet is on other medications, consult your veterinarian.

Dosage Recommendations

For dogs and cats, a dose of 1 mg per 10 lbs of body weight (up to 6 mg) given an hour before bedtime is effective for most cases.

Melatonin has a range of benefits for pets, and I’ve seen firsthand how it can help with anxiety, inflammation, and hair loss. It’s affordable, well-tolerated, and can be a powerful addition to your pet’s wellness toolkit.

P.S. If you have visitors or stressful events coming up, consider melatonin to help “take the edge off" your pet’s anxiety.

P.P.S. Chronic stress can have lasting effects on our pets’ health. Anxious pets may experience shortened lifespans and heightened disease risk. Reducing stress with melatonin could improve both their quality and length of life.

Our new supplement, Dr. Jones’ COMPLETE Canine Calming Supplement, now includes melatonin—helping pets relax naturally.