Valerian

What is Valerian?

Valerian is a flowering plant grown in Western Asia and Europe. Valerian blooms pink or white flowers during the summer. The roots of the valerian plant are harvested, extracted, and then used to support emotional well being.  Historically, valerian was used in ancient Greece and Rome to help headaches, discontentment, trembling, nervousness, and heart problems. England also used valerian during the WW2 to alleviate the discontentment of air raids. Valerian is one of the active ingredients in the Sprinks Relax formula.

What is Valerian used for?

Valerian can be used to support emotional well being with your dog associated with traveling, loud noises, and stressful events.* It can also help alleviate separation discontentment which can lead to destructive behavior.* We do not recommend that you administer valerian prior to any anesthesia.

How does Valerian work to help dog anxiety and stress?

Valerian supports emotional well being by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain.  GABA has a calming and anti-discontentment effect on the brain.

Is Valerian safe for my dog?

Valerian has a high margin of safety and has been tested in animals showing no signs of toxicity. The NASC scientific advisory ingredient risk assessment places valerian as a category B ingredient, which is the category for supplements expected to have minimal risk (the safest category for supplement ingredients).