Anxiety

Bernie’s Perfect Poop can help battle anxiety in dogs

Photo of Bernie's Perfect Poop grass bits up close. When your dog suffers from anxiety, you want to help. It hurts to watch your dog pant and pace out of nervousness but Bernie’s Perfect Poop can potentially help anxiety in dogs.

Good dog gut health is critical for your dog’s anxiety. The gut is often called a ‘second brain’ as it makes many of the same neurotransmitters that the brain does. These neurotransmitters—serotonin, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid—play a key role in your dog’s anxiety. Anxiety in dogs can lead to aggressive behaviors, so good dog gut health is the key to preventing possible accidents.
Food and diet impact your dog’s mental health and mood. If he’s not able to digest and process the food you’re giving him, his gut health will not be as strong as possible. This can affect how his mental health is regulated, and a poor gut can even produce anxiety in your dog. Bernie’s helps your dog digest his food better, and helps his gut be a healthy microbiome.
Quality fiber supplementation helps your dog digest his food and feed helpful bacteria in his gut. Good bacteria feed off the waste of quality fiber and create a healthy microbiome. The perfect combination of Miscanthus grass, pumpkin and flaxseed in Bernie’s gives your dog the fiber they need to battle anxiety.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop combines prebiotics and probiotics to help create the perfectly balanced gut microbiome. Research continues to show the bi-directional communication between a dog’s brain and his gut (the gut-brain axis). A healthy gut can battle anxious behaviors that may lead to poor mood and aggression. If your dog’s gut is imbalanced, harmful bacteria disturbs that communication, and you may see anxious and unwanted behaviors in your dog. The prebiotics and probiotics in Bernie’s encourage the best dog gut health for the best mental frame of mind for your dog.
Each cell in your dog’s body needs nourishment and nutrients. The combination of enzymes in Bernie’s helps break the food you give your dog down and encourages optimal nutrient absorption. Healthy bodies have healthy guts, and healthy guts produce stronger coping skills and less anxiety.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop is a 4-in-1 combination of fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes. Good dog gut health can help lead to a happier, healthier life for your dog, and that is especially important for their mood and mental health. Many times, anxious behaviors stem from the gut. Bernie’s helps balance the digestive tract and provide a better gut microbiome.

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What other pet parents say

Thank you so much. My wife began to notice the dog was acting strange. Less energy and confidence. Couldn’t figure out what was going on. After a month or so on Bernie’s (Perfect Poop), our dog seemed to be back to normal. Can’t recommend this stuff enough – Dwight F.

What is anxiety in dogs and what are the symptoms/signs?

If you have an anxious dog or a dog with obsessive tendencies, you know it. They’re always chasing the light. Or that sound. Or the leaf that dares move in your front yard. Or, they howl and whine if you’re not with them. They’re clingy. They pant a good bit when there are changes. They pace excessively. An anxious dog may startle easily, growl reactively and even be aggressive when the anxiety gets overwhelming. None of those situations are optimal. Dogs are social creatures, and they love being part of their family ‘packs’ and engaging in activities that bring them joy. When your dog is so anxious or depressed that they can’t find joy in…well, being a dog…you want to help them be their happiest.

Excessive barking or howling (especially when left alone)
Pacing
Panting
Resource guarding
Shivering
Digging
Chewing
Obsessive focus
Excessive licking
Whining
Shedding
Tucked tail

Causes of dog anxiety

There are many reasons experts believe your dog may suffer from anxiety. Many times, it comes from fear of being separated from you, their person. Others, it can be a fear associated with a loud noise or sound that startled them, and they associate with uncomfortable feelings of reaction. Some dog breeds are more prone to anxious behavior because they’re hunters or protectors by nature. More and more, though, researchers are finding that the gut influences the brain, and this gut-brain axis may be key to treating your dog’s anxiety. When the gut microbiome is healthy and thriving, it gives normal neural responses to your dog’s brain. This is what keeps your dog’s brain feeling like all is well in their world, and makes them less anxious.
Anxiety makes your dog feel like he’s always on. Just like in humans, his ‘fight or flight’ hormones are getting him ready for whatever lurks around the corner. In this, blood flows more to the heart and lungs, but less to the organs that are involved with digestion. Digestive tissue doesn’t receive the nutrients or oxygen it needs from the blood. Over long periods of time, this starvation of nutrients can impact your dog’s digestive system in pretty significant and adverse ways.
When your dog has a healthy gut, his microbiota can produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). These SCFAs are super important in brain function, especially the production of your dog’s serotonin and dopamine levels. These are critical mental health neurotransmitters and hormones. A healthy gut means your dog’s brain receives more favorable levels of both, and keeps anxiety.

Possible causes of mental health issues	Can Perfect Poop help?
Gut health	Yes
Irritable bowel	Yes
Age-related cognitive dysfunction	Yes
Poor nutrition absorption	Yes
Allergies	Yes
Chronic digestive disorder	Yes
Separation anxiety	Yes
Past trauma
Genetic predisposition
Puppy socialization

Illustration of Bernie sitting and smiling.

Warning: If your dog has anxiety

If your dog’s anxiety prevents him from finding any enjoyment in his day-to-day routine, it’s important that you address the issue. Excessive anxiety can lead your dog to harm himself or others dogs. Untreated, anxiety may lead him to aggressive behaviors that could harm other humans too. Make sure to check with your vet if you think our dog has anxiety.

More information about anxiety in dogs

Good dog gut health is pivotal to overall physical and mental health in your dog. Good nutrition isn’t just what fuels your dog’s body; it’s what keeps his gut healthy and happy. A strong microbiome connects with your dog’s brain in positive ways, and can help keep your dog’s anxiety at bay.

Fiber may help with anxiety in dogs

Anxiety stems at your dog’s cellular level. Fiber is helpful with battling anxiety in dogs for many reasons. A dog who has quality fiber will feel full more regularly, and not compelled to give in to anxious food-seeking feelings and behaviors. Additionally, when you supplement your dog’s fiber intake with the right combination of soluble and insoluble fiber like you’ll find in Bernie’s, you’re allowing it to feed the helpful bacteria in your dog’s gut. The stronger the presence of those powerful bacteria, the more stable your dog’s mood may be, and the less anxiety they may feel.

Prebiotics and probiotics may help with separation anxiety and aggression

Prebiotics and probiotics are key supplements to helping your dog’s gut health be at its best. Prebiotics and probiotics balance out your dog’s digestive tract bacteria and microbiome. As we learn more about the gut-brain axis, we learn more about how to keep your dog’s body and mind healthy. The prebiotic in Bernie’s is Insulin, which acts as a fertilizer to feed the good bacteria in your dog’s lower digestive tract. When the good bacteria in your dog’s digestive tract gets the right nutrition, they thrive and keep any additional harmful bacteria at bay. Most dogs are able to produce appropriate levels of feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters, and the prebiotics and probiotics in your dog’s gut are key factors in this process. When they thrive, there is less room for any harmful bacteria to affect your dog’s physical or mental state of mind.

Enzymes may help with social anxiety in dogs

Enzymes in Bernie’s Perfect Poop will help your dog’s digestive tract break food down better. Plain and simple, when your dog’s body is fueled and nutrients are absorbed appropriately, their gut health is stronger. The stronger their gut health, the better the gut can serve all the body’s organs and brain. This can help your dog with depression and anxiety, and help garner a healthier, happier disposition overall.

Other ways to help

Give your dog plenty of exercise
Make sure your dog has lots of toys/things to occupy instead of engaging in obsessive behavior
Play music when you leave your dog at home
Consider crating when you leave
Make sure your dog is hydrated
Feed quality foods
Feed smaller meals many times a day

Additional reading

Related terms

Canine depression
Dog depression
Mental illness
Canine phobia
Canine PTSD
Dog PTSD
Dog ulcer
Separation anxiety in dogs
Canine compulsive disorder
Canine obsessive-compulsive disorder
Canine OCD