Four ingredients turn up in most calming chews for dogs: L-theanine, chamomile, lemon balm and hemp seed. They are not interchangeable, they do not come from the same places and the reasons they are chosen are quite different from one another.
Here is what each one actually is.
What is L-theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid found naturally in tea leaves. It was first isolated from green tea in the 1940s, and it is the compound most often associated with the particular quality of tea that is different from coffee.
In supplements it is usually produced by fermentation rather than extracted from leaves, which gives a consistent, purified ingredient without the caffeine that comes with tea. It is water soluble and has no strong flavour of its own, which is part of why it works well in a soft chew.
It is used to support calm behaviour. That is the honest description of what it is included for, and the ingredient is one of the better studied ones in this category in companion animals.
What is chamomile, and which chamomile
Chamomile is a daisy. Two species share the name, and the distinction matters more than most labels admit: German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) are different plants with different growing regions and somewhat different compositions.
The part used is the flower head. It has been taken as a tea by people for a very long time, which is why it is familiar, though familiarity is not the same as evidence.
In supplements you will see it as dried flower, as an extract, or as a standardised botanical extract at a stated ratio. A 10:1 extract means ten parts of raw plant were concentrated into one part of finished ingredient. That is worth understanding, because 35 mg of a 10:1 extract and 35 mg of dried flower are not comparable quantities, and a label that does not say which is not telling you enough.
What is lemon balm
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial in the mint family, with a light citrus scent that gives it its name. Like chamomile it is a traditional ingredient with a long history in teas.
The leaf is the part used. It also appears as a concentrated botanical extract, and the same point about ratios applies: a stated concentration tells you something, a bare weight on its own does not.
Lemon balm and chamomile are frequently paired. They are used to support calm behaviour, and they are chosen together because they are complementary rather than duplicative.
Why is hemp seed in a calming chew
Hemp seed is a seed, and it is worth being precise about this because the name causes confusion.
Hemp seed comes from Cannabis sativa, the same plant species that produces a great many other things, but the seed is not the flower and it is not an extract of the flower. Hemp seed and hemp seed oil are food ingredients. They are used in human food, they are sold in supermarkets and they contain no meaningful quantity of the compounds people associate with the plant's other uses.
What hemp seed does contribute is fat and protein. Cold pressed hemp seed oil is used in supplements as a carrier and as a source of fatty acids, and it is well tolerated by most dogs.
If a label mentions hemp seed, that is what it means. If a product is making a different kind of claim, it is not talking about the seed.
How do I compare two products on the label
Look at the actives, look at the amounts and look at the basis.
| What to look at | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| The active ingredient list | Which compounds are there at all |
| The amount per chew | How much, in a comparable unit |
| Extract ratio, if any | Whether 30 mg means 30 mg of plant or of concentrate |
| The botanical name | Which species, which matters for chamomile |
| Per chew, not per bag | The only figure you can compare across brands |
Two products can list the same four ingredients and differ by an order of magnitude in what they actually deliver. The list is the easy part of a label. The numbers underneath it are the informative part.
Does more mean better
No, and this is worth saying directly. Amounts in a supplement are set against body weight and against what an ingredient is understood to do at that level. Higher is not automatically better, and a product that leans on a large number as its headline is telling you about its marketing rather than its formulation.
Follow the amount printed on the pack for your companion's weight.
How long before I know whether it suits my companion
Supplements are not fast. They are given daily, and the sensible way to judge one is over weeks rather than days, with reasonably consistent conditions.
Keep the routine steady enough to be worth judging. Give it at the same point in the day, do not skip stretches and if you change the amount, change one thing at a time so you know what changed.
Should I choose a chew or an oil
That depends on the companion, not on the ingredients. Both formats can carry the same actives.
A chew is simplest. It is a defined amount, it needs no measuring and most dogs take it as a treat without noticing there is anything to it. For most households that is the end of the decision.
An oil is better in three situations. If a dog inspects anything new and refuses it, oil goes over food and disappears. If a dog sits close to the edge of a weight band, oil is measured in millilitres and gives you finer control than a chew that only comes in halves. And some dogs simply dislike the texture of a chew, which removes the argument entirely.
The trade is that an oil has to be measured, and a measurement skipped is an amount missed. A tub that lives by the door tends to get used. A bottle at the back of a cupboard often does not.
There is no ingredient reason to prefer one over the other. Choose the one you will actually use every day, because the format you keep up with beats the format you meant to.
Why does the colour vary between bags
Because the ingredients are plants, and plants are not grown to a colour.
A botanical harvested in a different season, in a different field or from a different supplier will vary slightly in shade and sometimes in smell. A chew made with real chamomile and real lemon balm will differ a little from bag to bag. One that never varies at all is telling you something about how much plant is in it.
Within a single batch things should be consistent. Across batches, a mild difference in colour or scent is normal and is not a sign that anything is wrong. What should not vary is the amount of each active, which is the number printed on the pack, and which is why that number matters more than the appearance of what is inside.
When should I talk to a veterinarian
Before starting, if your companion takes any medication, is pregnant or nursing, has a diagnosed condition, or is due for surgery. Botanical ingredients are not inert simply because they are botanical, and your veterinarian is the right person to advise on interactions.
Also talk to them if a change in behaviour is new, sudden or marked. A behavioural change can have a physical cause, and that is a question for a clinic rather than a supplement.
The actives and amounts described here are printed on every pack and repeated on the product page: calming support for dogs, calming support for cats and the functional oils.
Related reading
- How to read a pet supplement label
- How much supplement does my dog need
- Cat supplements are not small dog supplements
References
- Landsberg G, et al. Behavioral Nutraceuticals and Diets. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice. Abstract.
- Pike AL, et al. An open-label prospective study of the use of L-theanine in storm-sensitive client-owned dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. Abstract.
- EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed. Safety and efficacy of a dried aqueous ethanol extract of Melissa officinalis L. leaves for all animal species. Full text.
- VCA Animal Hospitals. Chamomile.
