Disruptive behaviours such as excessive barking, restlessness, repetitive behaviour, increased alertness, etc. are signs of stress in animals. The degree to which pets successfully adapt to their surroundings is heavily influenced by their sociability. Dogs with good social skills are more at ease in unexpected environments. Hence, lowering stress and anxiety in pets is crucial for fostering pleasant social relationships and enhancing both their and their owners’ quality of life. The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain is y-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and many anxiolytic medications work by interacting with GABA receptors.

Together with the GABAergic system, the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic systems are also thought to play a role in the emergence of anxiety and stress in both human beings and numerous animal models. Aggression and/or depression in animals as a result of social stress may also be mediated through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and immune system dysfunction. While there are many anxiolytic medications on the market, studies have shown that dietary supplements and plant extracts can have similar calming effects with little or no adverse side effects.