I have a 7 year old labrador retriever who is terrified of storms/fireworks/other loud noises. We tried just about everything to help ease her anxiety, but nothing was working. I was skeptical about pheromone sprays, but got this in June 2022 to at least try. I was also skeptical the first time I used it because to me it smells similar to rubbing alcohol when I initially apply the spray, but that smell goes away after a few minutes and is then odorless.
The difference that this spray has made for her anxiety has been incredible. When it starts to storm or fireworks start going off, I spray 8-10 squirts of this onto a bandana for her to wear. In as little as 5-10 minutes she is calmer, and the effects for her last for hours. I sometimes have to re-spray the bandana, but usually just one application is enough to get us through the anxiety causing event. Before we started using the spray she would be inconsolable during these times- hiding, intense shaking, and panting that was similar to hyperventilation. Now after consistently using the spray during stressful events, she no longer hides, stays lying down by us the entire time, and will sometimes even fall asleep! She also seems to associate the bandana with feeling better because as soon as she hears a loud boom she will go running to wait by where I keep it and is excited to put it on.
While I'm sure this spray doesn't work for every pet, I think the main reason that this product gets complaints is because people use this expecting their pets to show 100% improvement. While it has worked amazingly for my dog, it isn't a cure by any means. She is still a bit nervous during storms, will sometimes flinch if there's a loud firework, and will occasionally shake/pant still (although far less intensely than before). But she is choosing to not hide during the stressful events and is noticeably more at ease. This is not a sedative product, so you will be disappointed if you go into using it with the mindset that your pet will have 0 anxiety. I went into it just hoping that it would help somewhat and have been extremely pleased with the results.
I ordered the 60ml bottle back in June 2022, and have used 8-10 squirts for every storm/firework sounds/etc since then. I am just now almost finished with the bottle, so it does last quite a while if you aren't using it every day. It may seem pricey, but the positive effects it has had for my dog are well worth that price.
Canine appeasing pheromone analogue, 2%, Isopropanol
