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My puppy has separation anxiety. Should I try CBD or other remedies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 9 days old | 50 lbs

My 6 month old puppy has separation anxiety. I have tried many things. He has so many accidents in the house and cage. He is a 50 pound boxer pitbull mix. I am getting him a smaller cage soon, he is in a XXL one. I tried calming chews and they did not help. I want to try CBD oil but am a little against it, but I don't want him on prescription medicines until absolutely necessary.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 26th, 2018

I am sorry to hear that your pet Thor is having [separation anxiety](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/separation-anxiety). Results of CBD oil use are purely anecdota. Additionally, CBD oil has not been tested for dogs that have separation anxiety. There are also some legal issues concerning this drug in the use of pets, so check with your state laws concerning this if you haven't already. Some approved treatments for pets with separation anxiety are: 1) Consulting with an [animal behaviorist](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thunderwunders-calming-chews) for specific training points for your pet. 2) Anxiety medication such as [Fluoxetine](https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/fluoxetine) or [Clomicalm](https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/clomipramine). 3) Pheromone or natural therapy. Pheromone therapy is a more natural way to treat for pets anxiety, but doesn't always work. Here are some options for you since this is what you prefer to try first: [Zylkene](https://www.vetoquinolusa.com/content/zylkene) (available online) OR Adaptil [collar](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-calming-aids) or [diffuser](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-calming-aids). Again, CBD oil hasn't been studied for its effectiveness with pets that have separation anxiety. Best of luck with your pet Thor moving forward and I hope that you are able to [manage his anxiety](https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-ways-to-reduce-separation-anxiety-in-dogs) better with these additional resources. Take care!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Rebecca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Thank you for using PetCoach. I would not recommend using CBD oil unless under a veterinarian's direction. I recommend discussing Thor's behaviour issues with your veterinarian. Schedule a behaviour consultation appointment with your vet or find out if they recommend someone else for behavior issues. Anxiety can often be helped by medications and training. Many times the medications can help the dog relax or focus to allow training to help more. However, sometimes training and environmental modifications can be enough without medication. Products such as the [Adaptil collar](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-calming-aids) or other [pheromone products](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-calming-aids) can definitely help anxious dogs. [Zylkene](https://www.vetoquinolusa.com/content/zylkene) and other[ calming chews](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thunderwunders-calming-chews) are supplements given daily that may help some pets with anxiety. In some cases, [Thundershirts](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thundershirt-heather-gray-dog-anxiety-solution) can help with separation anxiety. It is very important to do a multi-modal approach to treat anxiety. This includes training for Thor, environmental modification and enrichment, possible supplements or medications. There is not a quick fix for anxiety but with some dedication and love it can be treated successfully in most cases. Good luck, thank you for using PetCoach.

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