Europe is undoubtedly a continent of pet lovers. Over the past decade, the number of pet-owning households has increased by approximately 20 million, according to Statista – and as of 2022, an estimated 91 million European households owned at least one companion animal.¹

Proven to bolster our mental and physical health alike, dogs, cats and other pets represent a lifeline of reassurance, companionship, and love to countless individuals. It follows that those individuals in turn want to do their level best in terms of supporting the health and wellness of their animals. “Over the last decade, pet owners have become pet parents,” remarks Asha Dillon, founder of Australia-based dog health supplement brand Leadr. “There has never been more scrutiny over what to feed and supplement, and how to care for, the ‘fur baby’.”

In tandem, swathes of consumers are turning away from medicines to embrace more natural, holistic and often preventative alternatives – and they are increasingly seeking similar approaches to safeguard the wellbeing of their animal friends.

“It wasn’t until I got my own dog that I realised our pets were suffering similar issues to us – such as poor gut health, stress and anxiety, and joint health issues,” notes Dillon, who worked in product development and innovation for some of Australia’s largest human supplement companies for over a decade prior to establishing her pet health business. “This led to me searching for which natural ingredients could treat these conditions, as many pet owners – including myself – were looking for natural alternatives.”

One key natural ingredient fast emerging as a star in the pet health space is India’s revered root extract ashwagandha, with best-selling brand KSM-66 leading the pack as the gold standard in terms of both quality and efficacy. Indeed, with impressive antioxidant, anti-stress, and anti-inflammatory properties, this branded adaptogenic botanical can deliver multiple health benefits for pets.

Moreover, as a functional food star, KSM-66 blends well with a wide variety of animal supplement formats, including capsules, soft chews, bully sticks, powders, tinctures, treats, tablets, and pellets, making the extract easy to both dose and digest.

Calming canine companions

Triggered by myriad factors including a change of environment or change of routine, stress and anxiety can be the root of numerous other detrimental health and behavioural outcomes in animals. Certainly, separation anxiety (and its knock-on effects) became a particularly pronounced issue in the post-pandemic-lockdown era, as pet owners returned to work, and their loyal companions were suddenly left home alone.

When it comes to canine support, helping to relieve stress and anxiety is a star feature of KSM-66 Ashwagandha, which has the clinical evidence to back up this assertion. In a four-week (randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled) study, canines supplemented with KSM-66 demonstrated a significant reduction in the stress hormone cortisol, as well as in fear and anxiety domains, alongside recording a significant reduction in pain severity and pain interference domains. The branded root extract was also well tolerated by the canine subjects, with no reported adverse events.²

In short, such supplementation can help dogs to deal with normal stress in a healthy way, whether that’s anxiety in new situations, or overexcitement and hyperactivity.

“Credibility and trust are incredibly important”

Certainly, it was such research and similar that motivated Leadr’s founder, Asha Dillon, to incorporate KSM-66 into her company’s Settle for stress and anxiety formula soft chews for dogs. She notes that KSM-66 was shown “to promote calmness, reduce the negative effects of stressful situations, and also has benefits for immunity and recovery”, and points to the fact that the root extract has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for millennia . “It was important to use an ingredient which has been used for thousands of years for stress and anxiety – one that is not only effective but natural,” she adds.

“Credibility and trust are incredibly important, especially when it comes to something a dog ingests. KSM-66 is known to be the most clinically trialled extract on the market, and it was this robust science and focus on quality and excellence which made it the choice for Leadr Pets ‘Settle’ supplement,” continues Dillon, who worked in the vitamins industry’s NPD and innovation space for over a decade prior to establishing her company. “Our supplements contain clinically trialled, premium extracts, which are branded and have full transparency and traceability,” she assures.

Reducing stress and inflammation markers in felines

However, Leadr is just one of many pet supplement brands that have gone down the KSM-66 route to ensure quality and efficacy in their formulations. Other notable examples include products from Holistic Hound and Primal Pets. Both US-based companies have developed broad-spectrum hemp and functional mushroom soft chews featuring KSM-66 Ashwagandha to promote calmness, hormone balance, immunity, joint health and more (for both dogs and cats, in the case of Holistic Hound). Similarly, Oregon-based Therapetixx has launched a hemp oil plus KSM-66 supplement for dogs in the ‘soft chews’ format – one that is marketed as supporting and helping with balanced behaviour, calmness, separation stress, and environmental stress.

For particularly fussy eaters (dogs and cats alike), Californian brand Fera Pets has developed a ‘Goat Milk CALM’ powdered supplement, which features ‘whole cream goat’s milk for irresistible flavour’, combined with KSM-66 Ashwagandha and other herbal extracts, alongside amino acids to ‘promote rest and relaxation’ and alleviate ‘nervousness’.

Backing up such assertions for supplementation in felines, another study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral administration of ashwagandha root extract (ARE) in cats subjected to different types of stress. After 30 days of ARE treatment, serum cortisol levels significantly decreased, indicating strong anti-stress effects. There was likewise a significant decrease in cytokine levels, NFκB and Nrf-2 levels in the ARE-treated group, indicating the ashwagandha root extract’s potent anti-inflammatory effects.³

Creating equilibrium for equines

For horses too, stress is a common condition that can affect both health and performance – and numerous equine supplement brands are thus tapping into the adaptogenic traits of KSM-66 Ashwagandha to alleviate an issue that has various trigger factors.

“Equine stress is the underlying root of fear, anxiety, over-reactivity, aggression, inattentiveness, and sub-par performance,” according to Tigger Montague, owner and formulator of US equestrian supplements manufacturer BioStar, and author of ‘World Foods for Horses’. “Each horse is an individual with unique stress triggers,” she continues. “The numerous causes of equine stress may include: pain, perceived threat of danger, metabolic imbalances, ulcers, changes in routine, travel, weather, and confinement.” This can manifest itself in the animal through decreased appetite, excessive sweating, and restlessness.

In response, BioStar has released Equilibrium EQ – functional treat bars formulated to minimise common anxieties (both in horses that are easily spooked, and those under stressful conditions like shipping, showing, and farrier work) by ‘supporting normal levels of [the stress hormone] cortisol’. Crucially, KSM-66 Ashwagandha is the sole active ingredient in this calming supplement, with the branded botanical serving to support the neurotransmitter serotonin, which in turn relaxes nervous horses and helps sharpen mental focus.

Elsewhere in the equine supplements segment, SmartPak’s ‘SmartCalm Ultimate Pellets’ likewise tap into KSM-66 Ashwagandha’s unique benefits, helping horses cope with stress related to everyday challenges with just one scoop of pellets (75g) incorporated into the animal’s daily feed.

Interestingly, Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D, a specialist in equine nutrition, points out that aside from alleviating the impact of a stressful lifestyle, the Ayurvedic botanical also reduces pain.⁴ “Pain can be a significant stressor for horses recovering from athletic injuries or suffering progressively worsening ageing-related arthritis,” she points out. “By offering ashwagandha, you may be able to ease your horse’s distress as well as improve recovery time from injury or surgery.”

An all-rounder for companion animals

Helping pets to maintain balanced emotional and physical wellbeing can protect them against the negative effects of environmental stresses, especially if they are prone to nervousness. And indeed, it is within this context of stress modulation that the adaptogenic nature of KSM-66 Ashwagandha comes into its element, making it a compelling ingredient for pet health formulations.

The leading branded botanical features myriad, scientifically backed benefits for pets, including lowering cortisol levels (resulting in greater calmness, and improved sleep); balancing hormone levels in the adrenals, thyroid and reproductive system; improved muscle function, strength and energy; and bolstered immune function.

Certainly, Leadr’s founder, Asha Dillon, sees further scope for KSM-66 Ashwagandha when it comes to extending her company’s range of supplements. “We are keen to solve skin and allergy issues, which is incredibly common for dogs and very frustrating for pet owners. KSM-66 is an ingredient of interest due to its ability to relieve anxiety, but also to regulate and improve the immune system,” she tells us. “One of the symptoms of poor health for dogs is constant itching, scratching and licking of their paws. Given our focus on holistic, natural medicine, and using complex formulations to treat all facets of the body, KSM-66 is attractive for inclusion as it treats both the symptom – immune dysregulation – and the cause (anxiety).”

Add to those impressive traits the fact that the world’s best-selling ashwagandha root extract is nutrient-dense and produced with a proprietary process

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