Valerian Root

A strong-smelling herb used as a traditional sedative. Almost no canine evidence and no established dog dose — and it affects many cats the way catnip does.

What Valerian Root Is

Valerian is the root of Valeriana officinalis, a long-standing human sleep and anxiety herb. In pet products it shows up in calming chews, tinctures and "quiet time" formulations, usually in combination with other herbs.

The first thing anyone notices about it is the smell. Valerian smells strongly of old socks, and it is potent enough that some dogs refuse a treat containing it outright. That is worth knowing before you buy a bag of thirty.

How It Is Thought to Work

Valerian contains valerenic acid and a family of compounds called valepotriates. The leading explanation is that valerenic acid slows the breakdown of GABA, the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter, leaving more of it available — a broadly similar destination to L-theanine, by a different route.

Unlike most calming ingredients, valerian is usually described as genuinely sedating rather than merely calming. That distinction matters when you are choosing what you actually want.

What the Evidence Actually Shows

Canine evidence is close to absent. There is no body of trials in dogs to appraise — not weak evidence, but essentially no evidence. The human sleep literature is itself mixed, and extrapolating from a human sleep aid to a dog's storm anxiety is a long jump.

The practical consequence is the one below: there is no established dog dose, which means the amount in any given product is a manufacturer's judgement rather than a studied figure. We say the same thing, at more length, in our grading of calming ingredients.

How Much to Give

Because no veterinary dose is established, the honest guidance is: use a properly labelled pet product strictly at its stated amount, and do not improvise from a human capsule. Human valerian is typically sold at 300–600 mg per capsule, formulated for a 150 lb adult, and scaling that by weight is guesswork dressed up as arithmetic.

If you do try it, give it well before the event rather than during, start at the lowest labelled amount, and watch how sedated your dog actually becomes. A dog that is wobbly or hard to rouse has had too much.

Side Effects and Cautions

Over-sedation and wobbliness are the common signs of too much. Reduce or stop.
Paradoxical excitement. A minority of animals become more agitated rather than less — documented in humans and reported by owners in dogs.
Anaesthesia. This is the important one. Valerian can potentiate anaesthetic and sedative drugs. Stop it well before any planned surgery or dental and tell your veterinary team you have been using it.
Do not stack sedatives. Combining valerian with trazodone, gabapentin, behavioural medication or another sedating supplement without veterinary direction is how animals get over-sedated.
Liver. Valepotriates have raised liver-safety questions in some contexts. Caution in animals with liver disease.
Pregnant and nursing animals — not studied.

Cats and Horses

Cats are the genuinely surprising case. Valerian root is a well-known stimulant for many cats — it contains actinidine, a compound structurally similar to nepetalactone in catnip, and a large share of cats respond to it with the same rolling, rubbing excitement. It is sold as a catnip alternative for cats that do not respond to catnip. So do not reach for valerian expecting to calm a cat; you may get the opposite. See cat safety.

Horses are given valerian as a calmative, and here the critical issue is competition. Valerian is a prohibited substance under the rules of several equestrian governing bodies, and has been the source of positive tests. If your horse competes, check your federation's current prohibited list before feeding anything containing it — this is not a small administrative detail.

The Form Matters — And One Form Is Genuinely Unsafe

Valerian is sold as dried root, as a powdered extract, in capsules, and as a tincture. That last one deserves a warning.

Most herbal tinctures are alcohol extractions, often 40% alcohol or higher. Alcohol is toxic to dogs and cats, and a small animal getting a dropper of an alcohol-based tincture is being given a meaningful dose of ethanol alongside the herb. If you use valerian at all, use a pet-formulated capsule, powder or chew — not a human tincture from the health-food aisle. Glycerin-based tinctures avoid the alcohol problem, but check the label rather than assume.

Human valerian products carry the other usual hazard too: gummies and flavoured formats frequently contain xylitol, which is severely toxic to dogs. Read the full panel every time — see the Merck Veterinary Manual on xylitol toxicosis.

How to Choose a Product

Given the absence of an established dose, the label matters more than usual. Look for the milligrams of valerian root printed per serving rather than a proprietary blend total, the plant part and species named, and third-party testing — see certificate of analysis. Be sceptical of any product implying a studied canine dose, because there isn't one.

Valerian is also rarely sold alone. It usually arrives inside a blend with chamomile, passionflower, L-theanine or melatonin. That makes it very hard to know what, if anything, produced an effect — and it stacks sedatives, which is the specific thing to be careful about with this herb. The American Kennel Club's overview of calming treats lists valerian among the common ingredients and makes the broader point that these products are not subject to standardised testing.

Living With the Smell

A practical note, because it is the most common reason a bag goes unused. Valerian's odour intensifies as the root oxidises, so an opened bag gets worse over time. Keep it sealed, keep it away from other treats and food, and store it somewhere the smell is not going to become a household issue. If your dog refuses it from day one, they are unlikely to change their mind — that is a sunk cost, not a training problem.

When to Involve Your Veterinarian

Before use if your animal is on any sedating or behavioural medication, has liver disease, competes under rules, or has surgery or a dental scheduled. And instead of valerian if the behaviour is panic rather than nerves — a dog injuring itself during storms needs a behaviour plan and, often, prescription medication, not a herb with no canine trials behind it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is valerian root safe for dogs? It is generally tolerated at label amounts, but the canine safety data is thin. The real cautions are over-sedation, interaction with anaesthesia and other sedatives, and caution in liver disease.

How much valerian root can I give a dog? There is no established veterinary dose. Use a pet product at its labelled amount rather than scaling a human capsule, and start at the lowest amount.

Does valerian root actually work for dogs? There is essentially no canine evidence either way. It is in pet products on the strength of human traditional use.

Why does my dog refuse valerian treats? The smell. Valerian is genuinely pungent and plenty of dogs want nothing to do with it.

Is valerian safe for cats? It is not usually harmful, but it is not calming either — many cats react to valerian the way they react to catnip, with excitement rather than relaxation.

Can valerian be given before surgery? No. Stop it well ahead of any procedure and tell your vet, because it can potentiate anaesthetic drugs.