Pet owners rave over 'calming' £2.60 solution that help dogs during fireworks season

The upcoming weeks will see a range of celebrations from Bonfire Night to Christmas and New Year. Many pet owners will know how such occasions can have a negative impact on their pooches, but ahead of fireworks season, dog owners have been raving about an affordable solution that’s been curbing their pets’ anxiety.

Pet food brand Scrumbles may be best known for their gut-friendly dog and cat food, but it’s their Nibble treats which have won over animal lovers for their ‘calming’ effect. Designed to soothe stressed dogs, some shoppers have said they’re so effective, the ‘never needed to use drugs’ from the vet again, Manchester Evening News reports.

What’s more is that they don’t use any drugs or sedatives, just naturally calming ingredients like chamomile and lemon balm. They also contain turkey, which is not only tasty for your pooch, but full of the amino acid L-tryptophan, which also has relaxing properties.

Owners can pick up a bag of the treats for £2.60, while eight bags will set you back £20.80. If you’re looking to stock up, you can get 16 bags for £41.20, which works out at £2.58 a bag, or you can even set up a subscription to bring costs down further.

The treats are ideal if your dog gets anxious or stressed with loud noises like fireworks, or with long car journeys, or even separation anxiety, with the brand recommending 4-5 calming dog treats a day. Our reporter and TeamDogs editor Bethan Shufflebotham regularly buys these treats for her two rescue dogs, Phoebe and Frank, feeding them one each as part of their bedtime ritual.

She said: “Phoebe and Frank love these calming biscuits from Scrumbles and will always wait by their ‘sleepy snacks’ treat tin after their last toilet trip before getting into bed. I really think it helps to settle them down for the night, and is a very sweet part of their daily routine.

“We initially tried them because Frank was quite an anxious dog, particularly on his walks. But using the Scrumbles treats seemed to take the edge off and help him gain more confidence without using medication or sedatives, which I felt was really important. They’re also really handy for car journeys, too.

“Neither of my dogs enjoy Guy Fawkes night, so we’ll definitely be making sure we’ve got a bag of treats in. A handy tip is to break them in half to go further. I tend to give them a couple in advance of any fireworks going off, then reward them with a treat when the bangs begin to help establish a more positive association with fireworks.”

Other customers have reported positive results from using these treats, too, with one reviewer writing: "I think these really helped my dog keep calm, fireworks have been occasionally going off on an evening and she isn't as skittish." Another enthused: "These treats are excellent, they really worked to keep my dogs less nervous of fireworks, I will definitely be purchasing them again."

A third customer chimed in: "They work!! Scrumbles actually do what they claim to do. My previous Jack had to have tranquilisers from the vets for such occasions as bonfire night and New Year's Eve.

"Once I gave her these, we never needed to use drugs again. Sadly, she is no longer with us but I have continued to give them to my new dog at bedtime. He's too new to have experienced fireworks yet, but I'm hoping they will have the same calming effect should they be needed. Can't recommend highly enough. I am on a subscription so I never run out."

However, some would prefer the treats to be smaller in size to cater to smaller breeds, commenting: “2/3 of dogs they were perfect for but the smallest dog found too big, as a training treat I would like them to be smaller.”

They’re not the only brand who sell calming treats for dogs, though. We also love the Pooch and Mutt calming treats, which cost £3.99 a pack and are made with turkey and hemp. Forthglade also has some soothing soft bites, which are currently £1.68 instead of £2.25 for a pack. Or you can buy the Scrumbles treats for £2.60 here.