This is a specific conversation about Anxious Dog — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A Pekingese dealing with both anxiety and recurring ear infections — that combination matters a lot when it comes to picking a calming approach, because anything topical like sprays or collars risks aggravating already sensitive skin and ears. Before I point you toward something, can you tell me a bit more about the anxiety itself? Is it situational — thunderstorms, strangers, vet visits — or is your dog generally tense most of the time?
It's pretty general really. She's 7 and has always been a bit nervy, but it's got worse lately. She pants, paces, and doesn't settle in the evenings especially. The ear infections keep coming back and her vet thinks stress might be a factor.
inparticular.ai
That's a really useful detail — the vet linking the ear infections to stress is actually well-supported. Chronic anxiety can dampen immune function, which makes dogs more prone to recurring infections. So getting the anxiety under control isn't just about her comfort, it could genuinely help break that ear infection cycle too. Is she on any medication currently, either for anxiety or the ears?
Just ear drops when she has a flare-up. Nothing ongoing. The vet mentioned anxiety supplements but didn't recommend anything specific.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — that's exactly the situation Zylkene was made for. It's a capsule supplement based on a natural protein derived from milk casein, the same compound that has a calming effect on newborns after feeding. There's no sedation, no prescription needed, and absolutely nothing topical, so it won't interact with her ear treatment or irritate her skin. You open the capsules and sprinkle the powder onto food, which most dogs don't notice at all. For a 7-year-old Pekingese — she'll be under 10kg — you'd use the 75mg capsules. It works best given daily rather than just on bad days, and many owners see a real difference within two to three weeks.
That sounds ideal actually. Is it something she'd need to stay on forever, or is it more of a short-term thing?
inparticular.ai
It can work either way, which is one of its strengths. Some owners use it for a defined stressful period — a house move, a new baby — and then taper off. For a dog with general background anxiety like yours, a lot of people keep their dog on it long-term at a low daily dose, and because it's derived from a food protein, it's considered very safe for ongoing use. Worth having a conversation with her vet once you've tried it for a month, because if the ear infections also settle down, that's useful information for her records. The product to look for on Amazon UK is Vetoquinol Zylkene 75mg — it comes in boxes of 30 capsules, which is a month's supply.
Great, I'll order that today. Thank you so much.
inparticular.ai
Really hope it makes a difference for her. A calmer dog and fewer ear infections would be a good outcome from one change. If after four weeks you're not seeing much shift, it's worth going back to the vet to discuss whether something alongside it — like a short behavioural programme — might help reinforce the effect.
