VetIQ Serene-Um Calming Tablets Review.

I was sent some of the VetIQ Serene-Um Calming Tablets by the lovely people at Mark and Chappell for Tinkerbell to try. I have been having trouble trying to stop her separation anxiety as it was becoming a big problem and affecting our relationship and the vibe in the house. 

Serene-Um can be used to help cats and dogs with separation anxiety, noise phobias, indoor toileting, grumpiness, settling at night, excessive barking, chewing objects, tail chasing, spraying in cats, marking in dogs, grief, unruliness, car journeys, poor concentration, restlessness, over grooming, problem house cats and hyperactivity. I was super happy to find out that this product is a non-sedating formula, which is the main reason I have been finding it hard to find a supplement to help because I didn't want to sedate Tinkerbell as I feel thats not fair on the pet. 

In the box I was sent you get 120 tablets, which means the amount of time it lasts dependeds on the size of your pet. This particular box is made for dogs and cats weighing between 1 and 20kg. There are two other products in the Serene-Um range, one is called Xtra, for big dogs up to 60kg and there is also a syrup for smaller animals.
On the packaging it says the product begins to work within 6 - 8 hours but you should wait 24 - 36 hours to see the full effects of the product.

The tablets are small which means it is easy to swallow or hide in food. They are also very soft so can be easily crushed with the back of a spoon or even your finger to be sprinkled over food for pets who won't take tablets. The tablets themselves actually smell nice and I think this would mean that dogs may take them as they smell like a treat. 
This bottle of Serene-Um can be used for puppies over 6 months but if you feel okay about giving it to a younger pup you need to half the suggested amount. The one bottle can last anywhere between 240 & 30 days. 

A top tip from the makers of this product is that it may take months or years for you to break the habits you are trying to overcome and its okay to use Serene-um for extended periods. They do mention that the tablet is not a miracle worker. It only conquers the emotional side of the problem and you have to be vigilant and break the cycle of the bad behaviour or habit.

Dosages

The dosages are written on the side of the packet but I will write them out here so you can evaluate how much your pet would need to use determine by their weight.

Animal Type          Weight Range         Recommended Amounts                 Pack Duration
Cats                            up to 2.5kg                1/4 tablet twice daily                             240
Cats                              2.5 - 5kg                  1/2 tablet twice daily                             120
Dogs                            up to 5kg                  1/2 tablet twice daily                             120
Dogs                             5 - 10kg                    1 tablet twice daily                                60
Dogs                            10 - 20kg                  2 tablets twice daily                                30

What is in the tablets?

I was happy to know that Serene-Um has been recommended by veterinarians to target the symptoms listed above.
The composition of the tablets are calcium carbonate which is a vital nutrient for growth and help to sustain pet health. Calcium is also a component of bones and teeth, it facilitates blood clotting, binding protiens, it serves as a key conductor of nerve signals, it initiates muscle contractions and calcium also buffers PH changes. 
Your dog or cats diet should contain a sufficient amount of calcium and the recommended amount is not always found in their food so supplementation is sometimes necessary.

A key ingredient of the product is L-tryptophan which is responsible for creating serotonin and this leads to the feeling of happiness, relaxation and well being. Click here to read about the effects of L-tryptophan in pets.

The tablets contain crude protein 11.7%, crude fibre 4.8%, oils and fats 5.4%, ash 55.5% and moisture 33%. If you don't know what crude protein is, its the term used for the total protein content of a food source as determined by its nitrogen content. The term is mainly used in animal food products. 

The ash is the tablets is a filler in dog food. Its not the ash you would think it is, its just the non burnable/combustable minerals left over after food is burned. Dogs have a requirement of about 2% ash.

Tinkerbell's Opinion 

Tinkerbell only needs half a tablet twice daily. She dosen't like taking tablets at all as she is quite a fussy eater but the soft texture means she can have it broken up over her food. I think she enjoys the taste of the tablet as I have seen her liking the little crumbs off the bottom of the bowl, so its definitely a paws up for taste. Because it is non sedating I thinks she doesn't realise she has been given anything that will alter her behaviour. She has tried other medications for calming but they just made her sleep and thats was no good for her. Tinkerbell takes the Serene-Um Calming tablets to help with separation anxiety. She has a problem with being left in  room where she can't she me, she gets aggressive and wines but also destroys things as well. Tinkerbell also didn't like being left in the watch of someone else. She would become agitated and pace behind the door until I returned and act like she hadn't seen me for weeks when I returned. Overall I think taking the tablets has defiantly improved her behaviour. Our relationship is a lot happier because I'm not always fighting with her to behave properly and I can't now actually have a bath without her watching me and sometimes jumping in! 

My Opinion

I was desperate to find a way to stop Tinkerbell's separation anxiety. I was fed up of having to carry her around all day because she would panic if I left her alone. I guess its sort of my fault she has separation anxiety but I'm now working to break the cycle of bad behaviour. It was even getting to the point where someone else couldn't take her off me because she would become aggressive towards them because she didn't want to leave me. 

I wanted to avoid vet prescribed medications. Firstly because they are a lot more costly and secondly because that are usually sedating. I simply Googled 'Dog separation anxiety supplements' and found VetIQ Serene-Um Calming Tablets.

There were great reviews on Amazon and people were having a lot of success with this product. 

People stated how the it took longer than the packaging says to begin to work which I agree with. I didn't see any difference in Tinkerbell's behaviour for about a week.

I would suggest that you leave at least a week between starting the tablets and the event you are taking them for eg. Travel sickness, fireworks and thunderstorms. 

I am almost relieved that Tinkerbell is small as 120 tablets cost £14.99 (on Amazon) which means I will only need to restock every 4 months. If your dogs weighs between 10 - 20kg the pack will only last you a month and if you add multiple dogs into the equation it could become quite costly. This is where you need to make the decision for yourself and decide whether the price is worth improving your dogs behaviour. For me it is. I would recommend this to anyone and say if there dogs or cats are having any of the symptoms that the Serene-Um is targeted then the price if worth it. 

I love that the tablets are so soft. It means you can literally administer them in any way. I have tried them crushed, whole and even mixed with a little water to make a paste and fed it to the dog through a syringe. This is one of the main factors I love about the product and it would make me recommend it to everyone.

I am very happy that it has helped with Tinkerbell's separation anxiety. I must be honest, I was apprehensive when I first chose the product but I have really noticed a difference in Tinkerbell's behaviour and its improved our relationship a lot.

Another positive is that it has made Tinkerbell's travel sickness disappear. She used to not be able to make a 15 minute journey to the vet without being sick, but the veterinary nurse suggested I let her look out the window but that didn't help at all. I didn't buy the VetIQ Serene-Um for the purpose of aiding her travel sickness, it was just a loverly surprise when it actually helped. She went through about 5hours of driving and was not sick once. This makes me so relieved and happy that I don't have to try prescribed medicines to help with this. 

Overall I absolutely love this product! The packaging is great and it gives you all the information you need on the outside but this does mean the font is very small so if you struggle with reading small things you may want to check out the internal leaflet or their website. 

I would definitely rate this product 5/5 stars *****

Thanks again to the lovely people at Mark & Chappell for sending me this product to review!

Grab your VetIQ Serene-Um calming tablets now from Amazon - Usually £14.99 but now on offer for £11.49. (at time of publishing) 

Thanks for reading, 

Charlie and Tinkerbell 🐾 x