Episode 117 – Melatonin

This was such an interesting episode to record and one that certainly left me with more questions than answers.

In response to a question posed by a listener, I did a bit of a deep dive into melatonin, which resulted in some very interesting findings…

The general consensus about the use of melatonin within the Veterinary Behaviour world is that we simply don't have enough evidence of its anxiolytic or calming properties – both anecdotally as well as in the literature.

I did, however, find some other very interesting uses of melatonin, which I talk about in the episode.

I also chat about the use of melatonin as part of the "Chill Protocol" as described by Costa et.al. in JAVMA, 2023:

Costa, R.S., Jones, T., Robbins, S., Stein, A. and Borns-Weil, S., 2023. Gabapentin, melatonin, and acepromazine combination prior to hospital visits decreased stress scores in aggressive and anxious dogs in a prospective clinical trial. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 261(11), pp.1660-1665.

In summary, melatonin is an extremely interesting neurohormone that has so many incredible effects, however, the jury is still out on its use and effectiveness as an anxiolytic.

It may, however, be a useful agent for canine and feline patients showing sleep-wake-cycle abnormalities due to Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome.

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