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This research investigates the chronic metabolic profile related to anxiety in dogs and the impact of a mushroom supplement on recovery.

May 6, 2026Open Access

The Chronic Metabolic Fingerprint of Canine Anxiety: Hair Trace Element Dyshomeostasis and the Dissociation of Behavioral Recovery via Hericium erinaceus

Key Points

This research investigates the chronic metabolic profile related to anxiety in dogs and the impact of a mushroom supplement on recovery.
Analyzed hair samples from 21 healthy controls and 8 clinically anxious dogs
Used ICP-OES to assess a 16-element panel in hair mineral analysis
Administered daily Hericium erinaceus extract to anxious dogs for 28 days
Anxious dogs showed higher hair zinc and aluminum, lower nickel and elevated phosphorus levels
Supplementation resulted in a 62% reduction in anxiety scores
Post-treatment, most hair mineral levels stabilized except for a significant increase in calcium

Abstract

Abstract Canine anxiety is a complex welfare issue involving neuro-endocrine dysregulation. While acute stress biomarkers are widely used, the chronic metabolic consequences of anxiety remain under-investigated. Hair mineral analysis offers a retrospective window into long-term systemic homeostasis. This study aimed to identify chronic trace element signatures in the hair of anxious dogs compared to healthy controls and evaluate whether behavioral recovery induced by Hericium erinaceus supplementation is reflected in the hair mineral matrix. Hair samples from 21 healthy controls and 8 clinically anxious dogs were analyzed for a 16-element panel (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Se, Ni, Si, Ca, P, Al, Cd, Cr, As, B, and Pb) using ICP-OES. The anxious cohort received H. erinaceus extract (1000 mg/10 kg) daily for 28 days. Anxious dogs exhibited a distinct dyshomeostatic profile characterized by significantly higher hair zinc and aluminum, alongside a profound depletion of nickel ( p < 0.001) and significantly elevated phosphorus (P) levels ( p = 0.003). Supplementation led to a substantial 62% reduction in anxiety scores ( p = 0.002), and post-treatment scores were no longer statistically different from those of the control group. However, most hair mineral concentrations remained stable post-treatment, with the notable exception of a significant increase in calcium (Ca) levels ( p = 0.012). Furthermore, Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed that higher anxiety severity was strongly and negatively associated with hair iron (Fe) and chromium (Cr) levels ( r s = -0.77, p = 0.041). These findings suggest that hair Zn, Al, and Ni status may represent potential candidate biomarkers, warranting validation in larger cohorts of the chronic anxious phenotype. The persistence of these signatures despite rapid clinical improvement supports a temporal dissociation between behavioral recovery and metabolic normalization as reflected in the hair matrix. Graphical Abstract

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