DR. SHAZIA

How to Help Your Pet’s Behavioral and Emotional Problems With Flower Essences

Flower essences are a unique natural remedy that is in the same family as homeopathy. I have never found anything that is as easy to use and give, and effects such change as flower essences.  

For one thing, there is no guess work with dosages.  No trying to get a wiggly dog on the scale so you can consult the weight/dosage chart, your parakeet gets the same amount as your rottweiler.  This is possible because flower essences are a vibrational medicine, they have no biochemical means of healing.  That makes them  exceptionally safe for all living things, even those on medication.  

Most animals are quite interested in essences and like taking them.  Often when I walk into a client’s house and let the dogs see the bottle, they are poking it with their noses and looking at me with bright eyes and a “Can I have that?”  tail wag.  I think they understand essences in a way that we do not.  When my own dog gets upset she heads for my home office to get fixed up.

To begin with you need to do a little research and find out which essences are going to be a good match for your pet.  You probably already have an issue in mind that they need help with.  Read through descriptions and find one or more essences that you think should help.  

If it seems like you find more than one essence that seems right for your pet, you can make a combination bottle.  To do this you need an empty dropper bottle, a little brandy, clean water and your chosen essences.  

1.    Fill the bottle almost to the top with half water and half brandy.
2.    Add 4 drops of each essence – no more than 6 different essences.
3.    Shake it up and you are good to go.

If you go to a practitioner they will most likely make your pet a combo like this.   Buying several bottles and mixing your own can get expensive, but you can also order combination bottles on the internet for less.

To use, you can:

•    Put 4 drops of any essence or combination in the water bowl
•    Put 4 drops on a spoon and see if they’ll lick it
•    Rub drops into gums or ear leather – anywhere you can get to skin
•    Put 4 drops in a spray bottle of water and mist them (cats hate this)

The key is to get it into them several times a day.  I like the water bowl method because every time they drink, they’re getting a dose.  It’s ok if other animals drink out of it too.  

Here are some flower essences that lend themselves well to animal issues to help you get started.

Apple is strengthening for animals that are sick or recovering from an illness. Flower essences do not directly treat the physical, but they do help give a consciousness of health. Apple reassures the animal who may have picked up some hypochondria form the owner that he is gonna to be ok.  Apple also helps create a sense of robustness for the runt of the litter..

Arnica helps with shock or trauma, especially animals that have been beaten.

Chamomile helps some cases of barking dogs and is especially good for emotional upset accompanied by stomach upset, gas, or vomiting.

Chicory is for possessiveness, clinginess, and attention seekers for animals that follow you everywhere, pout when they don’t get their way, and throw fits when you leave. For animals that purposely get into trouble merely so you’ll pay attention. (Owner behavior indicated here) For over protectiveness or animal mothers who don’t wean their babies.There can be a co-dependant relationship between the animal and owner who displays chicory behavior and encourages it in the animal.

Comfrey is good during training.. It helps them retain information.

Corn is excellent for animals who spend an inordinate amount of time indoors, especially apartment pets who don’t have the connection to the earth that is natural in their lives.

Dill is good for sensory, feeling overwhelmed, or confusion for pets. Handy during travel or animals who don’t take change of schedule well. For sensitivity, loud noises, and new environments..

Echinacea for severe, severe abuse, animals missing body parts, just real bad off animals

Evening Primrose helps animals who were rejected by their mothers or had some other bad association or traumatic experience with their mother.

Fireweed helps start over after devastation, animals that have been rescued from traumatic circumstances. Externally mist on burns, rashes, or “hotspots.”

Grape Hyacinth helps with panic, helps keep them calm

Lemon Balm is good for restlessness, insomnia, terrors, and anxieties. Give to show dogs and horses before and after a performance.

Lettuce is a calming essence for younger animals that are bouncing around, have no attention span, or going nuts.. This is how they play, but sometimes they just need to settle down and relax—or more likely you need them to settle down and relax.

Love Lies Bleeding is for wounded, suffering animals which might not live. This is your last resort when there is nothing else left to do.

Moonshine Yarrow-Sometimes there is discord within a house and negativity coming from the owners that the pet, dogs especially, are picking up on. This helps protect them from absorbing your bad moods.

Oregon Grape is for animals who expect cruelty, have a hard time trusting you to be nice even though you’ve never given them a reason to expect abuse.  For those who cower when you move your feet too close or raise your voice for any reason.  Helps them trust again.

Pear is for panic, choas, going to the vet or anything that gets them upset.

Pearly Everlasting for separation anxiety, animals that have been previously abandoned.

Plantain is for the tempermental, grumpy animal that doesn’t like the others, facilitates acceptance.

Red Clover is for hysteria, especially indicated for cats. Use it when taking an animal to the vet. If you have one fearful animal that riles the others up, they all need Red Clover. You can also use it as a preventative; for example, when thunderstorms are forecast.

Self Heal both by itself or added to any other essence, can help stimulate the animal’s innate healing process and will to live.

Spinach helps with stress, pets who started out as strays, pets that are high strung and prone to stress, and animals who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected. Also used for stressful things going on in your life that affects them too; such as job loss, divorce, ect. Good for older animals that are losing their spark.

Sow Thistle is for bullying behavior either for the bully or the animal being bullied. Great for multi-pet houses.

Star of Bethlehem is for all kinds of trauma whether old or still fresh, physical mental or emotional, good essence to start with when you rescue an animal and don’t know it’s history.

Sweet Chestnut for animals that have given up the will to live, self-mutilation,starvation, wild animals now in captivity, animals rescued from a factory farm.

Sweet Clover is for aggression, though not fear-based, or tempermental cats

Sweet Pea is helpful to instill a sense of home and family. When you bring an animal home or move to a new place, sweet pea helps the transition. Also for dogs who don’t stay home.

Teasel helps pets who have become depressed after witnessing fighting and arguing between family members. For shock after injury or trauma.

Tiger Lily is for hostile or aggressive animals

White Chestnut for obcessive behavior, restlessness, animals that seem preoccupied.

Wild Rose helps with resignation and apathy, restores will to live, good to use with a long term illness, or animals that don’t seem interested in life.

Violet -shyness, would like to be sociable and longing to be friends but can’t.

Yarrow helps an animal to be less affected by the moods of others or their owners

Rescue Remedy, Five Flower Formula or Crisis Care = All are good for emergency situations.  You should have one of these around in case of accidents, vet trips, birthing, thunderstorms, anything traumatizing or panic inducing.  I have one in my first aid kit, one at the office and one in my glove box.