A Brief Overview of Bach Flower Remedies

If you have ever been into Happy Hounds Pet Supply, inevitably you will find a customer who is explaining their pet’s woes in detail while I listen intently with my “little black briefcase” open to a compilation of Bach Flower Remedies. These little gems can be a one and done solution for a handful of common pet (and human) ailments.
Bach Flower remedies date back to the 1930’s and are named after Dr. Edward Bach who believed a healthy body was built by a balanced emotional state. He spent his life exploring the use of flowers and plants to bring a gentle and natural approach to emotional balance. The 38 Bach Flower remedies he developed remain unchanged to this day and are a safe and harmless approach to you and your pet’s wellbeing.
Here are a few of the remedies I use most frequently:
Rescue Remedy – This product is a combination of the five most common flowers and plants to treat stress and anxiety. I will almost always combine Rescue Remedy with other remedies to ensure all bases are covered. Rock Rose - restores courage and is useful for the panic-stricken pet whose body is trembling or is in such a state they will look whale eyed. Clematis provides focus for pets that have lost interest in the world around them, often indicated by sleeping all the time or having trouble paying attention. Impatiens resets an animal’s patience level when they seem to have boundless energy or cannot wait to go for a walk and rush ahead. Cherry Plum balances the mind if your pet’s behavior is out of control such as violently scratching himself. Star of Bethlehem softens the impact of shock or trauma. This is especially useful for pets who have been abused or mistreated in the past as well as for a death in the family.
Holly – Holly works on the pet who becomes jealous of other animals or a new baby in the home. If your pet is growling, hissing, barking, or attacking when unprovoked, this is an effective remedy to assist with the pet’s demeanor and may well save him from being relinquished or put down due to an attack.
Mimulus – This remedy is for extreme timidity and shyness. I have found that a lot of Australian Shepherds fall into this category. If your pet is afraid of lightening, vet visits and tends to lose his bladder when confronted by strangers, this may help to restore his confidence.
Walnut – I recommend Walnut for all pets adopted from a shelter. It assists them with adapting to change. Since it is often unknown what happened to shelter pets before we take them in, it is best to have Walnut handy to break the link that ties them to their life before you came into the picture.
All Bach Flower remedies come in a tincture form that are administered directly into the mouth or on food. A typical dose is five drops. Since each animal is as unique as you or me, it may take several doses of a remedy before changes are seen. Some animals respond immediately, while others may use an entire bottle before any profound change occurs. Since animals cannot tell us how they feel, we are left with diagnosing the physical cues they provide and letting intuition be our guide. At Happy Hounds, we can remove some of the guesswork by helping to select a formula that we put on treat samples for your pet to try. At the very least, your pet gets a delicious snack while we hope for positive changes to body and mind ahead. Give them a try before heading to solutions that are more difficult to a pet’s system. Both dogs and cats can benefit safely from Back Flower remedies which may just save you a trip to the vet!