Greyhounds For You - G4U - We Home Greyhounds

Greyhound Flower Remedies

Updated April 2008

 

When you start talking about Bach Flower Remedies most people look at you blankly. You then mention Rescue Remedy and the penny drops.

People say “Oh yes I’ve used that before”. What most people don’t realize is that there are in fact 38 different Flower Remedies and that Rescue Remedy is a blend of 5 of them. The other thing that people forget is the not only can Flower Remedies be used by humans but they can also make a huge difference to animals.

Dr Edward Bach discovered the Flower Remedies in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. He spent the later part of his life until his death researching them. The result was 38 Flower Remedies that can be used either individually or blended together to dealt with negative emotions.

Since I started training as a Bach flower therapist a whole new world has opened up. Not only have I benefited but my dogs have too. In fact I used Paddy as one of my case studies. The beauty of Flower Remedies is that you can do no harm. If you give the wrong remedy it has no effect. If you have other animals or more than one dog they will not be harmed if they take remedy instead of the animal who was supposed to take it. The remedies only work when they are needed. Bach Flower Remedies for Dogs by Martin J Scott and Gael Mariani is an excellent book for finding out more about using Flower Remedies with dogs. It is published by Findhorn press and can be purchased from their website Findhorn Press

If you have only one remedy in the house it has to be Rescue Remedy (also known as Recovery or 5 Flower Remedy depending on who has produced it). This remedy is excellent not only in an emergency but for when life gets too much and stress levels start to rise. There is also now a Recovery plus Emergency Spray available from Ainsworths. This is the traditional Recovery Remedy plus a couple of extra remedies. If you can afford a complete set of remedies it is well worth the investment. You will then have everything you need when you need it. Dosage is easy as well. I normally use 4 drops 4 times a day if I am using a remedy or remedies on a regular basis. I tend to put the remedies into the dogs’ water bowl as only the dog in need of the remedies will be affected by them. In an emergency situation I would use Rescue Remedy as often as you think it is needed until the animal starts to calm down.

There are a number of other remedies I have found to useful with our dogs and I have listed these below. However it must be noted that that by law, only a qualified veterinary surgeon and the animal's owner are allowed to treat an animal. This list is an ongoing work so more will be added.

 

Useful Remedies for Fear

With 2 of our dogs not liking fireworks I looked for something to help them cope. I use the Flower Remedies in conjunction with a homeopathic remedy.

Aspen is for the vague unknown fear. Useful if you are not sure what is causing the fear. This fear can be so intense that the body trembles. Aspen promotes self confidence and self belief
Mimulus is for when you know what causes the fear. It helps to put things into perspective and allows you to face your fear
Rock Rose is also a good remedy especially if the animal is totally terrified and cowering with fear

Useful Remedies for Aggression

I personally don’t have this problem with my dogs so these are just suggestions. The remedy chosen will depend on what is causing the aggression.
If the aggression is caused by fear and you know what the fear is you can try Mimulus. If the aggression is caused by fear and you don’t know what the remedy is you can try Aspen. The fear may be about a lack of confidence in which case Larch may help to boost the confidence levels.

 

Useful Remedies for Bringing a New Dog Home or Introducing a Strange Dog into Your Pack

When you bring a new dog home there is a lot for them to take in and the world can be a very scary and strange place. I tend to use Walnut in any situation where the dogs have to deal with change. For example going to stay somewhere for their holidays or having other dogs over to visit. Walnut is also a remedy that I use a lot personally.

Walnut is very good for allowing the body to deal effectively with change. It helps to ease the transition and enables you to look at change in a positive way.

Useful Remedies for Dealing with the "Sponge Effect"

The sponge effect is when our pets pick up and absorb our negative energy. If we have a bad day then we need to be aware of the impact that will have on those around us including our pets. To try and protect my dogs against this and allow them to off load any baggage they have picked up I put Walnut and Crab Apple in to their water bowl.

Walnut is to protect them from the negative outside influences and Crab Apple to cleanse the negative baggage. I also have a room spray with Walnut and Crab Apple to cleanse and protect our space as well.

Remedy of the month : Impatiens

This remedy is particularly relevant to those of us who have 10 month old Greyhound pups (you know who you are!) but is useful when dealing with any situation in which your patience is being tested.

When Impatiens people are in a positive state they are:- Clear minded, intelligent, open and to the point, extremely quick witted.

When Impatiens people are in a negative state they are:- Impatient, irritation at the slowness, indecision and apathy of other people. They suffer with tension and are agitated.

An animal in a negative impatiens state is likely to have behavioural indicators such as not being able to wait to go for a walk, rushing around and having endless energy.

Charley Stockley 2007 - not to be reproduced without permission