Herbs for pets – an alternative to harsher chemicals

In the wild, animals naturally seeks out herbs – plant based remedies.
Even domesticated dogs and cats will naturally eat grass to “alleviate stomach discomfort”.

Conventional medicine – for both pets and people – customarily chooses a pharmaceutical solution. That pharmaceutical response is often targeted at suppressing a symptom and less often targeted at curing the problem that created the symptom.

Drugs are generally fast acting, in part because they’re strong. They also come with side effects.

Herbs on the other hand, tend to be more slower acting and more gentle. They aren’t completely without risk or side effects, but they have a greater margin of error and fewer side effects as compared to pharmaceuticals.

Holistic practitioners look at symptoms as evidence of an imbalance. They use herbs as a more gentle and health supportive remedy. A way to reestablish balance.

For instance there are a couple of common flea treatments on the market such as Frontline, K9 Advantix and Advantage.

These products do kill fleas. But they’re harsh insecticides.
Interesting that you’re supposed to apply it with rubber gloves so as not to get any on you.

There are herbal flea repellant alternatives.

For instance you can make an herbal flea collar…
Combine 1 part each of a carrier oil (almond oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil) with any 3 of:
French Basil oil, Cedar oil, Cinnamon oil, Citronella oil, Clove oil, Lemon oil, Lavender oil, Rose Geranium, Eucalyptus oil.
(Do not use citronella, cedar, basil with a pregnant or nursing pet)

Pour the mixture over a fabric collar and let it soak in plastic bag. Drain on a paper towel.
You can refresh the collar by dripping on several drops.

You can learn about using herbs to help your pet in Natural Dog and Cat Care 101.

You can also find a wide variety of herbal and homepathic remedies for your pet at Pet Herbs Direct.


Introducing a new pet or baby into the home

Dogs and cats tend to be at least a little resistant to change in their environment.

By nature, they’re territorial. Therefore bringing a new member in the household – their territory – can result in some undesirable behavioral reactions.
That new member can be another pet, or, another human.

The addition can bring up feelings of jealosy, insecurity, anxiety or fear. That may result in aggression against other pets or humans, withdrawal or perhaps taking it out on the furniture.

All of this can make your home life strained and perhaps even untolerable.
Bach Flower Remedies can help. Bach Flower Remedies are completely safe, with no side effects. So there’s really no risk as there can be with drugs. There are 38 Bach Flower Essences.

Each specific Essence targets a specific emotional imbalance.
Restore the emotional balance and behavior problems typically improve. By carefully observing your pet you can determine which emotions are out of balance.

With the Bach Flower Essences you can use one or a combination of Essences.

For instance…
Aspen is helpful with vague or unknown fears. Your pet can become more anxious during a transition period and be overly sensitive to other humans and pets in the environment.

Beech is helpful with tolerance. This may especially be the case with an older animal when a new kitten, puppy or baby join the household. Babies, kittens and puppies tend to have a higher energy level and create more commotion.

Holly is helpful with jealousy inspired behaviors such as growling, hissing, snapping and unprovoked attacks. Animals used to being the center of attention may not appreciate sharing your affection.

Honeysuckle is helpful with adapting and adjusting to a new situation.

Walnut is helpful with change and over–sensitivity to a new environment such as moving to a new house.

It’s easy to combine one or more Essences into a treatment bottle. It can be used short term or longer term to help your pet (and the rest of your household) adjust to a new situation.



Healthy Dog and Cat Care Guide includes a chapter on Bach Flower Remedies.

You can get Rescue Remedy for Pets here.

And you get all the Bach Flower Remedies here.




Are you frustrated by your pet's bad behavior?

What do you do when your pet simply won’t behave?
Most people go the training route believing unwanted behavior can be trained away.
Some people may try drugs.
And, unfortunately, often pets are given up due to unresolved behavior problems.

While we can observe the behavior – the what – rarely do we know the why. And trying to ‘reason’ with them is futile ;)

Dr. Bach was an early 20th Century physician in England.
He believed there was a connection between mind and body… Specifically between emotions and illness. In other words, how you feel emotionally can influence how you ‘feel’ behaviorally or physically.

A dog that shows aggression may in fact be fearful.
A dog that rips up your shoes after you go off to work may be anxious.
Behavioral training doesn’t resolve the underlying emotion… which can make training away the behavior difficult.

In your own life pehaps you know someone who is very afraid of spiders.
A typical spider is an inch or two big. You could very easily kill them. From a strictly rational perspective, it’s the spider that should be afraid rather than the 5+’, 100+ pound human.

However, emotions don’t follow a rational path.

Dr. Bach – through research – discovered 38 different remedies – 37 from flowers, one from spring water. While they are flowers, it’s not the scent that influences.
In fact these flowers are infused into tinctures… you won’t smell them like you smell a fresh rose.

The Bach Flower Remedies work ‘energetically’. Each one influences a specific emotion at a deep vibrational level.

Dr. Bach called it “positive vibrations.” Homeopaths call this energy “vital force” and the Chinese call it “Qi”.

Dr. Richard Gerber in his book A Practical Guide to Vibrational Medicine states:

“Vibrational medicine is based upon modern scientific insights into the energetic nature of the atoms and molecules making up our bodies, combined with ancient mystical observations of the body’s unique life–energy systems that are critical but less well understood aspects of human functioning. Bach believed that his flower remedies would not only neutralize negative emotional–and mental–energy patterns but also infuse positive vibrations associated with specific virtues into an individual such as the virtues of love, peace, steadfastness, gentleness, strength, understanding, tolerance, wisdom, forgiveness, courage or joy.”

In the United Kingdom they’re generally referred to as the Bach Flower Remedies. In the United States they’re often called the Bach Flower Essences.

Bach Flower Remedies have been used in both acute situations – such as a trip to the Vet, a road trip or a thunderstorm. And in longer term situations – such as early abuse, neglect or abandonement, a new household member or a loss of a household member.

While not a substitute for Veterinary care, Bach Flower Remedies can be used in conjuction with other training or Veterinary care.

The Remedies are very gentle, with no side effects.
They're also very economical.



Healthy Dog and Cat Care Guide includes a chapter on Bach Flower Remedies.

You can get Rescue Remedy for Pets here.

And you get all the Bach Flower Remedies here.




How to make that Vet visit less stressful for your pet

The dreaded trip to the Vet (your pet’s version of the dentist appointment).
While some pets don’t mind visiting the Vet, many aren’t so happy about the experience. They may feel anything from mild anxiety to complete panic.

Bach Flower Essences can make the experience easier on your companion… and YOU.

The term Essence is generally used in United States, while the term Remedy is more often used in the United Kingdom where the Bach Flower Remedies were created by Dr. Edward Bach in the early 20th Century.
Bach Flower Remedies are helpful to both people and animals. They’re completely safe without side effects. And they’re much more economical that prescription drugs.

Bach Flower Essences are natural solutions made by diluting specific flowers from a certain area in England in spring water and an alcohol preservative. While they are Essences, they’re not aromotherapy. In fact they don’t even smell.

Each Essence acts to balance particular negative emotions such as fear, anxiety and worry. Restoring balance restores a state of equalibrium and harmony. This in turn generally improves behavior.

For example, when a pet is fearful of a Vet visit and shakes and cowers, Bach Flower Essences can balance the fear emotion and the pet will be more calm.

There are a total of 38 individual Bach Flower Essences. In addition, Bach Flower Essences can be combined to help with multiple emotional imbalances. Dr. Bach created one combination Remedy – Rescue Remedy.

Rescue Remedy combines 5 Essences and is helpful in situations of high anxiety, fear, terror and/or stress… such as a Vet visit.

Rescue Remedy includes:

  • Cherry Plum helps with composure and self control.
  • Clematis helps balance disorientation and disassociation.
  • Impatiens supports patience and gentleness helping with tension, irritability and high–strung nervousness.
  • Rock Rose supports courage and steadfastness helping with terror, panic and fear.
  • Star of Bethlehem helps with trauma.

Using Rescue Remedy before a trip to the Vet could reduce stress for you and your companion. Rescue Remedy comes in a number of forms. The tincture does have a small bit of alcohol used as a preservative. You can get Rescue Remedy for Pets and Rescue Remedy for Kids. Both are alcohol free (they use vegetable glycerine as the preservative). And you can also get Rescue Remedy in a spray form.

If you’re using Rescue Remedy ahead of a trip to the Vet (or any other stressful event), you want to start dosing about 45 minutes prior to and dose two or three times. Bach Flower Essences are tinctures. Optimally you want to drip 4–8 drops into your pets mouth. They don’t always cooperate. Some other strategies include:

putting the drops into your palm and having your pet lick them
rubbing it into their ear flaps, close to their ears, paw pads or on gums



Healthy Dog and Cat Care Guide includes a chapter on Bach Flower Remedies and how to choose the best Essence for your pet's issue.

You can get Rescue Remedy for Pets here.

And you get all the individualBach Flower Remedies here.




What are Bach Flower Essences and how can they help your pet?

Dr. Edward Bach was a conventional allopathic doctor in London with an expertise in bacteriology and pathology. He came to believe that emotions strongly influenced disease. That diseases were the result of imbalances or negativity of the “soul”, a weakening of our “vital force”.

He studied homeopathy and then in 1930 completely gave up his medical practice to create a healing system. His goal was to create a healing system simple enough that people could identify their negative emotional state and choose the appropriate remedy themselves.

Bach ultimately created the 38 “Bach Flower Essences” – 37 from specific flowers and 1 from the water of a spring. He called them the “Happy fellows of the plant world”.

Each Essence targets a particular mental or emotional state – such as fear, anger, apathy, aggression – to unlock the body's natural healing power.

Bach’s primary focus was people, but the Essences were also used with animals. In fact Dr Bach’s assistant – Nora Weeks – was quoted in 1942:
“Animals suffer from moods in the same way as human beings. The Remedies help man and beast alike”.

In some ways pets are more attuned to the remedies.

Although they are flower essences, they’re not like aromatherapy. The Essences are prepared as tinctures and most often dripped into the mouth. They’re very safe – internally and externally – with no side effects.

Many people (myself included) have found Bach Flower Remedies to be very helpful with behavioral and emotional problems in pets.


Natural Dog and Cat Care 101 explains how to use Bach Flower Remedies and how to choose the correct Bach Flower Essence to help your pet. Get the best information to make the wisest care choices.