Natural Pet Health

The trend toward natural health consciousness in humans is gaining popularity in the animal world too. Many veterinarians are beginning to introduce natural therapies in their practice, including osteopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, flower essences and more recently aromatherapy. It’s just been a few years since aroma therapists and vets have begun to recognize how animals can benefit from this wonderful natural therapy.

For humans and animals alike, essential oils are powerfully antiseptic, detoxifying and revitalizing, thus increasing resistance to disease while strengthening the immune system.

Essential oils can also be used to control pet odors and to purify the air from dust, dander and allergens. For example, mix 50 drops of lemon essential oil in a 2-oz spray bottle filled with water. Shake very well several times and spray the room. You’ll notice immediately that it refreshes and cleanses the air!

British physician Edward Bach first began using flower essences (or remedies) for therapeutic purposes in 1931. Bach tested each of his remedies on himself and then offered them to other medical practitioners to use in their practices.

Bach believed that a positive, healthy state of mind could be restored by using the energy found in flowering plants, trees, and bushes. Flower essences work by affecting the mental and emotional states of an individual rather than treating their physical symptoms. The theory is that physical issues will resolve when emotional issues are resolved.

In simple terms, flower essences are used to correct emotional imbalances by replacing negative emotions with positive ones.

Flower essences are one of the more natural herbal supplements available. During the past 20 years, numerous individuals and businesses have worked to establish their own “system” or line, of flower essence products. Some of these include the Australian Bush Flower Essences by Ian White and the Alaskan Flower Essences by Steve Johnson.

However, Bach Flower Essences continue to be the best-known and most widely available system of flower essences. They are also the most popular flower essence system used in the treatment of animals.

British physician Edward Bach first began developing flower essences in 1931. There are a total of 38 Bach Flower Essences.They include agrimony, aspen, beech, centaury, cerato, cherry plum, chestnut bud, chicory, clematis, crab apple, elm, gentian,
gorse, heather, holly, honeysuckle, hornbeam, impatiens, larch, mimulus, mustard, oak, olive, pine, red chestnut, rock rose, rock water, scleranthus, star of Bethlehem, sweet chestnut, vervain, vine, walnut, water violet, white chestnut, wild oat, wild rose, and� willow.

Rescue Remedy is a blend of five Bach Flower Essences. The flower essences used to make Rescue Remedy include impatiens, clematis, rock rose, cherry plum, and star of Bethelem.

In combination, these flower essences are used to remedy irritability, agitation, muscle tension, muscle pain, unconsciousness, faintness, terror, panic, hysteria, mental trauma, physical trauma, and loss of mental or physical control.

That’s a tall order!

The goal of using Rescue Remedy in pets is to restore calm, reassurance, and relaxation. Although many companies have tried to duplicate its success, Rescue Remedy remains to be the single most important remedy in helping animals.

Some people refer to Rescue Remedy as “a first-aid kit in a bottle.” Indeed, it can be all that is needed to rescue a pet from its current predicament and restore normal functioning.

Many pet owners have questions about how to give flower essences to their pet. When you purchase a bottle of Bach Flower Essences or any other brand of flower essence it will come in a small amber-colored bottle.

You only need to use a small amount of the solution at a time. One bottle will probably last you for several years (keep an eye on the expiration date). Store it at room temperature and away from direct sunlight. Also make sure you keep flower essences away from television sets, microwave ovens and other electrical applicances.

There are actually several ways to give flower essences to your pet. Choose the method that is easiest for you and insures that your pet receives the correct dosage.

For many pets, a behavioral problem turns into a terminal disease. Every year, millions of pets that are often otherwise healthy are euthanized to give their human owners relief from their behavior problems. These problems can include unruliness, excessive vocalization, aggression, inappropriate urination, possessiveness, and destructiveness, just to name a few.

Unfortunately, euthanasia for behavior problems is the main cause of death in young animals. The high costs associated with proper veterinary attention and animal training also results in too many animals being abandoned and neglected by their owners.

However, in many cases a pet’s behavior problem can be modified and even solved completely without the use of expensive behavior therapy and training. In fact, a problem can be solved quite simply using little money with the help of flower essences.

Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love — emotions play a pivotal role in our lives. But are these types of feelings an integral part of an animal’s world as well?

In the past, scientists questioned whether emotions affected the lives of animals. These days, however, emotional and spiritual health-consciousnes s has moved from being exclusively for humans and has advanced into the animal world.

Now more than ever, veterinarians realize that aromatherapy offers more than just fragrance and provides immediate, profound and long-lasting results that may positively affect an animal’s overall health and emotional well-being. Today, veterinarians are turning to osteopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, flower essences and most recently aromatherapy, as holistic solutions to common ailments in animals.

WATER PREPARATIONS:

Herbs (and nearly all patent medicines as well) work quickest in fluid-filled spaces of the body: hence they are not as effective for bone or cartilidge ailments. Water is, in general, a very good solvent for many of the herb’s properties, but water will not dissolve resins or oils.

Suspended Cold Infusions:

A density-based convection cell is set up–good for leaves, flowers, slimy or mucilaginous roots and barks. This method preserves volatiles & mucopolysaccharides: (Ex.: Althea, Comfrey, Echinacea, slippery Elm bark) Mucopolysaccharides are soothing to mucosa,
stimulate Tcell multiplication, are used in poultices, good for sore throat, UTIs, upset stomach: 1/2 to 1 oz. herbs to quart jar.

Hot Infusions: