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Valerian root and passionflower are often used as natural tranquilizers for people. Some pet owners also give these herbal remedies to their pets.
If you have a nervous pet, anti-anxiety herbs for dogs may be an alternative to chemical sedatives. My own 16-year-old dog has always been high strung. He’s mellowed with age. But he has a long history of being very fearful around other animals. He used to be aggressive whenever he saw a dog. This was a big problem when we took him to the vet. Now he barks at them. But he doesn’t try to bite them.
Our dog was adopted from a shelter. So we weren’t part of his life for the first three years. So we had no control over his early socialization with other animals.
Fortunately, our dog is very good with people. Actually, with us, he’s a marshmallow. But he has an intense dislike for most other dogs. Unfortunately, he’ll invariably meet other canines at the vet. (Luckily, working with a good homeopath has saved us (and him) from a number of vet visits.)
Grooming is another matter. The last time I took him to the groomer he trembled. Now that he’s so old I don’t think I can put him through this again. So now I think we’re looking at home grooming. (Update: Since this article was written I have brought my dog to the groomer. He did fine.)
Anyway, if you have a high strung dog, there are occasions you may want to use natural sedation.
Anti Anxiety Herbs for Dogs
Giving sedating herbs to dogs appears to be a relatively new trend. One of the natural pet companies that’s addressing this need makes the Tranquility Blend formula you see below. It contains organic Valerian root, skullcap, oat flower and Passionflower. The only other ingredients are vegetable glycerin and distilled water.
Dosing instructions are on the bottle. But please check with your vet before using this or any other herbal remedy on your dog. Don’t use it if your dog is pregnant. Herbal remedies may react with certain medications, so your vet can address any potential conflicts.
If your dog also has behavioral issues, you may also want to consider using this herbal remedy in conjunction with a behavioral training program. The company that sells this blend is totally dedicated to natural pet care, which is why I’m so happy to feature it on my site.
Anxiety Treatments for Dogs
If you’ve read my recent posts, I’m also a fan of Rescue Remedy for dogs. That’s because it’s helped my own dog so much. Technically, this isn’t an herbal formula, even though it’s derived from plants. It’s a gentle homeopathic preparation made from five flower essences. It was originally designed for people. But, in recent years, it’s also become popular as a pet remedy.
The company that sells Rescue Remedy makes a special formulation for animals. It’s identical to the human blend, except that it’s preserved with glycerin, instead of alcohol.
Natural Anti Anxiety Remedy for Dogs
Rescue Remedy is something I’ve had in my house for more than 10 years. The first bottle I bought is still effective. Recently, on the advice of our homeopath, I put a few drops of Rescue Remedy on my dog’s nose when he was sick, and we were worried we might lose him. This, along with a few other remedies, appeared to help. He appears to have made a full recovery.
Anyway, I don’t mean to veer too far off track. Rescue was designed for shock and trauma, such as what a nervous dog will experience when he’s at the vet or groomer. Or when fireworks are lit on the Fourth of July.
Rescue Remedy is considered safe and effective. It definitely works for me. I’ve taken it when my grandmother was dying, and also more recently, when I heard some horrible news. It does seem to create feelings of well being.
This homeopathic remedy is gentle and potent at the same time. I’ve found that it works best when I take just what I need, and no more. My own homeopath not repeating doses, unless they are needed. If it takes the edge off, it can be put aside until the next crisis. (Or vet visit.) The bottle of Rescue Remedy you see below is sold by Pureformulas, which sells healthy items at a discount.
Please remember that I’m not a medical expert. I’m only writing from personal experience of taking care of my own dog, with natural remedies. Always discuss medical decisions with a healthcare provider. As always with natural remedies, if you don’t notice it makes a positive difference, then discontinue.
Rescue Remedy was one of the remedies that came to our rescue two years ago, when our dog was very sick and we were afraid we’d lose him. Fortunately, we were able to work with a skilled homeopath. He’s now 15 1/2 and we hope to keep him as long as possible. I can’t promise Rescue Remedy will be a lifesaver with other animals. But you can read about our experience here. Thank goodness we didn’t take the drastic step of putting him down, while he had the potential to recover.
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