07/03/2024
FIREWORK RESCUE REMEDIES FOR THE PUPS
FAST ACTING HERBS:
🌿 Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
When used alone or alongside complementary herbs, passionflower is one of the best ways to ease anxiety in dogs. From a traditional herbal medicine perspective, passionflower is a nervine relaxant, meaning it’s a plant that affects the nervous system. This class of nervines has calming, hypnotic, and sedating properties, used in cases of anxiety and hyperactivity.
Western medicine attributes passion flower’s relaxing properties to flavonoids. As an added benefit, flavonoids contain antioxidants–nutrient powerhouses that neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidative stress that can lead to premature aging, cognitive decline, and other serious conditions. So, when you use passionflower for your dog’s occasional anxiety, you’re also defending against oxidative damage to support healthy aging.
These flavonoids also help quiet activity in the brain to support sleep. It doesn’t force sleepiness but rather encourages relaxation and normal sleep, which is disrupted by the stress and anxiety a dog feels in uncomfortable moments.
🌿 Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L) – There’s a reason people drink chamomile tea before bed … it’s a gentle herb with sedative effects. It can help your dog relax and soothe their stomach when they’re nervous. Use it whenever your pup is in a situation that may bring on anxiety or stress.
🌿 Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) – Valerian is the most widely recognized herbal sedative. It’s safe and gentle and calms the nerves. It also promotes physical relaxation. Use it for stressful events or if your dog gets hysterical or overexcitable.
I love using FAST ACTING herbs because when our dogs need a little help calming their nervous system down, sometimes we don’t have 45-60 mins to wait. These herbs are the best of those fast acting herbs, once taken, it promotes relaxation, has mild sedative properties, and instills a sense of calmness and well-being, it can be a true lifeline when stressful situations overwhelm pups.
Not only are these herbs effective, they all also have health benefits to them like antioxidants, anti inflammatory properties as well, unlike pharmaceuticals Vets may give.
If you can get out to your local health food store be sure:
👍🏼 You purchase in an ALCOHOL FREE EXTRACT aka liquid form. Extracts/liquids absorb better than any other form of delivery & they’re easy to give.
💥Preferably organic, but if you can’t find organic alcohol-free extract, go with what you can fine. I personally love Herba Pharma, Natures Answer, Peak Performance, WIld Organics, for my locals ’s Health Foods here in Port Orange or Orange City have a very good brand of extracts.
💉 The dosage is going to vary from dog to dog. Their size matters, age matters (older dogs will metabolize slower) more active high energy dogs will metabolize fast. So, What I have always done & it is a technique taught in my Masters Clinical Herbalism class is to “find the right dose”. This is done with people as well. Here’s how it goes -
🚫THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE‼️
Is give 2 full droppers (1 for very small dogs) every 15 minutes then after 2 doses I wait a full 20 mins to see if Harlow has showed signs of relaxation. Obviously this will NOT work if you’re doing it when the stressor is already happening. Their adrenaline aka fight or flight will override it. You just continue to give small doses and wait. I’ve only met a few pups that needed more than 4 dropperfulls and they were very large dogs.
⏰ 🚨 IF you can’t find anything in time, and you’re local, I can make you 16 oz of an infusion that includes passionflower & chamomile. An infusion is basically a very potent tea but not as strong as an extract. The good news is you can drink it too if you need a bit of calming of the nerves 😆
HOMEOPATHY-
Bach Pet Rescue Remedy - is a homeopathic remedy you can find at MOST health food store & MOST pet stores! Works really well, I like to pair it with Passionflower because alone, it isn’t enough for my dog, but it does work!
🌿CBD 🌿 - Love it & if you want to stick with CBD because that’s what you have on hand, start dosing NOW! CBD is not fast acting & even with CBD a lot of dogs do really well combining CBD with calming herbs.
POST JULY 4th - if you are interested in helping restore your pups nervous system head over to New Light Reiki Wellness for some amazing Reiki for your dog by the amazing Lynn Gallagher who is a reiki master for both animal & humans. I can attest to her amazing gifts 🙏🏼♥️
