This is one of the main reasons I got into flower essences in the first place. I love, love, love animals, and there are not many ways you can help them. Having been around plenty of pets with pasts, I was really excited to see these work. Animals respond very quickly to flower essences. They don’t have all the hang-ups we have over trying to understand how they work. I’m pretty sure my dog understands them better than I do.

Zoe

   Zoe is my border collie/hound mix. I found her eating out of my compost pile. She had a choke chain around her ribs that was extremely tight and cutting in, with big sores from it. You could see all the ribs, you could see backbones, and she was cowering. It was obvious we had to help her, so I brought her in the house and she had some spaghetti while my husband looked for bolt cutters to get the chain off. She has been nothing but trauma and drama from day one. To sum it up, she’s had her tail cut off, possibly abused, obviously neglected, run over and shot. She has issues. She also has a “nothing’s going to stop me” attitude.The first thing I ever gave her was Rescue Remedy. It was a dire situation and I didn’t want to dilute it in water, I wanted an instant fix, so I wrestled her down, pried her mouth open and shot some in. It took a second, then her whole expression changed. She thought about it for a minute, then she wanted to see the bottle so I let her and she poked it around and gave it a slurp. Since then, that was my way of knowing what she needs. If she doesn’t want that one, she’ll back up and if she does, it gets slurped and she wags her tail at me. If she has an essence that she’s staying on for awhile, I’ll put it in her water and announce that I’m doing so and she will come running and guzzle water. She’s so good.
    Usually there is an owner connection to whatever problem an animal has. They are sensitive and perceptive and pick up on whatever issues you’re going through. Mirroring their owner’s mental states is called “sympathetic resonance”by animal behaviorists.. In other cases, you could unknowingly be doing something to aggravate the problem.. For example, Zoe doesn’t like loud noises; fireworks, thunder, and guns.. I, having seen the weather report, am on guard to make sure she doesn’t freak when the first thunderclap hits. In being tense and aware, she picks up on my anxiety and is pre-worried, and when the thunder hits, her anxiety has built up all day and when I come to hug and coddle her she thinks “Gosh, it must be serious,” and shakes even worse. If I can be business as usual, then she’s much better.
    Zoe is also always on the same flower essence as my husband. Whatever is going on with him, she picks it up and makes it her problem too. I joke that whenever she acts up; I say “You know,she gets it from you.” Moral of the story is, if something is haywire with your pets, look into your own actions and circumstances. If in doubt, share the flower essences.

How to Use

   Dosage is 4 drops in the water bowl, making sure it’s fresh every day.It’s fine if other animals drink out of it too. Alternatively, you can rub the drops into their gums or ears or anywhere you can get to the skin. Here are some essences that lend themselves to common animal issues.

Apple is strengthening for animals that are sick or recovering from an illness.Flower essences do not directly treat the physical, but they do help give a consciousness of health. Apple reassures the animal who may have picked up some hypochondria form the owner that he is gonna to be ok.Apple also helps create a sense of robustness for the runt of the litter..

Arnica helps with shock or trauma, especially animals that have been beaten.

Chamomile helps some cases of barking dogs and is especially good for emotional upset accompanied by stomach upset, gas, or vomiting.

Chicoryis for possessiveness, clinginess, and attention seekers for animals that follow you everywhere, pout when they don’t get their way, and throw fits when you leave. For animals that purposely get into trouble merely so you’ll pay attention. (Owner behavior indicated here) For over protectiveness or animal mothers who don’t wean their babies.There can be a co-dependant relationship between the animal and owner who displays chicory behavior and encourages it in the animal.

Comfrey is good during training.. It helps them retain information.

Corn is excellent for animals who spend an inordinate amount of time indoors,especially apartment pets who don't have the connection to the earth that is natural in their lives.

Dillis good for sensory, feeling overwhelmed, or confusion for pets. Handy during travel or animals who don’t take change of schedule well. For sensitivity, loud noises, and new environments..

Echinacea for severe, severe abuse, animals missing body parts, just real bad off animals

Evening Primrose helps animals who were rejected by their mothers or had some other bad association or traumatic experience with their mother.

Fireweed helps start over after devastation, animals that have been rescued from traumatic circumstances. Externally mist on burns, rashes, or “hotspots.”

Grape Hyacinth helps with panic, helps keep them calm

Lemon Balm is good for restlessness, insomnia, terrors, and anxieties. Give to show dogs and horses before and after a performance.

Lettuceis a calming essence for younger animals that are bouncing around, haveno attention span, or going nuts.. This is how they play, but sometimes they just need to settle down and relax—or more likely you need them to settle down and relax.

Love Lies Bleeding is for wounded, suffering animals which might not live. This is your last resort when there is nothing else left to do.

Moonshine Yarrow-Sometimes there is discord within a house and negativity coming fromthe owners that the pet, dogs especially, are picking up on. This helps protect them from absorbing your bad moods.

Oregon Grape is for animals who expect cruelty, have a hard time trusting you to be nice even though you've never given them a reason to expect abuse.  For those who cower when you move your feet too close or raise your voice for any reason.  Helps them trust again.

Pear is for panic, choas, going to the vet or anything that gets them upset.

Pearly Everlasting for separation anxiety, animals that have been previously abandoned.

Plantain is for the tempermental, grumpy animal that doesn't like the others, facilitates acceptance.

Red Clover isfor hysteria, especially indicated for cats. Use it when taking an animal to the vet. If you have one fearful animal that riles the others up, they all need Red Clover. You can also use it as a preventative; for example, when thunderstorms are forecast.

Self Heal both by itself or added to any other essence, can help stimulate the animal’s innate healing process and will to live.

Spinach helps with stress, pets who started out as strays, pets that are high strung and prone to stress, and animals who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected. Also used for stressful things going on in your life that affects them too; such as job loss, divorce, ect. Good for older animals that are losing their spark.

Sow Thistle is for bullying behavior either for the bully or the animal being bullied. Great for multi-pet houses.

Star of Bethlehem is for all kinds of trauma whether old or still fresh, physical mental or emotional, good essence to start with when you rescue an animal and don't know it's history.

Sweet Chestnut for animals that have given up the will to live, self-mutilation,starvation, wild animals now in captivity, animals rescued from a factory farm.

Sweet Clover is for agression, though not fear-based, or tempermental cats

Sweet Pea is helpful to instill a sense of home and family. When you bring an animal home or move to a new place, sweet pea helps the transition. Also for dogs who don’t stay home.

Teasel helps pets who have become depressed after witnessing fighting and arguing between family members. For shock after injury or trauma.

Tiger Lily is for hostile or aggressive animals

White Chestnut for obessive behavior, restlessness, animals that seem preoccupied.

Wild Rose helps with resignation and apathy, restores will to live, good to use with a long term illness, or animals that don't seem interested in life.

Violet -shyness, would like to be sociable and longing to be friends but can't.

Yarrow helps an animal to be less affected by the moods of others or their owners