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. Simply put, flower essences are used to correct emotional imbalances by replacing negative emotions with positive ones.
The earliest account of their use in the treatment of animals was by a woman named Nora Weeks in 1939. She says, “Animals suffer from moods in the same way as human beings, . . . the remedies help man and beast alike.” Today flower essences are used extensively among veterinarians, animal behaviorists, dog trainers, breeders and pet owners. Please be sure however to provide proper veterinary care and nutrition as well.
Flower essences are prepared by floating freshly picked flowers in pure spring water for several hours in direct sunlight. The blossoms are then removed and the water is stored and preserved with alcohol in a small, dark bottle. More than one flower essence may be given at the same time, although a single-essence program is often very effective in treating common pet ailments. Flower essences are completely safe. There are no dangers of over-dosing your pet and there are no side effects. Flower essences can also be used in combination with other types of medication—both traditional and homeopathic.
Flower essences can be purchased in most health food stores or on the Internet. They come in both oral and topical forms. They usually work best when given four times a day (every six hours), although the most important doses are those given in the early morning and late evening. When used in liquid form, the dose can be given directly into the pet’s mouth or dropped in the pet’s water bowl. There is no danger of harming your other pets if they all drink out of the same water bowl.
The most important and widely used flower remedy in healing the emotional stress of animals is a flower essence product called Rescue Remedy. It consists of a mixture of five different flower essences: impatiens, clematis, rock rose, cherry plum, and Star of Bethlehem. A common use by vets is to calm animals down before exams or surgeries. Things like thunderstorms and fireworks can cause stress to many pets and pet owners find that Rescue Remedy provides comfort to their pet during these times.
There are many other types of flower essences available. Selecting the appropriate combination to give your pet can sometimes be a challenge. There are many books available on the topic as well as many veterinarians and flower essence practitioners who can help you decide which flower essences are best for your pet.
Here are a couple of links where you can find out more information and locate a practitioner:
http://www.flowersociety.org/animals.htm
http://www.flowersociety.org/practitioner/login/login.php?dest=%2Fpractitioner%2F