Rescue Remedy for Dogs and Cats
Edward Bach’s Famous “Rescue Remedy” for Dogs and Cats
You Know Your Pets are People, Too
Surely, your common sense and everyday observation instruct you that your cats and dogs experience emotions and moods; you know they dream, because they frequently run and woof in their sleep. Moreover, several noted pet-loving naturopaths have observed their dogs sniffing carefully through their essential oils, ultimately locating precisely the natural extract that will address their emotional needs. Given fragrances’ immediate and overwhelming impact on emotions, common sense then suggests the Rescue Remedy for cats and dogs ought to work at least as well as the comparable formula for humans. Research confirms common sense, and the Rescue Remedy for cats and dogs has gained widespread acceptance among veterinarians and animal care professionals.
A Brief History of the Legendary Rescue Remedy
Dr. Edward Bach’s legendary “Rescue Remedy” derived from his pioneering work with patients suffering chronic upper-respiratory and gastro-intestinal disorders. Convinced that most serious bowel and lung disorders trace their origins to emotional disturbance and what we now call “cognitive dissonance,” Bach connected symptoms with seven affective states. He associated constellations of symptoms with fear, uncertainty, disinterest in or withdrawal from everyday events, loneliness or alienation, extreme susceptibility—what psychoanalysts call “suggestibility—to influences and ideas, despondency or despair which subsequent study linked to guilt and shame, and “over-care for the welfare of others”—the condition we now recognize and treat as co-dependency. Each state came with its own set of essential oil remedies. For generalized anxiety, however, Bach generally prescribed the “Rescue Remedy,” made from flower essences which derived its name from the notion that the potion rescued patients from their panic and paranoia.
Loaded with natural tranquilizers, the Rescue Remedy ingredients combine equal measures of Cherry Plum, Clematis, Star of Bethlehem, Rock Rose, and Impatiens. Administered to humans, Rescue Remedy typically consists of essential oils diluted with purified water and brandy. Although skeptics frequently have wondered how much calming effect derives exclusively from the brandy, Rescue Remedy’s anti-depressant and mood elevating effects defy the conventional wisdom about alcohol, commonly recognized as a serious depressant. Mixed with their drinking water, the standard Rescue Remedy for dogs and cats contains no alcohol; and many practitioners administer the mix as an inhalant, minimizing the risk of poisoning dogs and cats with too much essential oil. Everyday clinical practice dramatically contradicts the skeptics.
The Rescue Remedy In Dogs And Cats
Originally developed to treat anxiety, panic disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in humans, Dr. Edward Bach’s legendary Rescue Remedy was applied to veterinary medicine more or less by serendipity. Animal behaviorists surmised that cats’ and dogs’ acute olfactory powers would make them especially susceptible to the influences of aromatic oils; they further surmised that animals experience emotions and states of mind comparable with Bach’s seven mood indicators, and they speculated that animals would experience little or no cognitive interference with the Rescue Remedy’s effects. Conducting their animal research according to Bach’s own case study protocol, veterinarians found that the Rescue Remedy for dogs and cats calmed and soothed them just as quickly and effectively as it did with humans, making them more tractable and compliant.
A Rescue Remedy By Any Other Name…
Out of respect for Dr. Bach, his heirs, long-time followers, and certified practitioners, the name “Rescue Remedy” is generally given only to products produced under license from The Bach Centre. In everyday parlance, veterinarians and animal care specialists refer to Bach’s formula as “the five-flower mix,” and the formula has gained acceptance as the all-natural sedative of choice for seriously injured animals and feral dogs and cats caught in traps. Many dog trainers use the five flower essences formula as they school puppies in proper behavior, because relief of their anxiety makes them most responsive to commands, discipline, and rewards. Dr. Bach was an animal lover and because of this he used rescue remedy for dogs and cats as well as pets of all sorts.
Bach Rescue Remedy.net