New Pet Tips & Remedies

• Posted on 11 January 2013
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in aggression, anxiety, fear, foster home, introducing, introduction, new home, new pet, scared
• 0

Have you joined the many others across the nation and added a furry friend to the family this past holiday season? Or maybe you plan to in 2013. Along with all the preparations that happen when bringing home a new cat or dog have you ever stopped to think about helping them transition to their new environment? Most cats and dogs can show you their personalities right off the bat but some take time to adjust to the surroundings. It’s no different than how people interact and face new situations, some handle it well and others need an adjustment period.

Have you joined the many others across the nation and added a furry friend to the family this past holiday season? Or maybe you plan to in 2013. Along with all the preparations that happen when bringing home a new cat or dog have you ever stopped to think about helping them transition to their new environment? Most cats and dogs can show you their personalities right off the bat but some take time to adjust to the surroundings. It’s no different than how people interact and face new situations, some handle it well and others need an adjustment period.

How do we help those animals who just seem a bit “off”? There are many things we can do to ease their fears or insecurity.

My first go-to solution would be to try Bach flower remedies. Flower remedies are great to use because you can mist them in the air around the pet, put them in drinking water, give them orally, apply directly to the skin or the meridian points, fluff through your pets coat or even put them in a diffuser. You can pick whatever option is best for your pet and they will still receive all of its wonderful benefits. Many folks are familiar with the Bach 5 Flower Formula (aka Rescue Remedy) however it doesn’t work for all pets. Flower remedies work on matching frequencies of the flower to the person or pet. Many flowers have a particular quality that is the exact equivalent to a human or pet’s emotion and you must match the symptoms to have best results. The key symptoms your pet may be exhibiting become the most characteristic when energy is blocked and the energy of a particular flower is needed.

Here’s a few of my favorite Bach flowers to look at:

• Walnut – Can help dogs and cats transition and those with difficulty adapting to changes.
• Honeysuckle – For pet’s who did better in a different home/foster home before yours or with issues adjusting to the new environment.
• Star of Bethlehem – For animals that have been in a traumatic situation, either physical or emotional traumas.
• Vine – Animals that may be aggressive or bully the other animals in their new home environment.
• Chicory – For those that have separation anxiety where the animal won’t let their owner out of sight and become destructive when left along.

Until 2/15 get all Bach Flower Remedies for $10 each at the Store.

My next remedy would be using therapeutic grade essential oils by trusted companies like Young Living Oils. My two favorite oils to use in these situations would be Lavender and Quiet Scent. Lavender would be a better choice for cats while Quiet Scent for dogs. Quiet Scent can also be used for animals who are nervous and anxious with car rides, trips to the veterinarian’s office and thunderstorms. For cats, I prefer to put 4 drops of Lavender oil in a 4 oz mist bottle and fill the rest with reverse osmosis water. You can then spray the Lavender mist in a room, the car for the ride home or even apply it on yourself before approaching an animal. It can calm both you and the pet in a stressful situation. I prefer to use BeYoung Essential Oils. You can go to beyoungeo.com and sign up for free to shop their essential oils and be sure to use our store code 10486 when signing up. Or I can order them for you directly.

My last remedy would be simply a homeopathic remedy. Usually a 12c Arnica in a homeopathic dose would be my top choice. One dose should be sufficient for getting past any stress of being in a new home. Especially if you don’t know the animal’s background information, arnica has an affinity for helping with depression, absence of mind, anxiety and restlessness of the mind, quarrelsome behavior, fear of being touched and fright. If you give your pet Arnica and none of these symptoms are present, they can typically still benefit from it. However, if you feel your pet may have had a traumatic past or experience prior to your home, 12c or 30c Ignatia may be a better remedy choice.

If you feel your pet may need some of the above remedies, please feel free to call me at 248-548-3448 for more information or  a custom-made remedy.

With all of these remedies in mind when bringing home a new pet, The Pet Beastro would like to announce our first official introduction to Tango that is him in the picture above. Tango is a 10 week old Bengal kitty who will be traveling back and forth to the store with Jill. Stop in when you get a chance to meet him.