All Paws Medical & Behavioral Center

What are Bach Flower Remedies?
They are based on the research of Dr. Edward Bach, an MD and bacteriologist in the early 1900’s. Dr. Bach noticed the connections between stress, emotional problems and the onset of illness in his patients. He understood the need to treat the patient as a whole organism rather than a set of isolated symptoms. He went in search of a simple, safe way to restore balance of the immune system in an effort to fight disease.
He discovered properties in flowers, trees and bushes that provided him with the remedies or “essences” that he was looking for. Although these essences are taken from plants, they contain a very small amount of plant material, and therefore, are very safe to use. They help the body to help itself.

How do Bach Flowers work?
They are a form of “energy” medicine. They are non-toxic, gentle remedies that can be used alone or to supplement and strengthen other conventional medical treatments for your pet. They help to improve the function of the immune system and to help fight disease by helping to produce a balanced state of mind. While it may seem strange to think of a dog or cat suffering from “stress” we certainly know that pets can develop behavioral problems, and these problems in turn influence an animal’s health.
The biggest problem we face when treating problems with our pets is that they can’t tell us how they feel. They can’t say that their fear of storms is causing diarrhea. We have to try and interpret their signals for them. And, together, armed with your knowledge of your pet, we can develop an appropriate therapy using veterinary medications assisted with Bach Flower remedies.

How to use Bach Flowers

Because this is a form of “energy medicine”, Bach Flower Remedies can be affected by other energies. Protect the remedies from electrical appliances such as microwaves, computers and televisions. Also, protect them from extreme temperatures as well.
To prevent contamination do not touch the tip of the dropper or sprayer to yourself or your pet. If it does touch the mouth, wash the dropper.
There is no wrong way to dose, and no side effects come from using the Bach Flowers. The only error in not choosing the right essence is that it won’t work and we’ll need to try again to interpret your pet’s signals. Dosing depends on the severity of your pet’s condition. In an emergency (an upcoming thunderstorm) you can use 3 – 4 drops every 10 – 15 minutes or 3 – 4 drops 1 – 4 times daily for something less immediate.
Bach Flower Remedies are very easy to use. You can massage the drops gently into the corner of your pet’s lips, its gums, into its earflaps or skin. You can add 6 – 8 drops per day into drinking water or bathwater or can be sprayed into a room or kennel that your pet occupies.

Why am I interested in Bach Flower Remedies?
         Two years ago I attended a seminar on a subject I knew little about at the time. Pet care and especially preventative medicine is critically important to me. I want the best always for our patients. I had long recognized that too often in medicine we are treating pet’s symptoms and not really touching the problem as a whole. It is important to me to always do my best and explore all possibilities, so I thought an examination of holistic medicine; which, by definition, treats the patient as a whole organism, was in order.
         The subject of Bach Flower Remedies most excited me. The possibilities for its benefits seemed amazing to me; #1: the remedies come without side effects for the patient, and #2: potentially treat the problem and not just the symptoms while improving the function of the animals’ immune system, and #3: they work together, not as a substitute, with other conventional veterinary therapies.
         I have spent the last two years doing my own research on the value of Bach Flowers to my patients. I have talked to many veterinarians around the country who have used Bach Flower Remedies successfully for many years, and have been reading all that I can about the use of Bach Flowers. Since April 2006, I have been using these remedies on my own wonderful pets and patients.
         These remedies aren’t magic and they certainly don’t work better than conventional veterinary medical treatment. The beauty of these remedies is that they work together with other treatments in order to help your pets improve.
         Your input about your pet’s recovery and symptoms is critical in this treatment. There are 38 different flower remedies, each addressing a specific condition. Up to 6 can be put together at one time to treat your pet. Your input and your pets are the keys to my knowing which remedies to use and what changes to make. Together I think we can really work to bring the absolute best healthcare to your pets.