Did you know that the phases of canine sleep are very similar to the phases of our sleep? In the same way, dogs also dream, and obviously, they can also represent various sleep disorders, such as insomnia. However, the main difference here is that a dog does not suffer from chronic insomnia, but rather it occurs in a certain period and for specific reasons. So, if your dog is very nervous at night and stays calmer during the day, the first thing you should do is identify the cause. In this sense, it should be noted that the causes of insomnia in dogs can be diverse, lack of sleep can be caused by noise, pain, illness, sexual behavior or the age of the dog, being common for older dogs present various alterations in their sleep phases.
Now then, if the dog seems hyperactive, nervous or anxious throughout the day, the situation becomes complicated and, for many guardians, it even becomes unsustainable. To improve it, in this article on our site we talk about the Bach flowers for nervous dogs
What are Bach flowers?
Bach flowers are a completely natural therapeutic system that began to be developed in 1928 by Dr. Edward Bach. As with most alternative therapies, such as homeopathy, the Bach flower system considers that the original cause of the disease lies in the mind and emotions, when this first alteration is not corrected, it ends up having a negative impact on the physical organism.
Bach flowers are extracts from one or more of the 38 flowers discovered by Dr. Edward Bach. In order for you to understand how these extracts work, you must understand that it is not a common medicinal plant extract (such as a fluid extract or a mother tincture), but rather a highly diluted extract, so much so that it does not present pharmacological activity, but what is called a energetic activity, thus acting on the emotions of the animal that receives them.
Many people request clinical trials before using these therapies, however, they should know in advance that as they are substances of a completely different nature, a remedy with these characteristics cannot be subjected to the same clinical trial as a drug. For example, studies are required that measure the improvement of symptoms and not so much that establish a mechanism of action that has to act on certain cell receptors.
Bach flowers have improved the quality of life of numerous people and also their pets, offering a very important advantage: They are completely harmless, they do not present side effects, and can be applied in any case since they do not interact with medications or are counterproductive against any pathology.
How to calm a nervous dog with Bach flowers?
Currently, and with increasing frequency, mention is made of the holistic veterinarian, a professional who, in addition to having studied veterinary medicine, has specialized in the application of natural therapies to restore the he alth of the animal.
If there is something that natural therapies require to be effective, it is a complete individualization of the patient, in this sense, our recommendation is that go to a holistic veterinarian so that he can advise you on which is the best flower or combinations of Bach flowers to treat your pet's insomnia.
However, the flowers that should be taken into account initially to treat anxiety in dogs have been established, let's see what they are:
- White Chestnut: is especially useful for treating older dogs that have reversed sleep-wake cycles. This flower helps calm the anxiety that they often suffer and relaxes them, preparing them for a good night's rest.
- Mimulus (Mime Flower): Does your dog show a lot of fear of everything? If you have a dog that is easily frightened, for example, at the slightest noise, this is one of the best flowers because it acts directly on this emotion, which can be so closely related to nervousness and anxiety.
- Aspen: can be used in a complementary way with mimulus, although in this case we would be talking about a very suitable flower when the The dog, in addition to showing fear, is restless and seems to have the whole environment under control.
- Vervain: Does your dog have high energy and seem hyperactive? When our pet's energy is overflowing, this flower allows us to curb that excessive enthusiasm when it's time to rest.
- Agrimony: If your dog has suffered negative experiences or shows anxiety, this flower will help him channel in a better way these emotions, will reduce your state of restlessness and will facilitate a better rest.
Dose of bach flowers for nervous dogs
Bach flowers generally use alcohol as an excipient, although in minimal quantities, but the best option is to obtain an extract that does not contain this component. To do this, you can order the preparation of these preparations at a pharmacy that has a Bach flower service and master formulation
These floral extracts can be administered in two ways:
- Pouring 4 drops, 4 times a day, directly on the animal's tongue, but always making sure that the saliva does not touch the dropper so as not to contaminate the entire preparation.
- Add 10 drops daily to the pet's water, always keeping in mind that when changing the water, these drops must be added again.
Bach flowers can be administered in this way, regardless of the duration of treatment, until the animal shows complete recovery of its emotional state.
Don't forget to go to the vet
While Bach flowers are harmless, nervousness, anxiety or hyperactivity may not be. As we saw in the introduction to this article, there are various diseases that can hide behind this behavior.
If your dog is very nervous and there is no way to calm him down, go to the vet to assess his he alth. Later, you should know that even if a pharmacological treatment is prescribed, Bach flowers can be administered in the same way, helping to improve the dog's he alth status more quickly.
