Calming Sloution

[newfie lover]

I'm not sure if this is the right section to post in, so i do appoligise in advance if im wrong.

I am just wondering if anyone could tell me the name of the stuff that is given to dog before a stressful event, just to make them a little calmer. I have a friend who is bring there 17 week old GSD to adelaide from syd and we think she may be a little frightened.

If so could you please tell me where to get it from

Edited September 26, 2005 by newfie lover

[KitKat]

Rescue Remedy and you can get it from pretty much any chemist or health store

[SALTWOOD]

Be Calm - from your vet.

[Hazz]

Another vote for Rescue remedy it's great stuff

edit: spelling

Edited September 26, 2005 by Hazz

[Aphra]

I've tried Rescue Remedy on one of my dogs and for all the effect it had on him I'd have been better off having a big glass of brandy for myself.

What did seem to take the edge off him was a couple of vitamin B tablets ... I just used what I take for myself which is some multi B complex. It did seem to settle him a bit.

[JENCOL]

Have to agree, rescue remedy did nothing when I have used it. However I like Nervatona performance under stress formula (available at health foods shops) and vitamin B 5 tablets

[Norskgra]

I also tried Rescue Remedy on one of my dogs and it had no effect on him at all.

[goldielover]

I haven't tried Rescue Remedy yet, but i have used Be Kalm tablets in the past and found them quite good.

[haven]

I use a combination of bach flower essences, which is what rescue remedy is made from, but I had one specially made for my dog. I have found it works well, but better if it is given regularly rather than only before or during a specific event.

Vitamin B, magnesium and copper are all important for stress relief!

There is a product available called DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) that is available in a plug in (wall socket) diffuser, a collar and a spray formula. I have tried the diffuser (the spray and collar may be unavailable due to product licensing issues) with great success. If the collar and the spray are still unavailable, it still works well if you put a few drops from the diffuser on the dogs coat or on a hanky to carry with you.

[WhiteLight]

I

There is a product available called DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) that is available in a plug in (wall socket) diffuser, a collar and a spray formula. I have tried the diffuser (the spray and collar may be unavailable due to product licensing issues) with great success. If the collar and the spray are still unavailable, it still works well if you put a few drops from the diffuser on the dogs coat or on a hanky to carry with you.

Haven my vets contacted the distributors and they still had stock he got me a few to tide me over. Ask you vet if he can do that for you re DAP.

I swear by it better than rescue remedy anything but not for a short trip as it has to be started weeks before.

I use it to keep my dogs calm when rescues and boarders are around.

[ninaandted]

I like the sound of the DAP stuff - rescue remedy didn't work for us with Nina. The vitamin B helped a very little bit but not so much that you would notice.

Do you think the DAP would work in a situation where our neighbour was causing the stress? (Just his mere presence actually)

The dogs are kept inside now because he has been routinely tormenting them and razzing them up and has threatened to kill them (he's a nasty bit of work but that's a whole other story).

Nina is easily wound up anyway, she's very sensitive. Ted is more naturally calm. They have adapted to being inside really well and don't destroy anything and don't have separation anxiety but when they sense this neighbour going past our property (they know before he has even left his front door - it's amazing) she barks (that's expected) but I think it quite stresses her out (which is what I want to help with - I don't care about the barking - he deserves it)

We are working on training her to feel safe and ignore him. It's slow work but we have been making some progress (yay!) Do you think the DAP would help her generally to assist the training we are working on.

Sorry to thread hijack! But excellent question!!!

[Kirra_Bomber_Zeus]

I use a combination of bach flower essences, which is what rescue remedy is made from, but I had one specially made for my dog. I have found it works well, but better if it is given regularly rather than only before or during a specific event.

Yep, its much better to get a specially made Bach Flower Remedy. I have done a Bach Flower course and learnt lots more now :D

Rescue Remedy is fantastic, but people tend to use it for anything and everything. It is made from 5 of the Bach Flower Remedies which target specific emotional issues. If the emotional issue your dog is having is not one of these target emotions it will do nothing for them.

For instance, for a dog with a vague and unknown fear (kind of like our panic attacks) you should use Aspen and for a known fear (like thunderstorms) you should use Mimulus. But neither of these remedies are in Rescue Remedy.

I have found quite a few people have said Rescue Remedy doesnt work - it does work, its just that you may be trying to use it for the wrong situation.

Jen

[haven]

Jen, would you mind posting or pming me the detals of that course, I'd like to look into it

NinaandTed, obviously the best thing to do if you know what is causing the stress is remove it, if you can. Unfortunately this can be difficult or even impossible in many cases, perhaps like your own. I would suggest you give it a go, it definately can't hurt. I would use it in conjunction with as many other anti-stress remedies, so you can give your dog the best chance of success. So I'd use diet, vitamin and mineral supplements, DAP, Bach flower remedy, counter-conditioning etc. I know of some people who use things like crystal and colour therapy also. I'm a skeptic, but I was about the Bach flower remedy also and that worked wonders. Whatever works ;)

I have a friend with a dog that suffers with extreme anxiety. When i suggested the possibility of medication they were shocked and adamant they wouldn't medicate their dog. While i agree that it wouldn't be my first choice, if medication is the only way to ensure that the dogs quality of life is good, why withold it? It can't be very nice for the dog, living in a constant state of fear and anxiety

[dogcop]

I have a product made up for me by a client who is a homeopath etc. She made it actually for her own dog who suffers fear. It worked well and the dog now doesn't have it all. I use it on other dogs that also come to me that display signs of fear or agression, it seems to work well with about 90% so I'm happy with that. It has no side effects and doesn't dull the dogs senses so there ther is no recovery time to worry about. We also used it on a dog before going into the show ring but forgot to give it a drink of water, we had a perfect trip home LOL. I would always try this style of product before medication.

[ninaandted]

Thanks Haven for that advice.

We've removed as much as we can - i.e. the dogs are kept inside all day now so our neighbour can't get at them but the nasty moron still has a bit of a go if he thinks he won't get caught by getting the dogs' attention through our bedroom window. We're working on replacing the doorknobs so we can close the doors properly and the dogs won't be able to push them open! (the joys of an old house in need of renovation!).

I don't think she needs medication as such, she is just easily wound up and can't calm herself down easily when she gets herself in a state. But she does calm down eventually. she doesn't have separation anxiety, it's really just this neighbour who is the issue.

We're working on the diet and exercise angle and I'm trying to teach her to calm down (but I'm working a bit in the dark here as everything I've read of so far depends on us being home all the time)

I did have her on vitamin B and should start back on that again. She's on a barf diet and we try and exercise and train her everyday to use up some of her excess beans!

I'll certainly investigate the DAP with our vet. Who can we consult in regard to having a bach flower remedy made up to suit? Do normal homeopaths do pets as well or should we try and source a vet who does alternate medicine? That wouldn't be our normal vet!! he's pretty conventional! I had to prove I really knew what I was doing when we started our dogs on barf before he was happy to let us proceed!

[haven]

I got mine made at a health shop. Most chemists and health food shops stock it but you would have to ask the store if they make individual remedies.

[Norskgra]

I got a remedy made up for one of imne by Greenpet. The also have a Homeopathic Anxiety remedy that also appears to work. It will be given a big test this weekend.

[muttmate]

Can anyone recommend anything for a dog who gets quite freaked out when a storm is building up, let alone when it is storming! She has a sixth sense when we are in for wild weather. Any tips or remedies would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[haven]

Same as in my earlier posts, esp DAP and the bach flower remedy if is just a shoet term thing. I would also try to desensitise your dog to storms, perhaps by using a CD if it is the noise that causes the anxiety.

[Norskgra]

That was one of the things my boy was scared of. After getting a remedy from Greenpet, he no longer is afraid of anything.

Some of the things he used to be afraid of were tested last night at training and he no longer has his fears.

Greenpet are quite reasonably priced and I am using thier remedies for one of my other dogs as well. I love thier homeopathy remedies.

Greenpet