The crisis formula for pets
Animals have crises too, and the traditional answer is the same five remedies in an alcohol free base. Owners use it for the fireworks, the vet, the car, and every other moment a dog or cat cannot be reasoned with.
The five inside, and why each is there
The five are the same as the human crisis formula, and the profiles below are written for people. The moods map straight across, which is exactly how owners have always used them.
Rock RoseFor terror. The dog under the sofa when the fireworks start, trembling, cowering, or bolting for the door.Check price on Amazon(opens on Amazon in a new tab)
ImpatiensFor agitation. Pacing, whining, and the restlessness that cannot settle anywhere.Check price on Amazon(opens on Amazon in a new tab)
ClematisFor the switched off, faraway animal that stops responding to a familiar voice.Check price on Amazon(opens on Amazon in a new tab)
Star of BethlehemFor shock, and for the past. The staple for rescue animals whose history came home with them.Check price on Amazon(opens on Amazon in a new tab)
Cherry PlumFor panic that tips into frantic behavior, scratching at doors, chewing, or losing all self control.Check price on Amazon(opens on Amazon in a new tab)
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When people reach for it
- Fireworks or a thunderstorm, before it starts if you know it is coming
- The vet, the groomer, or the dreaded cat carrier
- Car journeys and any travel that means a crate
- A house move, a new home, or a new animal settling in
- Being left alone, for the ones who take it hard
How to take it
Four drops in the water bowl, on a treat, or rubbed gently into the paws or ears, repeated as the situation asks. The label uses the same dose for every size of animal, chihuahua to horse, because the remedies do not work by weight.
For events you can see coming, fireworks night or the vet run, start a few hours ahead and top up as needed rather than waiting for the shaking to start.
The pets guide covers giving remedies to animals in full, stories included.
The ready made makes
The pet version exists because the standard bottles use a brandy base. Rescue Remedy Pet is the identical five flower formula in vegetable glycerin instead, which settles the question owners always ask. If you already have the human bottle, the tradition has always used tiny diluted amounts for animals, but the pet dropper makes it simple.
- Rescue Remedy PetNelsons, glycerin based with no alcohol
Common questions
Can I give my dog or cat the human Rescue Remedy?
The formulas are identical, so the question is really about the base. The classic human drops are preserved in brandy, and the pet dropper swaps that for vegetable glycerin. Owners who use the human bottle put a couple of drops in the water bowl, where the amount of alcohol involved becomes vanishingly small. The pet version simply removes the arithmetic.
How many drops for a big dog versus a cat?
The same. Four drops on a treat, in the bowl, or worked into the paws, whatever the size of the animal. The tradition holds that the remedies carry a pattern rather than a chemical dose, which is why the label does not scale by weight.
What about fireworks night?
Start early. Give it in the afternoon before the first bang, repeat as the evening goes on, and pair it with the practical things that help, the closed curtains, the radio on, the den under the table. Many owners also keep Mimulus in the mix for the weeks around it, since a fear of bangs is a fear the dog could name if it could name things.
Does it work for cats, rabbits and other animals?
The tradition uses the same formula for every animal, and cat owners mostly go via the water bowl or a drop on the paw to be licked off. Rabbits, horses and birds all appear in the older literature. The mood is the thing being matched, not the species.
Is there a night version for pets?
Yes, Rescue Pet Sleep, the same five with White Chestnut added for the preoccupied, fixated kind of restlessness. We cover it separately, since a dog that cannot settle at night is a slightly different animal from a dog mid firework.
Choosing for an animal works the same way
Match the remedy to the mood you can see rather than to the event. The profiles are written for people, but owners recognize their animals in them all the time, and the seven groups make the browsing quick.
Rescue Remedy and Rescue Remedy Pet are registered trademarks of Bach Flower Remedies Ltd, part of the Nelsons group. This site is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Nelsons.