Flower Essences for Animals (FEA) More recent times have seen further research and development of flower essences, including their effective use with animals. It is thought that flower remedies can help to restore psychological and emotional well–being thereby assisting the animal to regain its natural and normal behaviour. This type of therapy is totally safe and natural, working on the subtle energy fields of the animal, rebalancing and realigning any previous traumas and disturbances.
Having studied and gained a Diploma in Flower Essence Therapy for Animals (DipFEA) I offer consultations, either by telephone nationally, or face–to–face in East Devon where I live. My approach is holistic and considers all factors that may influence the animal, including recognition of its natural and instinctive behaviour, the relationship it has with the people who care for it and its past experiences.
To open up this area of how Flower Essence Therapy can make a positive difference to the lives of pets, what follows are typical initial enquiries that pet carers may ask a FEA therapist, together with appropriate answers. As these demonstrate, it is important for the therapist to look at what practical, simple training/behavioural tips may further help the animal to regain its natural well–being.
Questions and answers about Flower Essence Therapy for Animals
‘Since we moved to Devon a few weeks ago, our 10–year–old Westie seems more reluctant to go out on her walks, and she seems generally a bit out of sorts. Would flower remedies help her?’
Flower Essences may help your dog if she is finding it difficult to adjust to the change. However, in the first instance you would be well advised to take her to see your vet in case she has developed a medical problem which just happens to coincide with the move. If your vet gives the okay, then certainly we can discuss FE therapy.
‘My daughter’s new pony is proving to be difficult. Apparently he has had a difficult time in the past, being sold on several times in a few years, and we have heard that his last owner was very harsh with him so there may well have been an element of abuse. We rather hoped that with lots of love and good care that he would settle down and become a nice riding pony for Sarah, who is 14. We try to work by the Intelligent Horsemanship methods and this usually works well. However, he spooks very easily and doesn’t seem to trust us; at times he is very difficult to catch, for instance. We took him on a few months ago and have shown him nothing but kindness and, although he has improved a little, my daughter is getting quite upset because he is not bonding with her.’
It’s good to hear that this poor pony has found such a good home at last and I’m sure that in time with using kind methods he will settle down and bond well with your daughter. However, FE therapy may be very useful here as remedies are available that have been found to help in situations where there has been past abuse and trauma. Also there are remedies to help settle horses that spook easily, and to enhance the human–animal bond, both of which may be very helpful. I would be glad to arrange a time to discuss these issues with you.
‘My parrot is really noisy. We got him as a hand-reared chick and he was lovely for a few months, but now he screeches a lot and even pecks at us. Can you give him some flower remedies to calm him down because he is driving us mad?’
Parrots are gregarious by nature and they do tend to have particularly noisy times during different parts of the day. Whilst it is wonderful to have a hand–reared pet parrot, as they start to grow up and develop they aren’t necessarily going to retain the cuddly tameness that is so endearing in chicks. Ideally we will need to review his lifestyle, training programme, and look at things such as where his cage is placed, his diet, and how often he is allowed out of the cage for supervised free–flying time. All these will have an influence on his behaviour. It is vitally important for people who care for parrots to have a thorough understanding of normal parrot behaviour and to learn how to care properly for these wonderfully intelligent birds. I would recommend a book called ‘Why does my parrot…?’ by Rosemary Low, as a good place to start.
‘My dog, which we got from the Dogs’ Home, can’t stand being left alone. He goes mad, barking, howling, scratching at the door and if he gets the chance he chews anything he can get his teeth into. Can you help us because we are desperate to help him?’
Anxiety Separation is a fairly common behavioural problem in dogs, especially in those that come from rescue centres. I know from personal experience how distressing this is for both dog and owner. Because the dog is unable to cope on its own, it becomes stressed and, as you have experienced, this results in such things as chewing, barking and howling. I have found a combination of FE therapy and behavioural advice to work well, as long as the owners are consistent and willing to persist with the suggested programme as long as necessary. I would also be able to recommend an excellent video/DVD to further help you through this difficulty.
‘One of my beloved cats died two weeks ago, and of course I am very upset as she was such a dear. However, I’m very worried about her brother who is off his food, and who keeps looking for her, meowing all the time. I worry that he will run off looking for his sister. I’m sure he is missing Mitzi too. Would you be able to help us?’
Of course, I am happy to offer help at this difficult time, and can do this in various ways. You are very welcome to phone me or email me for support as I am a trained and experienced pet bereavement counsellor. (I run a free national pet bereavement support helpline through EASE, a small animal charity that is dedicated to helping people and pets.) Additionally, if you feel it would be helpful, I do offer FE therapy to assist people through the grief process, for which there is a small charge. With regard to your male cat, it does indeed sound as though he may be pining for his sister. However, as Mitzi died two weeks ago, and your cat is still off his food, I would encourage you to get him checked over by your vet in case there is more going on than meets the eye. Following this, I would be happy to carry out a consultation to discuss how FE therapy might help him, as there are remedies that have been found to be very effective in such situations.
‘My golden retriever, Sam, who is 6 years of age, is a lovely dog and he is my main companion in life since my husband died a year ago. It’s just me and Sam now and I’m 80, but we manage. My grandson walks the dog every Sunday for me as I can’t get out so well these days. The trouble is my neighbours are starting to complain about Sam, saying he barks a lot. He’s always been quite a reactive dog, barking at any little noise or if he sees someone walk by the house, but I think he has become noisier since my husband died. They used to go out a lot together. Can you give him something to calm him down?’
I would be glad to help you with Sam and I think it would useful for us to have a good talk about his lifestyle. He sounds like a lovely dog and he is no doubt a much-loved companion. One thing we will need to look at together is how much exercise Sam is getting because retrievers do need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to keep them happy and healthy. There is a charity that helps elderly people with their pets; many of their volunteers offer dog walking, and this may be something you’d like to explore. Also there are simple steps that you can take yourself to stop Sam getting bored, which at the same time will help him to burn off some excess energy without tiring yourself out! I would be happy to discuss the situation and offer training/behavioural advice which may well do the trick.
Flower Essence Therapy in Animal Care
To my mind there is a definite place in animal care for Flower Essence Therapy. Ideally, I think that alongside excellent behavioural rehabilitation work it should be incorporated into all animal rescue centres and sanctuaries, to help the animals overcome their fears and phobias resulting from past negative experiences and abuse, which sadly many are affected by. FE therapy would also be an excellent support to help pets adjust to their new homes.
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About the author
Angela Garner runs a consultancy, ‘remedies4pets’ offering telephone consultations with flower essence therapy and simple training/behavioural advice. (All animals need to be seen by a vet prior to a consultation to ensure that there are no underlying medical problems causing the behavioural changes.)
remedies4pets – helping you to help your petwww.remedies4pets.co.uk
Tel: 07870 740605
Email: remedies4pets@btinternet.com