Monday, November 19, 2012

Turkeys, Tennis Balls & Tinctures

Your holistic guide to surviving Thanksgiving with dogs!



Thanksgiving tends to be a holiday filled with family, friends and food. Along with this comes, crazy schedules, additional stress and, sometimes, doggy emergencies. Here's our favorite Holistic tips to help keep your Thanksgiving calm and Fido happy**!

Don't rock the routine
If possible, try to keep your dog's routine. Dogs thrive on structure. Sometimes, making drastic changes in this can lead to stress colitis (diarrhea) and anxious behavior. A walk, even if it's shorter than normal, can lower this stress in both you and your dog! So, don't forget to take Fido for that jaunt around the block and try to keep meals and playtime close to their normal times as well.

Flower Essences for Fido
Flower Essences are fabulous holistic remedies that can help with all sorts of emotional upsets during the holidays (and during daily life as well). Incorporating these essences are easy as you can add them to your pets water daily and they are safe to give with other remedies or prescriptions as well! These are some of our favorites for Thanksgiving:
- Bach Flower Aspen. This flower essence helps provide a sense of security for pets. Great if the pet has been ‘put out’ of their spot or regular routine by staying company.
- Bach Flower Vervain. This flower essence helps animals to calm, and allows them to relax even in stressful environments.
- Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. Every home should have this remedy on hand! This five flower essence is also called the emergency essence. It is PERFECT for any emergency situation. Whether your pet is injured, upset, or panicked this essence will help them pull through it (interesting note: this flower essence is not for calming as most people believe and is best used for distress in animals).

Aromatherapy for Family & Fido
Essential oils can provide everything from a sense of peace and calming, to soothing upset tummies and even killing germs! Here are some of our favorite oils and their uses for the Thanksgiving weekend:
- Peppermint is a great ‘pick me up’. Try it in a diffuser so everyone gets the benefits. For stressed out humans, it can also be used to treat headaches; massage a drop or two onto the temples (follow with a cool rag if needed). For canines with tummy troubles, it can be used to aid digestion! If your pup has gotten into something and has an upset tummy, put 2-3 drops peppermint oil in a teaspoon of olive oil (or coconut oil) and massage onto their tummy (don't worry, it's okay if they ingest some of it through licking)!
- Sweet Orange is great for anxiety. Try diffusing it into the air, or even putting a drop or two on a cotton ball and placing around the car or home. You can also place 10-20 drops of both sweet orange and lavender in 8oz. distilled water and spritz around the room for an instant calm. Great for spraying in or on a crate for a dog that needs to be away from the action for a bit or gets left home more than usual. 
- Cinnamon is also great for promoting happiness. Just smelling this oil can lift sad thoughts. Try 1-2 drops on a cotton ball in areas with lots of traffic. Can also be placed in the car or diffused into a room. This oil mixes very well, try blending with orange oil for a warm, uplifting Thanksgiving scent! Yum!

Herbal Remedies for Fido
Herbal remedies & tinctures can be lifesavers in certain situations and have a wide variety of uses**. These are some of our favorites:
- Slippery Elm Bark is known far and wide for it's use in helping to calm upset GI tracts. Great for diarrhea brought on by stress or other holiday induced tummy troubles.
- Calendula is the perfect herb to have on for everyday boo boos. Whether it's a cut, scrape or burn calendula with help calm and soothe the area (until you can get your pup proper medical care). You can also blend it with distilled water to flush eyes out or clean ears without causing irritation!
- Chamomile Flower is commonly used to help calm stressed animals. It can be given in a tincture form or even made into a fresh tea and served to your dog. This herb does not have the sedative properties of some meds and other herbs which makes it great for helping your dog feel calm without causing them further confusion or stress. A must have in any home!

Remember to Breathe
Holidays can be stressful for everyone. Try to take a moment everyday and breathe, nice deep breaths. Take some time to massage your dog for a few moments and focus on helping your dog to relax. These short, but thoughtful sessions will lower both your heart rates and help ensure you can handle the stress of the days ahead! 

Here's to a happy & calm Thanksgiving Holiday!

Anna Bettina
Certified Training & Nutrition Solutions
www.HappyHealthyPup.com

(*Remember, before trying something new with your dog, it's best to check with a practitioner or holistic vet in your area to make sure they are safe for your specific dog and his or her needs).

1 comment:

  1. What a great article...just in time for holiday fun and stress! ;)

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