Bach Flower Remedies for animals

[greyghost]

muriel said:

I still don't know what a gnat is, we don't seem to have them here.

Och you Scotts what yer like. What do you call them then Midges?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnat

[Cheryl]

I looked it up in 3 books last night and today, Ledum, its our Labrador Tea! So you use it for many more things than we do:) That's great info!

I was telling Jai under "hunting" that yarrow is what I wish I'd known about last year, instead of benedryl for Slade's bumps and sores. I would have put baking soda compresses and then applied yarrow instead! But with his second year of daily honey a month before and a month after his seasonal allergies, he's symptom free this year:) Just having to keep the repellent on him as the horse flies must smell the sweetness oozing from him and want to bite him more than anyone else.

Yes, the chicken does the trick for BRAT, its what I gave my kids or substituted chicken for moose.

Have got the mustard drying since last night, going to get the yarrow and wormwood tonight after the celebration of life for my friend's father in law today. It's another hot day and I made Minnie Mouse cupcakes, she always made a chocolate cake with a cherry in the middle so I decided cupcakes the same, no need for plate and utensils:) My eldest daughter is making crab something or other.

Am dreading collecting more of the beautiful fireweed petals, am very allergic to it but am determined to make honey and jelly out of it to try to decrease my allergies;)

[greyghost]

We have Yarrow in our meadow I am sure.

botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/y/yarrow02.html

[sieglinde]

snowydiamonds said:

Yarrow will help with bites from insects:) Immediately, too. Its growing like crazy all around, so if I do get a misquito bite I grab a yarrow plant and rub it on. The valerian/chamomile/lousewort in blackberry brandy is done now, strained and into the brown bottle. ...

Cheryl, is that Yarrow stuff available in a normal Health food Store? I need to get some for myself & Louis - we both get bitten by all sorts of beasties all the time. Poor Louis' head looks like a mountain range with all the bites on there.
I had been looking for a natural preventative that I can put on at night before going out (which does not 'stink' like crazy). I am really incredibly allergic to all sorts of insects (nearly died 3 years ago from 1 wasp bite).

Thanks in advance!!!!

[sieglinde]

Oh, where does one get the brown bottles from? I need some more, but don't seem to find them over here anywhere. Been thinking of getting a friend to get some in the UK when she next goes over.

[greyghost]

Silly me I almost forgot - one tip I did hear in Cyprus this year was to drink Gin and Tonic.

I suppose the quinnine in the Tonic keeps them away. The gin is just to tart it up a bit for us :DLOL.

Not sure what bottles you are after Sieg. Have you tried E-bay?

A quick search on here gave me some Yarrow stuff as you put it: www.baldwins.co.uk/perl/go.pl/shop/adv-search-results.html

[Muriel]

Nope, not quite Les, our midges are Culicoides Impunctatus - and that's also the name of the Homeopathic remedy made from them which has helped me get bitten much less and lessened the severity of what bites I have had the last couple of years. We have different ones from you too, there's a Scottish version of the remedy

Cheryl, the Homeopathic Ledum very possibly has a different action to the herbal Labrador Tea even though it's the same plant. For example, Arnica - the Homeopathic remedy is brilliant, a real lifesaver almost, but the herbal version is toxic! All in the way the remedy is made

I think I found Yarrow today, brought a leaf home to identify, but far too tired now for googling, manyana......

What size brown bottles Seiglinde? I get some from ebay and some elsewhere.... Also found a good supplier of dried herbs on ebay.

[sieglinde]

I was looking for the small brown ones with a spray top. Will look on Google and Ebay - see if I can find them there.
Thanks Les - not really a G&T person :-( In fact I am drinking very little alcohol just now - want to shift another 5 kg!!

[Cheryl]

The Ledum aka wild rosemary pictures show the same plant we call "tundra tea" or labrador tea:)

I used two cups chopped finely fresh "ledum," two cups wormwood aka "stinkweed," and two cups yarrow to one cup boiling water, steeped 10-15 minutes then added this to one cup canola oil and eight drops of citronella essential oil for the insect repellant that I'm using on myself and the short haired weims. You could also add eight drops of rosemary essential oil and another eight drops of eucalyptus essential oil to make it stronger...and instead of canola oil you could use a double boiler method to melt beeswax:)

If you finely chop the fresh plant/herbs you can dry them and use one cup each, dry material.

The weims do not roll after application as they would when I apply OFF lotion or spray, they just act like I was happily petting them;)

Very interesting how the ledum is used for so much more than we knew here!

I see Bach sites also have the brown bottles in different sizes...

[greyghost]

I bumped into a friend in the village yesterday. She has an 8/9 month old bitch (Weim) and has been backwards and forwards to the vet recently she said. It started with a dark patch on her back and it has spread. The whole of the top bit of her back is very dark in colour and dry.

Thankfully she is all for not putting anything into her that could compromise her immune system and she is coming round today to pick up an Aloe plant from me. As we were outside the chemist at the time we went in and got some Evening Primrose Oil.

She thinks she is coming into season as she is starting to swell a bit. This coat problem started around the end of May so it could be pollens.

Any other ideas guys?

[sieglinde]

Yes!!
It could be something as simple as her changing her puppy coat - particularly if she is about to come into season. I saw that 'spotted look' a lot around the showring in the UK. Once the new coat is fully through (you can help it along by daily brushing when she is slightly wet) she will look as good as new. The older dogs change their summer & winter coat and also can look spotty at those times. I am sure there are natural things one can give her to help it along, but I used to let nature take its course.
I am surprised the Vet did not mention that, but then again it could be something different with her, so don't take this as gospel - just my experience and the symptoms sound totally applicable.

[greyghost]

It's no longer spots Sieg. Tis just one big dark bit right along the top of her back, covers most of her back.

[Cheryl]

I'd think it was just the puppy phase of her coat, at nearly 3 years old (Sept 8th) Slade still has his dark stripe down his back. Altho to be perfectly honest, he was a rescue at 4 1/2 months old because of food allergies, seasonal allergies, and nearly hairless underside so he's permanently off commercial brands of corn based kibble, starts his honey therapy at the very latest the second week of May and continues his daily spoon of honey until mid September which is from the Fairbanks area as we do not have honey bees this far north.

Is it just the color? If so, it wouldn't need the aloe vera, but if the skin were scaly or then I'd say it might be something...

[wimmyweimaraner]

That's great! I'm a big fan of natural stuffs. I believe that natural healing is the best way to treat animals and humans.