Helping Pets with Anxiety and Fear with Homeopathy
by Brenda Tobin
As a homeopath who treats animals as well as people, I'm often asked to support dogs suffering from anxiety and even debilitating fear. Just like us humans, anxiety and fear can take over a dog’s life.
How do you know if your dog is suffering from anxiety? Here are some signs:
Excessive barking or whining
Pacing
Overly clingy
Drooling
Panting
Destructive behavior
Restlessness
Aggressiveness
There is a saying, "The body weeps tears the eyes cannot shed," meaning that suppressed emotion often manifests as a disturbance or disease. This is true for animals as much as it is for humans.
For instance, inflammation and redness of the paws and front legs (called “lick granuloma”) can be caused by excessive licking resulting from boredom or separation anxiety. (There are other causes of lick granuloma which I won’t cover here.) Oftentimes, conventional veterinarians prescribe medications which is do not address the root issue of anxiety.
The homeopath looks at the emotional components of the case to discover whether anxiety is at the root of the problem.
Some remedies to consider for anxiety include:
ARSENICUM – The animal is worse in cold and wet and better with warmth. He or she is anxious and restless and worse after midnight.
BELLADONNA – Symptoms come on suddenly and violently.
PHOSPHORUS – The animal is sensitive to loud, sudden noises. He or she startles easily. It’s worse during thunderstorms.
ARGENTUM NITRICUM – This remedy is one of the great ones for anticipatory anxiety or fear, which manifests as bowel irritation such as flatulence or diarrhea. One key symptom of this remedy is fear of high places or of buildings coming down.
This can be experienced in animals as a person petting the dog. The person's hand is coming down on the top of the head and the animal avoids it when he or she would normally like it.
If your dog is a show dog, this is a remedy to consider. The dog anticipates going into the show ring and can shake, tremble or cower when the judge goes over the dog, especially at the head.
The signs for fear are similar, but fear is regarded as more immediate and seems to be the result of some specific event or stimulus:
Shaking
Drooling
Submissive urinating or defecating
Trembling
Hiding
Sudden loud noises can set the animal off
The tendency to bolt or run
Some remedies to consider for fear include:
ACONITE – This is useful for sudden shocks and fear, especially if the animal has been exposed to cold winds. Your pet may even become hysterical with fear.
HYOSCYAMUS – Excessive licking of genitals. The animal can scream from fear. You'll see twitching of the facial muscles.
BELLADONNA – Fear comes on suddenly. The animal will have a full and bounding pulse with dilated pupils.
It is beneficial to tell your homeopathic practitioner observed behavioral reactions such as those listed above. These observations give the practitioner clues that lead to the correct remedy. As a homeopathic practitioner, I always ask the pet owner to go as far back in time as the owner remembers.
It is better to treat emotional imbalances as soon as you observe them and before they manifest in physical form.
Brenda Tobin is a homeopathy practitioner for animals and people. She is certified in canine nutrition, a Reiki Master, Animal Reiki Practitioner and a PEMF practitioner. She has been working remotely since 2016 and has clients worldwide. You can reach her through her website at www.wellnessmattersonline.com or by emailing info@wellnessmattersonline.com.
To find a homeopath near you, visit:
www.homeopathyconsumercouncil.com/find-a-homeopath
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