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Forum DIET & CARE Calm down, little rabbit! Herbal remedies, food for thought

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    • Zombie-Sue
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        So, basically, it was storming a few nights ago, and Tank didn’t seem to care much about the loud noises, and I got to wondering if other rabbits were ever scared of storms, and I googled it.

        Didn’t find much.

        HOWEVER, I did come across an article that recommended a product called ‘Rescue Remedy’ for your pet, located at { http://www.rescueremedy.com/ } and I looked into it. According to the website,

        Rescue® Remedy has become every woman’s emotional ally for its calming and centering energy and is now relied upon by people around the world to provide unconditional support during demanding times.

        This product was developed in the 30s, a time when everyone knows women were irrational and alwyas hysterical, and required treatment to get through the day. -eyeroll-

        ANYWAY, supposedly it is also beneficial to pets, and they even make a version of rescue remedy specifically for your pets (which is basically the same thing, sans alchohol, because the human version does have a little brandy in it, which is probably the only actual calming ingrediant ;] )

        Basically I thought there was no way this product works, and any real scientific study ever done (that wasn’t coducted by the labratory that profits off its production in the first place) backs me up. Basically, there is no effect over placebo, which is sad, because according to the website…

        Rescue Remedy can help your pet with:

        – Visits to the vet
        – Fear of loud noises
        – Excessive barking or
           hissing
        – Shock, trauma or
           mistreatment
        – Loss of companion
        – Separation anxiety
        – Adapting to new
           surroundings

        Which sounds like it would be GREAT for rabbits, skittish creatures as we know they are. If only such a thing existed, right? SIGH.

         

        However, there are other herbal remedies surfacing which *may* have real, scientific effects, that is, there is something within the chemical make up that can interract with the chemicals inside a living organism to incite calming feelings. I’m not talking about “spiritual healing,” because while I believe it is important to a person, I just don’t think it would help a rabbit much. I mean real, natural medicine, mm’kay?

        So I looked through BB’s list of safe veggies and found Chamomile, a flower rumored to have calming properties, listed among them. Researching a little further on the internet, I found a lot of conflicting information and a lot of “it hasn’t been thoroughly studied”, but some people honestly SWEAR by Chamomile tea as a cure for anxiety, etc.

         

        SO, I guess, my question is… what are your thoughts? (: Have you ever heard of someone feeding their rabbits a particular plant for the purpose of calming the little critter? Do you yourself believe in herbal remedies? Do you think that our pets COULD benefit from a “calming herb”, so long as it was safe, in a stressful situation–eg, vet visit, bonding, moving, etc?


      • kralspace
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          I used a bit of it when we were having to treat Simba’s huge jaw abscess every night, I was afraid he was going to hurt himself fighting me. Just a drop in his applesauce and he got really mellow. He still protested but it took his freaky edge off. I also used a little on Hershey when she’d have a bad spell with the headtilt.


        • Balefulregards
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            I am a user of Bach’s for both Me AND the rabbits. I give when they are going into the vets, to help with the car ride. The vet remarked that they were really well behaved ( they still looked freaked out to me) and I mentioned I give them Rescue remedy. She laughed and said “well, it can’t hurt!”

            I don’t give it frequently – but it has helped when I have given it.
            Then again, I take many bach’s remedies myself, so I find them to be credible and helpful.


          • Karla
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              I gave Jack Bach’s before his euthanasia. And I think I also gave it to Molly and Karl in the days after, when they are were stressing because he was gone. Of couse, I cannot tell you if it made any difference or not, but Jack was very calm when we got to the vet, so I do think it helped him.

              And I use lavender aromatherapeutic oil in a burner as well in the bunny room now that I have introduced a new edition to my pair. That’s suppose to calm down as well.


            • 4Lily
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                I have used Bach rescue remedy on my cat before the kids come over to help calm him. At first there was no difference, but after about an hour he was out & wandering around, when he normally hides the whole weekend! LOL! I haven’t used it on Lily yet! I have used other remedies like eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils to repel fleas, that works great too! But I always call the vet to see what they recomend first, if they can’t help me out, them I start researching natural alturnatives! I also reseach medications before I give my pets anything! I should also tell you I use only natural alternatives for myself, I work in a natural health store! If it is a safe plant for a bunny, and the flower is as well, I’d feed them the plant. The rescue remedies can be put on your pets noses, paws & in water! If you ever use essential oils please research them first & dilute them in water!


              • kralspace
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                  Now that’s a great idea! I need a dose before the grandkids come over next time.


                • 4Lily
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                    LOL! It works, but it’s not a miracle! It takes time for them to actually feel it, but it helps them feel comforted & reasured that they are ok! You can also get individual Bach Flower’s essences, each flower is conected to a feeling! But then research that the flower is ok for that animal!


                  • Andi
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                      I’ve heard nothing but good things about the products from people who have used them.
                      I’ve never used them myself, but I do believe in a more natural approach to medicine and use herbal/homeo remedies for myself and my pets.


                    • RabbitPam
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                        The topic sounded familiar, so I did a search of BB posts and came across one from 2008. A former, excellent Forum Leader, Scarlett Rose, wrote the following. I always found her advice to be good:

                        I’ve used Rescue Remedy for a long time during stressful periods for my two, car rides, vet visits and the first couple of days at a bunny sitters house with no problems.  It works great on my two, I put it in the water ahead of time (if I have advance notice) 4 drops in a big crock, otherwise I dose them with a couple of drops driectly in the mouth.  The one without alcohol is perferable but the one with, since you are not administering a lot of it and only a few drops, is O.K. (this is what I was informed of by my vet).  I buy mine from my local health food store.  You can also go to their web site.”  http://www.bachflower.com


                      • jerseygirl
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                          Where IS Scarlett!

                          Rescue Rem is one that’s most used it seems. You can get a pet version too which is alcohol free. A local rescue here recommends a similar product that’s locally made. A homeopathic nerve tonic.


                        • Zombie-Sue
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                            WELL,

                            I’m certainly not going to tell people what does or doesn’t work. They know their rabbits much better than I do. (: However,

                            It’s *not* technically homeopathic, unlike the nerve tonic that jeresey girl mentioned, so technically they’re not the same thing. It doesn’t follow any long-held traditional homeopathic rules; Bach esentially made his system completely from scratch in the 30s.

                            According to scientific testing, you would likely get the exact same result (the sense of calm within your rabbits) if you slipped your rabbit a dropper of tap water, as long as you A: Didn’t know it was tap water, and B: administered it in the same way (ie: if you talked soothingly to your rabbit at the time, or if you yourself were calmer, etc.)

                            As in this VERY good article:

                            Evidence pointing in either direction is usually culled from dubious case studies with very small sample sizes. It’s hard to get funding for this research and I can’t really find any proper studies. That said, the most rigorous studies seem to suggest to critical difference between Flower Remedy users and control groups. The Flower Remedy users tend to recover from medical ailments as quickly and effectively as the Placebo users in these double blind studies.

                            In other words, drinking regular tap water is just as helpful as long as you believe it will work. And:

                            Furthermore, the individual effects of various recipes is entirely untrustworthy from a scientific perspective. The few pseudoscientific approaches to categorizing the effects of different Bach Flower recipes largely rely on subject interviews in with subject-expectancy plays an enormous role and largely invalidates the data being collected.

                            From: http://hubpages.com/hub/Debunking-Bach-Flower-Remedies

                            But again, it can’t actually HURT you, and, for all we know, there could be some “spiritual” element to the remedy, as the article goes on to say…

                            That said, there are many things that still exist as medical mysteries. The Placebo Effect itself has been observed in patients who don’t have brain function in the areas we associate with placeboes. Also, doctors know better than anybody that human biology is a peculiar science and the application of medicine is not governed by wide-ranging Universal laws like physics and chemistry. Medicinal treatments and responses vary between individuals.

                            Some people swear by Flower Remedies (like Bach, for instance). While studies don’t show the treatments to work, studies suggest that they aren’t harmful. If you think it might help or put your mind at rest, then ask a doctor about finding a treatment course. Sometimes it helps to have an alternative medicine as long as it doesn’t conflict with your current course of treatment.

                            SO, could it work? I suppose, but there is no scientific proof, which is why I am not going to buy it. xD

                            However, some plants (eg, Chamomile) have been used as a calming agent for like a bagillion years, and while there isn’t a lot of science behind them, either, there is virtually no science that says worse than “neutral, inconclusive.” that sort of thing is more interesting to me, personally.


                          • lashkay
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                              I bought bags of Chamomile flowers and buds, rose petals and rose buds from BunnyBytes. I sprinkled several tablespoons worth of the Chamomile flowers on Dustor’s (he’s 14+ weels old) hay. I hoped it would have a calming effect on him like the tea has on people. He seemed to avoid it and was avoiding his hay with it, so I put fresh timothy hay in without the Chamomile. He became acclimated to the fresh hay again. Haven’t used the rose petals or buds yet. I will be trying the Chamomile again after he grows a little more and when he gets older, eventually the rose buds and petals. Has anyone had their bunny be receptive to Chamomile and take it readily?


                            • BinkyBunny
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                                It’s one of those things where you can find what you need to support and you can find what you need not to support. Some things, for years, were scientifically pooed pooed — old wives tales type thing, only to find out decades later that it could be validated.

                                Not that I support just believing in old wives tales and throwing science out the window, but it’s amazing how much “Scientific” Proof changes.

                                I consider myself an open skeptic — meaning, if it doesn’t harm, I’m open to seeing what happens even if I don’t believe it at the moment.


                              • Zombie-Sue
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                                  Haha, same here, but I don’t want to waste money if it really is all hocus pocus either


                                • RabbitPam
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                                    BB’s point reminds me of the scientific breakthrough study that PROVED that Chicken Soup had curative properties that helped head colds.

                                    DUH!!!!!!!

                                    There’s an old enema joke that I won’t repeat here – suffice to say the punchline is “it couldn’t hurt.”


                                  • Zombie-Sue
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                                      I’m going to try to google this. You’ve made me curious, pam xD


                                    • RabbitPam
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                                        webcache.googleusercontent.com/search

                                        Well, I checked my own statement, and according to this 2007 New York Times article, it is not quite proven, but research is strongly supporting the recognition of its medicinal value. Good enough for me, my mother, my grandmother, my ancestors, and Frank Purdue.


                                      • Zombie-Sue
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                                          HAHAHAHAHAHA.

                                           

                                          I’ve heard about the chicken soup bit. I think I may have even read that specific article (;

                                          I was going to google the joke x)

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                                      Forum DIET & CARE Calm down, little rabbit! Herbal remedies, food for thought