Step 1
Flowers, water, sunlight
Blossoms are floated in a bowl of spring water and left in the sun. The flowers are then lifted out, and what stays behind in the water is what an essence is.
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- What are Flower Essences?
Made for animals since 1998
Flower essences for dogs and cats: what they actually are
Spring water that has held flowers in sunlight, preserved with a small amount of brandy. That is the whole bottle.
There is no plant matter in it, no fragrance, no essential oil and nothing pharmacologically active. Which is exactly why a flower essence can sit alongside a dog or cat's food, their routine, their training and anything your vet has prescribed, without interfering with any of it.
Straight answers
What flower essences do for dogs and cats, and what they do not
Most disappointment with flower essences comes from expecting the wrong thing. So here is the honest version of both columns before you spend anything.
What essences are for
- Emotional balance: fear, grief, restlessness, the unease of change
- Safe to give alongside food, medication and other formulas
- Dogs, cats, horses and birds, at any age
- Four drops, whatever the animal. Nothing to work out by weight
- Gradual and cumulative. Consistency matters more than quantity
What they are not
- Not a sedative. Nothing in the bottle dulls or slows your animal down
- Not an essential oil. There is no aromatic oil in an essence, and no scent
- Not a medicine, and never a replacement for veterinary care
- Not a herbal supplement. No plant material remains in the water
- Not an overnight fix, and not a personality change
How they are made
How a flower essence is made
Three steps, and none of them are complicated.
Step 2
Diluted and preserved
That water is diluted, then preserved with a small amount of brandy, around 20%. This is the only reason there is any alcohol in the bottle at all.
Step 3
Blended into a formula
Single essences are combined into a blend aimed at one situation, so you are choosing by what you are seeing rather than assembling a recipe yourself.
How to give flower essences to a dog or cat
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Four drops in the water bowl
Or rub a drop into the fur behind the ears. For birds, a drop on the feathers or the beak. Four drops is the dose for every animal, so there is nothing to work out by weight.
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Two to four times a day
Top up the bowl as you refill it. Two formulas can be given together if your animal needs both.
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Start ahead of a known trigger
For fireworks, a move or a vet visit, begin two or three days before rather than on the day.
There is nothing to overdose on and nothing to taper off. Tell your vet what you are giving, as you would with anything else. Essences support emotional balance and are not a substitute for veterinary care: if your animal is unwell, please speak to your vet first.
What to expect, honestly
Flower essences work gradually. Knowing roughly when to judge the result is the difference between giving a formula a fair trial and giving up on the third day.
- Days 1 to 3
Start and carry on as normal
Add the drops and change nothing else. Some owners notice something early, usually around one specific trigger. Many notice nothing yet, and that is normal.
- Week 1 to 2
The wondering stage
This is where most people ask whether it is doing anything. Keep the dosing steady rather than increasing it. With essences, consistency matters more than quantity.
- Week 3 to 4
Give it until here before you judge it
If nothing has shifted at all by now, a different formula is probably the better fit. Tell us what you are seeing and we will help you choose. That is a better outcome than persevering with the wrong one.
Every animal is different, and none of this is a promise. It is a guide to when to make up your mind.
“It helps quickly in times of stress and fear. We use it during storms, fireworks or other loud outside noise, or in stressful situations that cause panic.”
1998
making essences for animals since
60+
formulas for dogs, cats, horses and birds
Where most people start
Every formula, 1 fl oz
Out of Control
For the dog or cat who bolts, barks, and cannot be reached once they have started.
$ 18.00
Pain Relief
Comfort support for dogs and cats sore from injury, surgery, or simply getting older.
$ 18.00
Anxiety and Fear
For the anxious dog or cat: storms, separation, strangers, the vet. Calm without sedation.
$ 18.00
Allergies
Natural allergy support for itchy dogs and cats: licking paws, red skin, drippy eyes, sore ears.
$ 18.00
Before you buy
Questions we get asked
Are flower essences the same as essential oils?
No, and the difference matters. Essential oils are concentrated aromatic plant oils with a strong scent, and several of them are unsafe around cats.
A flower essence contains no essential oil, no aromatic compounds and no plant material. It has no scent at all. What is in the bottle is water, the imprint the flowers left in it, and a little brandy to keep it.
Will it sedate my pet or change who they are?
No. There is nothing sedating in the bottle. Essences are meant to take the edge off a reaction, not to flatten your animal or alter their character.
If your animal does seem drowsy or unlike themselves, that is not the essence, and it is worth a call to your vet.
Can I give it alongside medication?
Yes, and alongside food, supplements and other Pet Essences formulas. There is nothing to overdose on and nothing to taper off.
Tell your vet what you are giving, the same as you would with anything else your animal takes.
How much do I give my dog or cat, and how often?
Four drops, whatever the animal, two to four times a day. There is nothing to calculate by weight, so a cat and a horse get the same four drops.
The easiest way is straight into the water bowl and topped up as you refill it. You can also rub a drop into the fur behind the ears, or for birds, onto the feathers or beak.
Is the alcohol a problem?
The amount reaching your animal is very small, since four drops is the whole dose. If you would still rather avoid it, leave the cap off the bottle for a short period and the brandy evaporates away.
The trade-off is shelf life. Once the preservative has gone, the formula keeps for a few months rather than years, so store it cool and dark and use it up within that time.
Do they actually work?
Flower essences are a traditional practice rather than a pharmaceutical, and we are not going to point you at clinical trials that do not exist.
What we will say is this: we have been making them for animals since 1998, our reviews are published unedited on every product page, and the fairest test is your own animal over three or four weeks. If nothing has shifted by then, tell us what you are seeing. We would rather help you find a better fit, or tell you honestly that this is not the right tool, than have you keep buying the wrong bottle.
No answer matches that yet. Write to us and a person will answer.
Which formula for your animal?
Four questions about your animal: species, age, what changed, what you see. Then we will name the one or two formulas worth starting with.