Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I use the flower essences?
- Consistency is key when using flower essences. We typically recommend starting with using them twice a day for the first few weeks. You can increase usage to 3 to 4 times a day if needed. If you’re using the flower essences situationally, such as at competitions or during car rides, be consistent about using them 45 minutes prior, every time the situation arises. There’s no real advantage to increasing the dosage amount when you use these flower essences, as their efficacy increases when you use them regularly and at consistent intervals.
How should I administer flower essences?
- Orally administering the flower essences is best. The next best option is to add the flower essences to your pets drinking bowl or water bucket. If you do decide to use the water bowl as your option, make sure it stays fresh and clean, adding flower essences every time you clean it. There are several other options to administer the flower essences if you can’t get near an animal or they won’t allow you to administer the flower essences orally. See our tips to learn more about flower essence administration methods.
How long does a bottle of flower essences last?
- How long a bottle of flower essences will last is dependent on what type of animal you are using it on and how often you are using. There are approximately 600 drops in a 1 fl oz (30 ml) bottle and approximately 2400 drops in a 4 fl oz (120 ml) bottle. You can calculate how many drops you will need for each use in the dosage chart. For example, an average medium size dog will use about 7 or 8 drops of flower essences for dogs each use. If that dog receives the flower essences twice per day, a 1 oz bottle will last approximately a month and a half for that dog.
I want to give my pet the flower essences in their water bowl but I have other animals that use the same water bowl. Will it negatively affect my other pets?
- No! Flower essences are extremely safe and there are no adverse effects if an animal that you are not targeting the flower essences with drinks from the same bowl. If the other animal isn’t experiencing the issues that the flower essences help with, it will have no affects on them. If they are, they flower essences will help them too – bonus! Just make sure you always have fresh water out with the essences in it.
How long do I have to use the flower essences?
- There’s not exact answer for this. How long you will need to use the flower essences is specific to your pet. We often find that animals with a long history of an issue (such as obsessive compulsive behaviors that have been exhibited for years, or animals that have been in long term abusive situations) take longer to resolve their behavioral or emotional challenges with flower essences than animals that have only been displaying the behaviors briefly. We recommend paying close attention to your animal; they’ll tell you how quickly they are improving. If you feel as though your animal has stabilized with the flower essences and you’re happy with where they are at, stop using the flower essences; you can always add them back in if you need! Ultimately, we want your pet to be happy and healthy, so if they don’t need us, that’s great!
Can my pet overdose on the flower essences?
- No! Flower essences are extremely safe! There’s no need to worry about overdosing your animal but, there’s no advantage to administering more flower essences to your pet than the recommended dosage. Remember, flower essences work best with consistency so save the extra flower essences for the next use. Flower essences don’t have any adverse reactions or contraindications with medications or other products, so you never have to worry about using them safely.
I have a cat, an iguana, camel, chicken, pot bellied pig, a velociraptor, or some other animal besides a dog... can I use the flower essences on them?
- Yes! Flower essences are safe to use on any living being. We have clients that use them on everything from horses and goats, to chickens, parrots, elephants (yes!) and more. For your special pet, just follow the same flower essence dosing table and directions provided for cats and dogs. If you have any questions about the flower essence dosing for your animal, we’re here to help! Just email us at info@naturalselectionproducts.com or call 866-298-3613
I’ve heard Essential Oils are not safe for animals, how are Flower Essences different?
- This is true that essential oils need to be used with caution with animals. Flower Essences are NOT essential oils, in fact there are no oils at all in the flower essences. Flower Essences heal through homeopathic means while essential oils heal through biochemical properties of the oil. Flower Essences are safe to ingest which essential oils should not be ingested and are typically applied topically or inhaled. If you’d like to use essential oils on your animal, we recommend speaking with your veterinarian or a certified veterinary homeopath. If you’d like to learn more about the differences between Flower Essences and essential oils, check out our blog here. If you’d like to find a certified veterinary homeopath in your area, you can visit the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy here - https://theavh.org/
My pet has allergies, will Flower Essences aggravate their allergies?
- No! Flower Essences are non-allergenic and won’t aggravate any allergies your pet might have. Flower Essences are homeopathic and work by realigning your pets energy; the essences contained in Botanical Animal Flower Essences don’t have a biochemical reaction in your pet, so they can’t cause an allergic reaction.
What is the best way to store my flower essences?
- Keep your flower essences out of direct sunlight and avoid hot or cold environments. We recommend a nice 65 degrees for storing flower essences, but you can also store them in the refrigerator. We do not recommend keeping them in your car and by all means, don’t let flower essences freeze! You should also avoid putting them near anything with an electromagnetic field such as microwaves or magnets. If stored properly, your flower essences will easily last to the expiration date on the bottle.
Once opened, how long are my flower essences good for?
- If stored properly, opened flower essences will still be good until their expiration date. If you are administering your flower essences to your pet orally, be sure to clean the glass dropper after every use; this will prevent anything foreign from entering the flower essence bottle. If you notice that the flower essences are not clear or that there is anything floating in the bottle, discard and get a fresh bottle.
My flower essences smell like vinegar, are they still good?
- Yes! Flower essences are traditionally preserved in Brandy however, since we’re giving these to your pets, we’ve formulated our flower essences with vinegar to preserve the formulas. You may notice a slight vinegar smell when you use your flower essences. As long as your flower essences have been stored properly and they have not been contaminated with anything, your flower essences are safe to use.