# Does Rescue Remedy Work???



## HappyTailsObedience (Apr 24, 2010)

I have been looking into rescue remedy as my dog has very sever separation anxiety and I'd like to try everything I can before resorting to the anxiety meds the vet says he needs. He is a well trained amazing dog. But as soon as you leave he becomes a nightmare. I have tried all the training fixes I know and nothing has worked.. I spoke to another behaviorist who deals with this regularly and he told me that Bruce (our dog) is one of the worst cases he has ever heard of and requires prescription meds for it. Because he cannot be contained, he must be calmed. He breaks out of windows if you leave him, busts out of every crate and will tear anything up to get out and chase us. He has been successful in breaking out of our apartment every time we leave and we are worried he will get hit by a car or stolen.
Anyways...does anybody have any suggestions on what to try rather than giving him the meds the vet and the behaviorist recommend? We are beginning the summer semester of school soon with similar hours and he cannot stay in the car for 2 hours in the summer, which is what we have been forced to do recently (it gets up to 100 degrees here in Albuquerque from May-July).
I was considering trying rescue remedy or other natural remedies but I'd like to find out others experiences with them first. 
Thanks!


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## Darkmoon (Mar 12, 2007)

I have used Rescue Remedy in the past with my SA dog and it did work pretty well and actually better then the pills my vet gave me. It takes off some of the edge but it still doesn't fix the problem. It only allows you to work on the problem a little bit easier. If you haven't checked out my post in the training forum about SA, do so. It has some other over the counter things you can use. It's stickied at the top of the page. Also make sure that you run a test on your dogs thyroid to make sure that isn't the issue. Hyperthyroidism is still being understood, but it's starting to come out and something that can really cause aggression and anxiety in dogs along with many other things. Most vets don't know about it and the behavioral aspects of it (since it's a new thing) so most won't think to test for it.

Have you thought about an unbreakable crate? I know that with some SA cases, that is what is needed to keep the dog contained. A lot of larger breed owners used them because the dogs are so strong to break out. Petedge has some cheaper ones http://www.petedge.com/product/ProSelect-Empire-Cages/45512.uts that are wonderful. Heard many many MANY good things about them. There is also these if you don't mind spending more http://leerburg.com/crate.htm

Good luck!


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## railNtrailcowgrl (Jul 24, 2008)

Is there a reason you don't want to use the meds? Really if his anxiety is as bad as you say it is there aren't any other options. I've tried many different 'natural' calming aids and none of them even scratched the surface of my dogs SA. Which was quite extreme. To the point that she chewed through a plastic crate, a crate pan, bloodied her nose and broke off a tooth trying to escape her crate, she broke a toe, and had no voice for months on end because she barked so much, she could not hold her eliminations at all, and I'm sure if she were a bigger dog she would have busted out the windows to get to me. Once she was on the medication it helped her think much more clearly and actually LEARN the behavior mods that I was trying to help her with. Meds aren't the end of the world, he shouldn't be on them forever. Pebbles was on a full dose of chlomicalm for only 2 months and then we spent 4-6 weeks slowly weaning her off it. It made SUCH A HUGE difference in her mental state while she was on it. While she still has 'flair ups' every now and then they aren't nearly as severe or long lasting. SA is a MENTAL condition and should be treated as such.


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## flipgirl (Oct 5, 2007)

There are also the DAP collars and diffusers. DAP stands for Dog Appeasing Pheromones. Your dog wears the collar and you get a diffuser which diffuses the pheromone into the air. I know a lady who buys a collar for each of her 4 dogs every month. Ask your vet if they sell them or can order them for you if you choose this method.


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## HappyTailsObedience (Apr 24, 2010)

railNtrailcowgrl said:


> Is there a reason you don't want to use the meds? Really if his anxiety is as bad as you say it is there aren't any other options. I've tried many different 'natural' calming aids and none of them even scratched the surface of my dogs SA. Which was quite extreme. To the point that she chewed through a plastic crate, a crate pan, bloodied her nose and broke off a tooth trying to escape her crate, she broke a toe, and had no voice for months on end because she barked so much, she could not hold her eliminations at all, and I'm sure if she were a bigger dog she would have busted out the windows to get to me. Once she was on the medication it helped her think much more clearly and actually LEARN the behavior mods that I was trying to help her with. Meds aren't the end of the world, he shouldn't be on them forever. Pebbles was on a full dose of chlomicalm for only 2 months and then we spent 4-6 weeks slowly weaning her off it. It made SUCH A HUGE difference in her mental state while she was on it. While she still has 'flair ups' every now and then they aren't nearly as severe or long lasting. SA is a MENTAL condition and should be treated as such.


I understand I may have to resort to meds, at least temporarily. It will just be our last resort. We use mainly natural remedies on ourselves (my boyfriend and I) unless absolutely necessary so we personally would not like to use medication on our dogs unless absolutely necessary..that's all. 
I appreciate your response though and if it comes down to meds I will definitely not do it forever...just until we can show him that our leaving is not such a terrible thing.


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## HappyTailsObedience (Apr 24, 2010)

flipgirl said:


> There are also the DAP collars and diffusers. DAP stands for Dog Appeasing Pheromones. Your dog wears the collar and you get a diffuser which diffuses the pheromone into the air. I know a lady who buys a collar for each of her 4 dogs every month. Ask your vet if they sell them or can order them for you if you choose this method.


I looked at these and they aren't even that pricey. I may give them a try. Thanks for letting me know about them! Anything for my boy.


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## railNtrailcowgrl (Jul 24, 2008)

It's good to know that you are willing to try the meds. I know that I wasted way too much time trying out different 'natural' remedies (which I'm all for in many other cases) but in my case it just was making my dog suffer more and more. It really was amazing at how fast she started learning once her brain was a bit more 'clear' thinking so she wasn't panicking at even just the thought of me leaving.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

I use clomicalm for Cracker's SA, we also have a DAP diffuser. I personally have not found RR to be effective in severe cases of anxiety. I held off meds for a long time, made some progress using behaviour modification/desens. but then she had a huge relapse when a friend who had been staying with me moved out. She started to generalize her anxiety and she started to lose weight from stress. 

Clomicalm and Fluoxetine (prozac) are not sedatives, they are neurochemical changers. I could not have made the progress I have with her without the meds. I still have to occasionally use a sedative if I have to be away for a period of time longer than an hour, but am gradually weaning that off. The sedative is only at this point to reduce her ability to vocalize, it does nothing to reduce the anxiety. With the clomicalm she no longer urinates, chews, vomits or scratches at the door. The vocalization (howling) is the last overt symptom and it is proving difficult to remedy..and of course is the one thing that drives my neighbours mad. 

There are good "nutraceuticals" out there you could try, Anxitane (L-thianine) is a good one and it is my next try so I will not have to continue to resort to the diazepam. It is safe to use in combination with the clomicalm. 

If it was a question of "my" issues with medication versus the absolute panic and stress that occurs when SA is full blown..my dog comes first.


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## DJsMom (Jun 6, 2008)

Wow, your dog sounds like he's got SA as bad as Coco does, she's one that also goes through windows & breaks out of every crate - I have had to resort to getting one of those crates Darkmoon linked to & it does keep her confined & safe, however, whenever she's left in at for any length of time (enen 30 minutes), she scrapes her nose to bleeding, fills the bottom tray at least an inc high with drool (I now keep an absorbent towel in it) & licks her paws raw afterward 
I did try clom at one point, which didn't seem to make any difference. I've tried RR & a DAP diffuser. I'm now working with a behaviorist as well as a different vet, but so far I'm just not seeing anything happening. 
I'm still working on it.

... and wish you & yours lots of luck! I think the secret is in finding just the RIGHT thing that works for each individual dog & I'm finding out that's going to end up costing me a lot a money.

How old is your dog? *I'm wondering if this is something they will eventually grow out of?* Coco's supposedly about 2 1/2, I've had her for a year.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

DJ, just like any medications it can take time to experiment with different drugs and dosages to get the desired effect. It took almost 6 weeks on the clomicalm before I saw an effect and if I hadn't seen it within two months I would have tried fluoxetine instead. Antidepressant/anti anxiety meds take a while to change the brain chemistry to a point of success. 
I used to take antidepressants in the winter months due to severe SAD. I always started them well before the days started to get shorter and would feel "odd" and spacy for a couple of weeks before I started to feel more normal again. This is the effect of the neurological changes that need to occur to get to the point of the drug "working". 
No organism can learn under stress, and anxiety is extreme stress. Reducing the chemical fluxuations caused by anxiety is what gets the organism to the point of learning where the behaviour modification can actually have an effect.

I don't think any dog can grow out of severe SA. It is a chemical issue and even when successfully controlled it is likely to never go away completely, so management and continued behaviour mod, even after reduction of medication is necessary.

And yes, some breeds are more prone to it than others. Hounds and pointers being at the top of the list.


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## DJsMom (Jun 6, 2008)

Thanks Cracker. I am realizing now that I should have given the clom longer to reach a therapuedic (sp?) level, as explained by the behaviorist. I did give Coco a 30 day supply, but didn't give her anymore.


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## HappyTailsObedience (Apr 24, 2010)

Cracker said:


> I use clomicalm for Cracker's SA, we also have a DAP diffuser. I personally have not found RR to be effective in severe cases of anxiety. I held off meds for a long time, made some progress using behaviour modification/desens. but then she had a huge relapse when a friend who had been staying with me moved out. She started to generalize her anxiety and she started to lose weight from stress.
> 
> Clomicalm and Fluoxetine (prozac) are not sedatives, they are neurochemical changers. I could not have made the progress I have with her without the meds. I still have to occasionally use a sedative if I have to be away for a period of time longer than an hour, but am gradually weaning that off. The sedative is only at this point to reduce her ability to vocalize, it does nothing to reduce the anxiety. With the clomicalm she no longer urinates, chews, vomits or scratches at the door. The vocalization (howling) is the last overt symptom and it is proving difficult to remedy..and of course is the one thing that drives my neighbours mad.
> 
> ...


You know, if it comes down to the meds I think I will tell my vet that I do not want sedatives. He told me that he would prescribe sedatives for when we are away but I don't like the idea of my dog being all doped up and tired. That's what scares me. I like the idea of "nutraceuticals" much better as they sound like they would actually work to change my dogs mind.


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## HappyTailsObedience (Apr 24, 2010)

DJsMom said:


> Wow, your dog sounds like he's got SA as bad as Coco does, she's one that also goes through windows & breaks out of every crate - I have had to resort to getting one of those crates Darkmoon linked to & it does keep her confined & safe, however, whenever she's left in at for any length of time (enen 30 minutes), she scrapes her nose to bleeding, fills the bottom tray at least an inc high with drool (I now keep an absorbent towel in it) & licks her paws raw afterward
> I did try clom at one point, which didn't seem to make any difference. I've tried RR & a DAP diffuser. I'm now working with a behaviorist as well as a different vet, but so far I'm just not seeing anything happening.
> I'm still working on it.
> 
> ...


Yes, he is terrible! He has cost us unbelievable amounts of vet bills for his issues, especially breaking out of the window once he breaks out of his crate. he had cut his food so bad you could see the bone! It really is so frustrating that I can help other people get their dogs SA to subside but I cannot help my own dog.


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## HappyTailsObedience (Apr 24, 2010)

DJsMom said:


> Wow, your dog sounds like he's got SA as bad as Coco does, she's one that also goes through windows & breaks out of every crate - I have had to resort to getting one of those crates Darkmoon linked to & it does keep her confined & safe, however, whenever she's left in at for any length of time (enen 30 minutes), she scrapes her nose to bleeding, fills the bottom tray at least an inc high with drool (I now keep an absorbent towel in it) & licks her paws raw afterward
> I did try clom at one point, which didn't seem to make any difference. I've tried RR & a DAP diffuser. I'm now working with a behaviorist as well as a different vet, but so far I'm just not seeing anything happening.
> I'm still working on it.
> 
> ...


He is 3 but I don't think that would make the difference as much. Yes, puppies pretty much always have separation anxiety but if you raise them by giving into it they will end up with SA when they are older. We adopted Bruce from the pound when he was 2 so we have no idea what his past was like.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Yeah. Sedatives do not reduce anxiety, they just reduce the ability to manifest in physical action as badly. Imagine being terrified but not ABLE to relay that stress into anything because your body won't allow you to. The escape behaviour, chewing and howling are OUTER manifestations of inner anxiety. Using sedatives does nothing for the FEELINGS of fear. Using actual neuroaffecting drugs (whether natural or not) helps to change the INNER anxieties, which in turn reduces the outer manifestations over time.


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## TheDawgHaus (May 18, 2015)

Old post but I'm wondering how the original poster's dog is doing now? I had a rescued bait dog who was horribly abused who would destroy everything in his path to get to me. Not to mention neighbors complaining about his separation anxiety barking. I had to rearrange my entire life so he could be with me 24 hours a day since i couldn't afford a sitter. 

I know this is terrible but I got him an assistance dog vest and took him everywhere I could, within reason of course. Winters were great, I could leave him I'm the car when I went grocery shopping. Summers when I had to leave him in the car I left the engine running with the A/C on. He passed away a year and a half ago.

I have a new shelter dog with separation anxiety barking and more neighbor complaints. I guess it's just my destiny to have to deal with this. Rescue Remedy is not working.


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