La flower therapy was developed in the 1930s by the English physician Edward Bach. Its purpose is to address psychological and emotional wellbeing in order to achieve and maintain physical health. This applies to humans and animals alike. And it is precisely in the four-legged world that this discipline has established itself in recent years, anticipating today's psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunology — Pnei — which demonstrates the existence of a very close relationship between the brain, the immune system and the endocrine system.

Flower therapy, as indeed homoeopathy, are medicines based on the principles of energetic functioning. Remedies of this kind act on energy with a specific, rigorous and precise action. And, in this sense, veterinary flower therapy demonstrates that there is, for its functioning, no placebo effect — contrary to what one might think occurs in human practice.

Flower therapy and the preparation of remedies

In flower therapy, plants are used in a completely different way from phytotherapy. "In this case, the flower is used — which is the synthesis of the plant's entire potential — and the active principle extracted is energetic in nature," explains Dr Laura Cutullo, veterinary surgeon.

The activity of flowers is vibrational in nature and acts on the emotions. "Their application to animals constitutes a powerful therapeutic tool precisely where other therapies, whether conventional or not, fail to reach, since it acts specifically on the emotional state," the expert adds.

The flowers used are collected at precise moments during their blooming so that they retain the useful properties at their highest levels. They are then placed on the surface of a quantity of spring water held in a thin-walled glass container. "The container will be put in the sun for a few hours until the colour of the petals begins to fade," adds Dr Cutullo. At this point the water is filtered and conserved in special containers with an equal quantity of brandy, which serves as a preservative for the preparation. This procedure is known as the "sun method".

"There is also the boiling method, in which the useful parts of the flowering plant are boiled in spring water for thirty minutes. Once finished, the preparation is filtered and placed in containers, again with the addition of an equal quantity of brandy," Laura Cutullo continues. Each remedy is subsequently subjected to a dilution process down to the fifth decimal (5D). Flower therapy remedies are available commercially in 10 ml dropper bottles.

Flowers and therapies for four-legged friends

For dogs and cats, regardless of age, sex, size and breed, flower therapy remedies are administered directly into the mouth, in the drinking water or in food at a dose of ½ pipette 2/4 times a day. For rabbits, 2 pipettes can be added to the drinking water, to be renewed each time the bowl is changed. It should not be forgotten that gels, creams, ointments and oils for external use can also be prepared with flowers. Using remedies of this kind is very straightforward and any error in the number of drops to be administered is almost irrelevant to the therapy. There are, however, also ready-to-use formulations in spray or granule form, such as those used for homoeopathic remedies.

"Admv, Associazione donne medico veterinario has just completed an online course on Bach flower therapy for its members. We are very pleased, myself included, as a significant number of colleagues took part, and this is a sign of how much clinical veterinary medicine, especially among women, is opening up to integrated therapies," concludes Cutullo, who is vice-president of the association.