Valerian Question

tropicalfish

tropicalfish

Veteran Member
I was giving my small dogs valerian root extract when they would get too nervous and jumpy. It worked real good. But, now I'm out of it and can't seem to find it anymore.
What I was giving them was fluid extract of valerian root 75 mg in a base of vegetable glycerin and purified water. My husband came home from the drug store with valerian 450 mg whole herb capsules. He said here, now go make an extract for the dogs. Ok....now how would I do that? I don't know if its even possible. :confused:
Anyone have any ideas how I can give these whole herb valerian capsules to our dogs? My husband gets a little nervous himself when the dogs bark at every clap of thunder. Maybe I should dose my hubby and not worry about the dogs. :lol:
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
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TF- I'd probably just open a capsule, put it in something like tuna fish or anything else they like, and figure that if 2 capsules are appropriate for a 150 pound human... break it down by approximate weight of the dogs.

Either freeze the extra or toss it. Or, if you want to make something ahead of time that won't spoil quickly, if they like peanut butter, mix the content of the capsules with that instead.

Summerthyme
 
tropicalfish

tropicalfish

Veteran Member
Well that sounds easy enough. I guess I was trying to make something hard out of it. :screw: I will sure give it a try.

Thanks!
 
G

Gateway

gateway
I searched for Valerian at Vitacost and came up with 21 products. There's even an alcohol free tincture in there. I order from them regularly and have been very happy with their products and service. I hope something in here will help.

VitaCost Valerian Products
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
TF- sometimes it is just that easy! I'd venture to say that you could, if you wished, make an elderberry "extract" which would work well for flu simply by steeping either dried or frozen berries in water to make a strong tea, and drink it fresh.

A lot of the preparation we go through for herbals is to make them more convenient to take, or to lengthen storage properties. Tinctures can concentrate the active ingredients from some herbs so you only have to take, say, 1/2 tsp of tincture instead of 6 capsules of dry whole herb.... but by and large it ends up working the same.

Valerian root works well as a tea (but it smells horrible!) or simply ground in capsules. I'm sure they make it in liquid form for animals mostly because it's simpler for the owners to administer that way- and also because there is such a wide variation in weights, so it's easier to give a correct dosage.

BTW, I've also seen skullcap work amazingly well for storm- terror. I tried it on our elderly Border Collie-Australian Shepherd bitch several years ago. She hated to come in the house, but had gotten so terrified by thunder that she'd huddle on the steps outside crying in fear, and at times would actually deign to come inside- where she'd run frantically from room to room. One day I gave her 2 skullcap capsules in a piece of cheese and less than 30 minutes later, she was sacked out, sound asleep, under the kitchen table! Amazing...

Summerthyme
 
Herbmountain

Herbmountain

Inactive
Dogs just love dirty old smelly socks. Valerian seems to make the dogs salivate on scent of the fine herb.

Let's break down mg/grams. There are 1000mg to a gram weight of powder. Usually 5 capsules equals one teaspoon. A dog can easily take 500 mg. Why? Dogs have a higher heart rate than a human and metabolize faster than we do. Summer has some great ideas. But breaking down a human dose recommendation to a dog dose might not be the correct dose for the dog.

Buy your valerian root by the pound. This way the herb you are giving to your dog will be 100% valerian and not a capsule that might contain other plant material or fillers.

Summerthyme has listed many times on how to tincture to make the plant last years. It is simple but one must take out the alcohol portion and make the tincture into a glycerine. That too is simple. Take the final tincture from alcohol. Say you have one cup of tincture. Add one cup of glycerine and cook slowly on low down to the one cup portion. So you are reducing 2 cups of tincture back to one cup. Now you have a valerian glycerine tincture. For some reason dogs do not do will with alcohol. It causes some tummy upset.

I have great luck with Chamomile. It can be grown easily. Look for the german chamomile. The roman is bitter where as the german is sweet. The fresh flowers I harvest and give to my cockatoo. I also give some comfrey and peppermint dried and the bird loves these. The chamomile immediately calms him down from hell bent for election screaming to the soft quite little bird. He plays better and seems less stressed. I asked the avian vet is this was ok and she laughed and told me it is her secret arsenal for stressed birds.

So try the bulk valerian. This way you can order organic so no chemicals are used on your plant material.
 
tropicalfish

tropicalfish

Veteran Member
Many thanks to Summerthyme and Herbmountain for your interaction. I learn so much from both of you.
Herbie, I forgot you were a vet tech also. I am tickled pink to learn how to take out the alcohol portion and make the tincture into a glycerine. You are right, they don't get along with the alcohol at all. Now I can get busy and take my valerian tincture and convert it to glycerine.
Usually 5 capsules equals one teaspoon.
Click to expand...
Are you referring to the 00 or 0 capsules?
 
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