160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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Dog Questions
Dr. Berg,
Last year we wrote to you regarding our Bernese Mountain Dog's extreme fear of
thunderstorms. He also gets very stressed out when we take him to get
groomed, which is only about once a year. The groomer suggested that we
try giving him Melatonin. When we went on the Internet to read up on
Melatonin, it said that it could be helpful when used with dogs that have
"thunder-phobia" and other stressful situations without the side
effects drugs like Clomipramine have. Have you had any experience with
Melatonin or Rescue Remedy? If so, can you suggest a particular brand and
dosage? Our dog weighs 120 lbs. Summer is only around the corner
and if we have storms that we had last year, we are not looking forward to it.
J&J, Bear
Dear J&J,
My knowledge of alternative therapy for animals is extremely limited, so when I
get questions regarding things such as use of Melatonin in pets, I ask my
favorite homeopathic veterinarian who DOES know a lot about these things, Dr.
Shelley Epstein at the Wilmington Animal Hospital, located along the
Philadelphia Pike in Wilmington. Dr. Epstein practices “regular” medicine
as well as homeopathic medicine for pets. Here was her response:
”I am not a melatonin user, for a few reasons, highly applicable here.
First of all, I really don't like interfering with an animal’s hormones
unless absolutely necessary and I make sure that the owner understands all the
potential ramifications of the use of hormones. Since I don’t prescribe
melatonin, I cannot comment on its side effects. I feel strongly that the
body has a delicate balance of hormones for a reason, and modifying this
balance in any way may be risky. A recent such example in human medicine is the
latest reports of estrogen supplementation for menopausal women being linked to
an increased risk of strokes.
Bernese Mountain Dogs also are genetically predisposed to cancer, so that
changing hormones in this particular breed should be avoided from that
standpoint as well. Homeopathic medicine teaches that phobias are
symptoms of underlying chronic disease, and your dog’s disproportional fear of
being groomed may be one of these symptoms. Homeopathically, your dog
needs rebalancing immediately; to give him a hormone or any
palliative/suppressive therapy may potentially hasten the arrival of his first
tumor!
I am aware of Rescue Remedy helping to calm dogs with thunderstorm fears.
I personally don’t prescribe Bach flower essences (Rescue Remedy is a
combination of 5 Bach Flower essences), but other veterinarians have used these
as a calming agent. Rescue Remedy will not work in every instance but may
be helpful to try.”
Dr. Epstein has been actively involved with Homeopathic Medicine for animals
for over 8 years and was a past president of the Academy of Veterinary
Homeopathy. She also teaches a course called "Homeopathy for Pets:
Acute and First Aide Prescribing" that is open to veterinarians,
technicians, and the general public. You can reach Dr. Epstein and get
information on these classes by calling the Wilmington Animal Hospital at
762-2694. Wilmington
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