HELPING HORSES, PETS & PEOPLE THROUGH THE WINTER BLUES

It’s not just people who get the winter blues. Our much-loved horses, cats and dogs can also experience low mood from being stuck indoors, and the aches that come with colder, wetter weather. The internet abounds with ways for humans to get through winter – from wearing bright colours to taking a tropical holiday – but how can we help our pets & horses through the winter blues? Thankfully we make quite a few natural remedies that can help.

LOW MOOD

Less sunlight during the winter months can disrupt the body clock, leading to lower serotonin production and feelings of lethargy and low mood. This ‘Seasonal Affected Disorder’ is well documented in humans, and while there’s no evidence – yet -  that it affects animals, some owners do sense their animals need a pick-me-up during winter.

Horses

More stable time and less exercise can result in low mood. Our Chilled Out Horse remedy is one of our most popular remedies. It’s an everyday feel-good supplement that supports calm without drowsiness. For some horses, less time with their paddock mates and their humans can result in low-level anxiety. Our Separation Anxiety – Equine remedy is formulated to calm horses who get anxious when left along, or left behind. Read our Calm the Farm blog post to find out more about our range of calming remedies for horses.

Pets

If your dog, cat or pet seems a little down in the winter months try them on our BioPet Relax. It’s an everyday calmative that can also be used to support cats during the Spring ‘territory disagreements’, particularly for our older boys who may not be as confident as they used to be. If your pet is feeling down because you’re back to working in the office, our BioPet Feeling Lonely remedy can support pets through any feelings of grief or abandonment.

People 

We make quite a few remedies for humans experiencing low mood during the winter months. Our Calm Plus remedy is an everyday calmative that doesn’t cause drowsiness and is suitable for long term use. If poor sleep is the cause of lethargy and low mood, then our  Sleep Plus remedy can help those who struggle to get to sleep, especially after waking in the night. Or if you’ve been left feeling worn out after an illness such as a bacterial or viral infection, our Fatigue Plus remedy might be for you.

ACHES & PAINS

Just like us humans, our animals can also experience winter aches and pains, particularly as they head into their senior years. There are so many ways to approach these types of ailments – ours is to support a natural immune response and healing from the inside out.

Horses 

If you notice your horse is a little stiffer and sorer during the winter months, then try our Joints Plus - Equine remedy. It’s professionally formulated to support older animals and is safe for long term use.

Pets

We make the same remedy for smaller animals. It’s called BioPet Joints, and is formulated to support a normal immune response to arthritic inflammation and stiffness by targeting the calcification within arthritic joints. Just like all our remedies, it can be used alongside medicines prescribed by your vet. For pets that need support with the challenges of getting older, try our Senior Drops – Pets. This remedy supports a range of age-related complaints such as stiff and sore joints; kidney, liver and heart function and the uptake of vitamins and minerals from their diet. For more info, read our blog post on helping senior pets live their best lives.

People

Whether your winter aches and pains are generalised or specific, we make a remedy that can help. Our Knees Plus is for those experiencing symptoms of arthritis while for hip pain, try our Hips Plus – People. When ordering Hips Plus, let us know how bad your pain is on a scale of 1-10 so we can customise this remedy to your needs. For everyday back pain or stiffness, try our Backs Plus remedy. It can also be used to support minor sprains and nerve compression. If your aches and pains are more generalised or occur in more than one area, then our Joints Plus – People could be what you’re looking for.

LOSS OF CONDITION

Changes in diet, levels of activity and low mood can lead to a loss of condition over the winter months, particularly in older animals. Sudden changes in condition should be taken seriously and discussed with your vet, but for general issues, these remedies can provide support.

Horses 

Loss of condition can be caused by uptake of vitamins and minerals from the diet. Our Conditioning Tonic supports assimilation, which in turn promotes promotes weight gain and improved coat and hair sheen and lustre. For horses experiencing a lack of appetite due to low mood, rehabilitation or palliative care, try our Appetite Plus – Equine remedy, or our Liver Plus – Equine for animals that need general support with healthy liver function.

Pets

We make these same remedies especially formulated to support smaller animals such as dogs and cats. Unlike supplements, our Conditioning Tonic – Pets remedy supports the uptake of minerals and vitamins from the food your pet is already eating to assist with building condition, and healthy bones, teeth and coats. For animals experiencing minor loss of appetite due to illness or old age, try our Appetite Plus – Pets, or for older pets – particularly cats – our Kidney & Liver Health remedy can support improved organ function.

People

We make a Liver Plus remedy for People too!

ALLERGIES

While we often associate allergies with Spring, some plants do start producing pollen in the middle of winter, like Pine trees. Homeopathic remedies for allergies need time to help immune systems respond to allergens, so for horses, pets and people who are affected, we recommend getting started soon!

Horses 

We make our Pine & Pollen remedy to support horses that react to airborne allergens and Dust Allergy - Equine for those who are bothered by things like dusty hay while spending more time stabled during the winter months.

Pets

More time inside and less time with windows and doors open can result in a reaction to dust mites. Of course, we have a remedy called Dust Allergy – Pets for that!

People

We make a version of our Dust Allergy remedy for humans too! And for people who are affected by pine pollen, grasses and privet, there’s our Hay Fever Plus. It’s professionally formulated to support a normal immune response to allergens, without causing drowsiness.

Staying healthy in winter is as important for our horses and pets as it is for ourselves. We hope our remedies can help!

General Disclaimer

Always follow dosing instructions. Our remedies are formulated to support the natural immune system of horses, pets, people and livestock. We do not claim to treat, medicate or cure any health conditions. If you are using our People Range remedies and symptoms are persisting, please contact your health care professional. If you are worried an animal may be in pain or suffering please contact your veterinarian.