Passion flower extract

What is passion flower extract?

Passion flower extract is a liquid or solid extract from the flowers, leaves or roots of the passion flower. It contains various ingredients that have a positive effect on the nervous system. These mainly include alkaloids, flavonoids and sugars. These substances can influence the activity of certain messenger substances in the brain that are responsible for mood, sleep and anxiety regulation.

How does passion flower extract work in dogs?

Passion flower extract has a similar effect to valerian or camomile in dogs. It has a calming, relaxing, anxiolytic, antispasmodic and analgesic effect.

It can help dogs suffering from various complaints, such as

• General anxiety and restlessness
• Mental stress, for example in animal welfare dogs
• Stress caused by unfamiliar situations and noise, for example on New Year's Eve
• Nocturnal restlessness and sleep disorders
• Restlessness and excessive urge to move

Passion flower extract can therefore help your dog to be more calm and relaxed and improve his quality of life.

What are the benefits of passion flower extract for dogs?

Passion flower extract has several advantages over other sedatives for dogs. Firstly, it is purely herbal and therefore has hardly any side effects. Secondly, it is easy to dose and administer. You can either put it directly into your dog's mouth or add it to their food or water. It is also relatively inexpensive and available in many pharmacies or online stores.

What are the disadvantages of passion flower extract for dogs?

Passion flower extract also has some disadvantages that you should be aware of. Firstly, it is not suitable for all dogs. There are over 500 different types of passionflower, some of which are toxic to dogs. The poisonous hydrocyanic acid is mainly contained in the leaves of the passion flower and can lead to symptoms of poisoning such as nausea, vomiting, circulatory problems and cramps. You should therefore always make sure that you buy a high-quality passion flower extract that consists only of the flowers or roots of the plant.

On the other hand, passion flower extract can influence the effect of other medications. If your dog is already taking other medication, for example for the heart or liver, you should speak to your vet before using passion flower extract. They can tell you whether there may be any interactions and how you should adjust the dosage.

How do you use passion flower extract with your dog?

The use of passionflower extract in your dog depends on various factors, such as your dog's weight, the reason for use and the type of extract. There is no universal dosage recommendation, so you should always follow the manufacturer's or your vet's instructions. However, as a guideline, you can give your dog around 0.5 to 1 ml of passion flower extract per 10 kg of body weight. You can increase or decrease the dose as needed, but do not give more than 4 ml per 10 kg of body weight per day.

You can either give the passionflower extract directly into your dog's mouth or add it to his food or water. If you give him the extract directly, you should make sure that he doesn't spit or lick it out. If you give him the extract with food or water, make sure that he takes it all in and doesn't share or leave it.

The effect of passion flower extract usually sets in after around 30 minutes and lasts for around 4 to 6 hours. You can give your dog the extract several times a day as needed, but not more often than every 4 hours. If you want to give your dog the extract before a stressful situation, for example before a visit to the vet or a car journey, you should give him the extract about an hour beforehand.