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Anyone use Calms Forte? human or dog -- (Callie) News

Posted : 12/28/2008 1:58:55 PM

Last night David went into Whole Foods to get some stuff, among which was Hylands "Calms Forte".

Looks like they've re-formulated it. I don't have all the facts, but what he brought out was TWO things:

1. The OLD "Calms" -- not the "forte". This still works FINE Absolutely and positively. IN the past, the only thing I could find out that was "different" between Calms and Calms Forte was "bioflavonoinds" added to the Forte to make it work better in the stomach.

Calms is an *unusual* homeopathic in that it's formulated to dissolve in the tummy NOT in the mouth. I've always thot it kinda crazy that Calms and Calms Forte were so similar but packaged different with that one additional ingredient. It was almost like the shrugged their shoulders and said "yeah, pretty much the same but a little better".

2. What David got last night was labelled "For Kids".

WHOA!!! (not a bad whoa, but a good one). The re-formulated Calms Forte is now little sugar pellets MADE TO DISSOLVE IN THE MOUTH!!!

this isn't a bad thing -- it's a good thing!! This means it will work *faster* (typically Calms takes about 45 minutes to work). They dose it in 2, 3, or 4 pellets depending on 'age'.

I would still give most dogs 3-4 pellets - let them CHEW THEM (do *not* give with food). Because with a dog you can't tell them to "leave it under your tongue" so some of it will go to the stomach so they'll use those extra pellets. It won't over dose them at all.

I don't know if they're still going to have the harder 'tablets' that has classically been known as Calms Forte -- and I really don't know any more than I just posted. I'd be astonished if they didn't because too many ADULTS use Calms Forte (people that just have a bit of trouble relaxing to sleep, or people particulalry who work a swing shift and have to sleep when it's day).

If YOU have more info let us know?

Soon as I figure out more I'll let you guys know.

I'm SURE somehow this is motivated by charging a bit more for it somehow (yeah, I'm jaded -- I spent 10 minutes yesterday trying to decide between Bounty Basic and Bounty "regular" and wound up with a 3rd brand *laughing* cos I was un-decided!!)

But making it dissolve sub-lingually? THAT IS GOOD -- I' never could figure out WHY they made that one product to dissolve in the stomach, unless they somehow figured babies wouldn't leave in their mouth. But these are tiny SOFT pellets (not like Boirons which are hard). This will make it work FASTER. I actually just tried it on all 3 of my dogs just to SEE and all 3 are blissfully chilled out and snoozing (yes, even Ms. Sparkle Poop herself!! TINKERBELL!!!)

shadowsgin

Posted : 12/29/2008 3:30:59 PM

calliecritturs
yeah, I'm jaded -- I spent 10 minutes yesterday trying to decide between Bounty Basic and Bounty "regular" and wound up with a 3rd brand *laughing* cos I was un-decided!!)

This is too funny, I do this all the time and hubby cant understand why it takes me so long at the D.G. store, lol

calliecritturs
Ms. Sparkle Poop herself!! TINKERBELL!!!)

Poor little Tink, lol.

I have never used Calms Forte or Calms actually never heard of it until I saw a post where you had mentioned it.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 12/29/2008 4:29:53 PM

I haven't seen it, but that sounds great! I've always had a hard time with regular calms forte. Hard little pills that you can't give with food? PLEASE mom? Treats? Somewhere? Medicines with no treats? MOOOOM!

calliecritturs

Posted : 12/29/2008 4:37:23 PM

The regular old plain Calms is still available -- and that you CAN give with food. It's the rare homeopathic that you *can* give that way!

But these little pellets are really soft -- VERY sweet -- just crush them and either pour in their mouth or in front of them. Mine all think it's a treat.

*I* use Calms on ME. If you know you're a tad wired and not "ready" for bed, but you really need to go to bed now cos you gotta get up early or something? Try it. You don't wake up feeling drugged at all -- because it just suggests sleep to you. It's not a "medicine" -- it's a homeopathic so the body just gets nudged - not bashed over the head.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 12/29/2008 4:43:58 PM

I totally didn't know you could give it with food. Poor Emma, LOL. She loves the regular homeopathics (Hives is her best friend in the world, some days), but not Calms, because it's hard and not a "treat". Ena likes them, too. Ena will eat anything, though. She was digging through my purse, today, and got a candy cane hershey's kiss, and I caught her before she ate it. She was jealous of Tink's sparkly poops, I think.

I need to go buy some more Calms. I've been weird lately, and when I went to take some, they'd gotten damp (I guess the humidity?) and nasty.

NicoleS

Posted : 12/29/2008 6:10:04 PM

Good, timely post for me! I was thinking of trying either the Calms (one of the many varieties, apparently) or something like oat seed (which I read from a Callie post) or our trainer recommended melatonin....

Sammy's having a wee bit of anxiety issues and I want to give him something to take a bit of the edge off while we do some desensitizing again. We've been traveling a lot since thanksgiving and he's not the best at adapting, esp at the folks' place since they have a dog and his crate is different, etc.

So what would be the best to start with? I was planning on heading to Whole Foods tomorrow, so I'm up for whatever they or something like Target would have. If the Calms is good to try, which variety? I almost certainly will not be able to give a hard little pill without food, sometimes I can drop it in the back of his throat but DH isn't too good with that. So would the dissolving ones for kids be better? How far apart from food do you need to give it?

Or would something like oat seed or valerian or melatonin also be choices? I guess I'm not sure which method each one works by and therefore it's hard to pick one.... ie, melatonin would be fine at night, but in the morning? Doesn't seem like the best bet, especially if it's fairly often (definitely don't want a Sammy up all night!). But then are there idiosyncrasies to worry about with the others, such as taking it apart from food?

I don't need to knock him out, but he tends to be anxious when away from us, and it got a bit worse over the holidays (hey, they stress me out too so I get where he's coming from!) so I want to get everything calm again before going back to work in a few days.

I also have rescue remedy and chill out at my disposal :) Those just don't last very long....

Thanks for the informative post, Callie!!

calliecritturs

Posted : 12/29/2008 10:17:55 PM

Calms actually is a sleep-aid primarily -- it really does *encourage* sleep.

I'd start with either Oat Seed (which is tough to find sometimes -- Whole Foods carries it -- but you want the non-alcohol variety if you can (it's a tincture).

Valerian, St. John's Wort, Passion Flower -- those are all nervine herbs -- they are specifically relaxants and usually won't make them sleepy but will help relax.

It kinda depends on the dog to be honest -- it depends on how much the emotions are wound up -- Oat Seed is more a "mellower outer" where valerian likes to work on the muscles without giving brain fog.

Try either and see which works.

Valerian comes in powder/caps or the tincture. The tinctures always work faster -- most of the glycerite ones (sugar base, not alcohol) are tasty and absorb pretty fast into the blood stream.

I probably have more experience with valerian -- it works fast and I like the fact that it doesn't mess with cognitive thinking. (when I say "doesn't give brain fog";) But it's really individual to be honest.