Hints on using herbs with animals
January 11th 2009 07:14
I love using herbs for both myself and the animals I meet. However there are a few cautions to keep in mind.
Pic from Really Long Link A Walk Through Cleveland's Botanical Garden
Just because a herb has wonderfully qualities, remember it may not have the same biochemical reaction within a different species' body.
Horses and humans can easily utilise herbs like calendula, meadowsweet and white willow bark. However for a cat these herbs can be fatal. The reason for this the salicylates are not processed by a cat's body in the way we can. The other issue most of us with an ache and pain don't have to take into account is prohibited susbtances, and a herb high in salicylates could test positive if you are competing until certain rules.
In times of stress, a popular herb at the moment is Sy John's wort. It is not widely known that it can be phototoxic in humans and some people will get skin reactions if their body and the sun combine in certain ways. In horses and dogs, if they are out in the sun, can get some very nasty phototoxic reactions and end up with raw patches of skin on their body which they try to rub and relieve contstantly.
The garlic bulb is another one popular with people who want to ward off bugs. Some humans can be intolerant of garlic and they can recognise this and avoid the addition of it to their food. In dogs its long term use has been linked to a form of anaemia. In horses, if given at the same time as pharmaceutical drugs, their body can later manifest skin issues when given garlic again (or if it is continued). Some cases of lymph odema in horses has been associated with garlic use as well.
Other little hints with herbs:
St Mary's Thistle is a great herb if an animal has been poisoned or suffered from a toxic reaction, however if there is any signs of anaemia, please do not give this herb.
Comfrey is often toted as a herb for healing bone fractures, it is a great herb but care does have to be careful with horses as their liver seems more susceptible to the pirralizzadine alkaloids its contains so keep use to a short term application. There are other herbs that combine to help with repairing the body that may be more suitable, expecially with younger horses, as their bones and bone plates may still be growing and the use of comfrey may not be advisable because of this reason.
Remember it is not just a matter of giving this much of this or that herb. When combining herbs the dose will change depending on which herbs you combine, this will often determine the amount of each herb you give. A good herbalist will know this and combine herbs to get the most of the synergy of combining herbs.
When it comes to deciding which herbs to use, make a list of every possible herb you want to include in your approach. Then look at which herbs cover most of the issues you want to address. You will then see which ones can cover several problems your animal may have and this will help you keep your purchase down to a simple number of 3 or 4 herbs. Rarely should you need more than 5 herbs if you choose carefully. Anymore than that and you are taking more a shotgun affect and you may not hit your target as effectively.
Have fun with herbs, Just be aware of what can go wrong if you don't choose with care/
Pic from Really Long Link A Walk Through Cleveland's Botanical Garden
Just because a herb has wonderfully qualities, remember it may not have the same biochemical reaction within a different species' body.
Horses and humans can easily utilise herbs like calendula, meadowsweet and white willow bark. However for a cat these herbs can be fatal. The reason for this the salicylates are not processed by a cat's body in the way we can. The other issue most of us with an ache and pain don't have to take into account is prohibited susbtances, and a herb high in salicylates could test positive if you are competing until certain rules.
In times of stress, a popular herb at the moment is Sy John's wort. It is not widely known that it can be phototoxic in humans and some people will get skin reactions if their body and the sun combine in certain ways. In horses and dogs, if they are out in the sun, can get some very nasty phototoxic reactions and end up with raw patches of skin on their body which they try to rub and relieve contstantly.
The garlic bulb is another one popular with people who want to ward off bugs. Some humans can be intolerant of garlic and they can recognise this and avoid the addition of it to their food. In dogs its long term use has been linked to a form of anaemia. In horses, if given at the same time as pharmaceutical drugs, their body can later manifest skin issues when given garlic again (or if it is continued). Some cases of lymph odema in horses has been associated with garlic use as well.
Other little hints with herbs:
St Mary's Thistle is a great herb if an animal has been poisoned or suffered from a toxic reaction, however if there is any signs of anaemia, please do not give this herb.
Comfrey is often toted as a herb for healing bone fractures, it is a great herb but care does have to be careful with horses as their liver seems more susceptible to the pirralizzadine alkaloids its contains so keep use to a short term application. There are other herbs that combine to help with repairing the body that may be more suitable, expecially with younger horses, as their bones and bone plates may still be growing and the use of comfrey may not be advisable because of this reason.
Remember it is not just a matter of giving this much of this or that herb. When combining herbs the dose will change depending on which herbs you combine, this will often determine the amount of each herb you give. A good herbalist will know this and combine herbs to get the most of the synergy of combining herbs.
When it comes to deciding which herbs to use, make a list of every possible herb you want to include in your approach. Then look at which herbs cover most of the issues you want to address. You will then see which ones can cover several problems your animal may have and this will help you keep your purchase down to a simple number of 3 or 4 herbs. Rarely should you need more than 5 herbs if you choose carefully. Anymore than that and you are taking more a shotgun affect and you may not hit your target as effectively.
Have fun with herbs, Just be aware of what can go wrong if you don't choose with care/
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