|
|
Herbs |
Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre |
|
|
|
Holistic Vet - Herbal VetHerbal Medicine for AnimalsVeterinary Herbal MedicinePhytotherapy - Herbs for Animalsherb vet, herbal vet, herbal veterinary medicine
|
| Horse Herbs | Dog Herbs | Cat Herbs |
Herbs have been medicine and food for animals, since animal life emerged. Animals therefore have an inherent instinct for herbal medication of their health problems (zoopharmacognosy*), whether horses, dogs, cats, cattle, rabbits or other species. Human peoples also had this instinct for their own medicine and ancient civilisations used herbs for animals too, but modern ‘civilisation’ and ‘education’ have seriously lessened our natural instinctive ability and capability.
Having said that, and despite the fact that the modern Western establishment appears to like to relegate herbalism to the status of 'folklore' or 'old wives' tales', herbs or derivatives from herbs form the basis of much of the modern conventional medical armoury. Unsurprisingly, while very willing to exploit the clear therapeutic benefits of herbs, the pharmaceutical industry does not readily advertise these ‘humble’ origins!
 |
click
image to start short slide show download speed will depend upon the speed of your connection |
Herbs contain a vast spread of pharmacologically-active ingredients and each herb has its own unique combination and properties. They are classified in modern herbal medicine according to their spheres of action. Many herbs contain ingredients which provide the whole plant with several such actions, combined in the one medicine. Recognised actions include alterative, anodyne, anthelmintic, anti-catarrhal, anti-emetic, anti-inflammatory, antilithic, antibacterial, antifungal, antispasmodic, aperient/laxative, aromatic, astringent, bitter, cardiac, carminative, cathartic/purgative, cholagogue and anticholagogue, demulcent, diaphoretic, diuretic, ecbolic, emetic, emollient, expectorant, febrifuge, galactagogue, hepatic, hypnotic, nervine, rubefacient, sedative, sialogogue, soporific, stimulant, styptic, tonic, vesicant and vulnerary.
Alternatively, herbal medicines may be classified according to the category of constituents in their composition. Constituents include acids, alcohols, alkaloids, anthraquinones, bitters, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, coumarins, flavones, flavonoid glycosides, phenols, saponins, tannins and volatile oils.
Herbal medicines are traditionally
selected according to the perceived needs of the patient and based upon
the individual herbs’ constituents in relation to the above mentioned
actions. Whether single herbs are used, or a combination of herbs is
selected, depends upon the spread of activity of each herb and whether
or not it supplies the necessary spectrum of action in the body.
It is of fundamental importance in herbal medicine that plants are identified correctly. They should be harvested from unpolluted areas, where possible and should, if cultured, be grown without the use of modern agro-chemicals. It is also advisable that, where possible, indigenous species should be used because they may prove more suited to the patient’s constitution than exotic herbs.
Herbs can be used for dogs, cats, horses, ponies and many other animal species. Horses and ponies respond particularly well. This has led to an explosion of commercial exploitation. More and more herbal products are appearing on the shelves of horse feed outlets, pet outlets and on the internet. However, there are few experienced herbal vets in the UK, so coordination of input in a holistic manner is not common.
Traditional herbal medicine, whether Ayurvedic medicine, Indian herbs, Chinese herbs (Traditional Chinese Medicine - TCM), Western herbs, African herbs, Native North American herbal lore or other indigenous practice, is a holistic therapy and relies upon the whole plant, or defined portions of it. It does not presume to identify a single pharmacologically-active ingredient for isolated use.
Modern herbal medicine is drifting towards pharmacognosy, the science of defining specific supposed ‘active’ ingredients, then extracting and purifying them and using them in isolation. This is not holistic medicine and it carries inherent dangers, which do not attach to using whole plants. Ingredients of the whole plant tend to act in synergy and to balance each other in nature, whereas man disturbs this holistic balance with his ‘interference’. This is also happening in the veterinary field and is a far cry from herbal medicine's holistic roots. Many products are now being marketed in this way, especially herbs for horses and herbs for dogs. Some nutraceutical products are formulated with this rationale.
It is then but a small step to altering molecules, patenting them and making millions of pounds/dollars from a marketed drug, with even greater potential for side-effects (this is the essence of modern conventional drug medicine, which has clearly evolved from herbal medicine in this way). This is reductionism at work, as opposed to holistic principles.
Image: Early morning sun bathes our herb garden
Herbal
medicine includes such amazingly effective agents as willow bark
(providing salicylate, which is an Aspirin-like and effective pain
killer, at much lower doses than one might expect, when compared to
Aspirin itself), Digitalis or foxglove (a remarkably effective heart
drug, having action on all aspects of cardiac function), dandelion (an
effective diuretic, providing copious potassium, which modern diuretics
tend to drain from the body! - French name pis en lit) and
periwinkle or Vinca (a predecessor of the potent cancer drug
Vincristine).
In horses particularly, since they are classical herbivores, herbs provide a useful source of minerals and vitamins, in my opinion better than artificial sources. In this situation, we may describe herbs for horses as food, playing an important part in the nutrition of the animal. The boundary between food and medicine was never so blurred as in herbal lore. Hippocrates is credited with saying “let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food”. The distinction is not clear and there is no reason for it to be clear. We are, after all, thinking holistically. It is true to say, however, that herbs fall into various categories, some much more food-like than others and some much more medicine-like than others. It is the context, the motivation and the dosage which govern the rôle of the herb.
Conditions often treated with herbs, in dogs, cats, horses and other animals, sometimes in conjunction with other therapies, are: COPD, laminitis, digestive disturbance, diarrhoea, nervousness, arthritis, liver problems (hepatopathy), sinusitis, chronic cough, skin problems, respiratory problems, heart problems, hoof quality (hoof health) and kidney problems. At the AVMC, we also formulate herb mixes to accompany grass pastures or for winter time, to ensure availability of essential nutrients. Modern grassland management, whether supplying grazing or conserved forage (hay, haylage, grass nuts, dried grass), is not conducive to optimum horse health and well-being and supplying a variety of nutritious herbs can compensate for this to an extent.
Species treated by the AVMC include: horses, ponies, goats, donkeys, mules, cats, dogs, cattle, pigs, sheep, llamas, alpacas, buffalo, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, lizards, terrapins, tortoises, snakes, raptors, poultry (domestic fowl), cage birds, budgies, canaries, budgerigars, parrots, parakeets, macaws, birds of prey (raptors).
The AVMC accepts referrals in Veterinary Acupuncture, Veterinary Homeopathy, Veterinary Herbal Medicine, back problems in dogs, back problems in horses, back problems in cats, back problems in all species.
There is a logic in the notion that herbs indigenous to the patient's country should be used in preference to 'exotic' herbs, although Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs have become fashionable in the UK, at present. There follow some simplified examples of Western herbs, classified according to pharmacological activity:
We also use some herbal preparations as food supplements, for mainly their nutritive benefits: e.g. various species of seaweed (e.g. kelp, wrack, bladderwrack, algae, chlorella), garlic and brewers yeast. We avoid brand wars and favouring one brand over another but we advise using a manufacturing source with a deep tradition, rather than some company with no experience that has seen the marketing opportunity.
In case it is helpful to clients, we do formulate off-the-shelf herb mixtures, for general nutritional support, for arthritis, for laminitis, for respiratory problems, for hoof health and for other problems. Enquire at the office, if interested: 01367 710324.
Since finite doses of pharmacologically-active agents are being given in herbal medicine, it is very possible that dosing with many of the available herbal medicines would cause a horse or dog to fail competition ‘dope’ tests. There is also a definite risk of residues in food animal products, such as meat, milk or eggs. It is possible, furthermore, that herbs can 'summate', potentially dangerously, with conventional drugs given for similar purposes.
Many unlicensed herbal ‘products’ exist on the market, advertised with great vigour and containing quasi-legal, unsupported, medical claims, whether in the literature, on the label or in the name. The AVMC advises to avoid these. They are not tailored to your animal. They are sold more for profit than for medicine. No effort has been spent on supplying proof of efficacy, safety and quality (as required for a product licence), despite the claims or implied claims of efficacy and many of the companies have no proper herbal tradition. Caveat emptor - buyer beware!
To illustrate the scope of herbal medicine, we have prepared several pages for the major species:
Herbs for Horses, Ponies, Donkeys & Mules: Horses Herbal Medicine - Ponies Herbal Medicine
Herbs for Dogs: Dogs Herbal Medicine
Herbs for Cats: Cats Herbal Medicine
Aromatherapy (the use of so-called essential oils) is a branch of herbal medicine. While homeopathy uses herbs in the preparation of some of its medicines, it should not be confused with herbal medicine.
Christopher Day, herbal vet and holistic vet, has used herbs in veterinary medicine since 1972 and is willing to share experiences, understanding and ideas.
Ecological note
There are plants which are being harvested from the wild, around the world, in unsustainable quantities. It is important to try not to use threatened species and to use plants from sustainable regeneration programmes, where possible. http://www.bgci.org/ourwork/medplants/
The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 restricts the treatment of animals (other than your own) with herbal medicine, by anyone other than a fully qualified vet.
Care and Administration of Herbal Medicines
See also: Birds, Cage Mammals, Reptiles, Wild Animals
Poisonous & Unfriendly Plants (.pdf)
Beneficial Plants in Pasture (.pdf)
| Horse Herbal Medicine | Dog Herbal Medicine | Cat Herbal Medicine |
 To view some of the pages (.pdf) on this site, you'll need Adobe Acrobat
Reader 8.0 or later - download it here for free:
.pdf files can take a little longer to download and will generally open in a separate window. If not, to return to this web site from a .pdf file, press your browser's 'BACK' button. |
 |
http://www.veterinary-herbal.co.uk/index.html
|
Added August 2009: It is a source of great disappointment to us at the AVMC, that a minority of professional veterinary colleagues act in an unprofessional and discourteous way when clients try to discuss the possibility of referral for alternative medicine. Whatever their opinions of alternative medicine, usually formed without first-hand experience of the subject, vets are supposed to assist clients with referrals, not obstruct them or give a rude reaction. As most clients who request referrals have already come to the end of the conventional options, it is difficult to see what gives rise to the objection. Pride and financial considerations should not enter into the equation, so we assume these are not the reason (see Prejudice). The fact that there may be a way of helping a distressed and chronically ill patient should be a source of pleasure and interest for the caring veterinary surgeon. |
| Homeopathy | Acupuncture | Holistic | Chiropractic | Natural Feeding |
Associated websites: http://chris-day.blogware.com/ - www.acupuncture-animals.co.uk - www.holistic-vet.co.uk - www.homeopathic-vet.com - www.veterinary-acupuncture.co.uk - www.veterinary-homeopathy.co.uk - www.veterinary-herbal.co.uk - www.veterinary-holistic.co.uk - www.alternativeveterinarymedicine.co.uk - www.alternativeveterinarymedicinecentre.co.uk - www.avmc.co.uk - www.naturalfeeding.co.uk - www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~avmc - www.chinhampublications.co.uk - www.equineacupuncturevet.co.uk - www.christopherday.co.uk - www.holisticvetmed.co.uk.
Page refers to: veterinary herbal medicine - veterinary herbs - herb vet - herbal vet - herbal veterinary medicine - veterinary herbalism - herbs for animals - herbal medicine for animals - herbalism for animals - herbs for dogs - herbs for cats - herbs for horses - herbs for ponies - herbs for donkeys - herbs for goats - herbs for llamas - herbs for alpacas - herbs for rabbits - herbs horses - horses herbs - horse herbs - horse herbal medicine - dog herbs - dog herbal medicine - cat herbs - cat herbal medicine - dogs herbs - horses herbs - cats herbs - ponies herbs - holistic vet - vet herbalist - veterinary herbalist - veterinary herbal medicine referrals - herbal medicine referrals - holistic vets - herbal vets - herbal referrals - veterinary herbal referrals - veterinary herbalism referrals - herbs arthritis - herbs COPD - herbs laminitis - herbs digestive problems - herbs for pain - herbal supplements - herbs for nutrition
|
[Main Menu] [FAQ] [ Map & Directions ] [Books etc.] [Contact us ] [Feedback] [Contents] [News & Noticeboard]
This site is subject to frequent ongoing
development and expansion
Copyright © 2007
Alternative Veterinary Medicine Centre
holistic vet - homeopathic
vet - acupuncture vet - herbal vet - chiropractic vet |
