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Herbal Treatments for Cats and Dogs
Written by Richard Sandore, MD
Produced and edited by Well Beings - Senior Cat & Dog Products. © 2006 WellBeings.com
Reproduced with permission.
Herbs are the oldest and most natural medicine and the dramatic increase
in their use, especially in veterinary care, brings us full circle because
animals were the first herbalists. It is only right that we return the
gift of the healing power of herbs to our companions.
Herbs and Our Natural Resources
Even before people walked the earth animals were ingesting plants for
reasons as diverse as relieving pain from a wound, or to help digest
certain foods. It's by observing which vegetation animals ate that our
ancestors in native cultures discovered the medicinal properties of many
plants. The field of zoopharmacognosy is the study of how animals use
plants to heal themselves. It is a rapidly growing discipline attracting
the attention of well-known experts in medicine and science.
There are over 500,000 known plant species in the world, yet it is
estimated less than 5,000 have been investigated for their medicinal
properties. There are approximately 120 important prescription drugs that
have been derived from plants, and more than half came from investigating
native folk remedies. In fact, 80% of the world's population still relies
on plant medicines. Prime examples of medicines derived from plants are
the common and powerful heart medication digoxin, which comes from the
purple foxglove, and aspirin that comes from willow bark.
What is an Herb?
An herb is any part of a plant--leaves, stem, flowers, bark, or roots that
has medicinal properties. Herbs assist the body in healing, strengthening,
and balancing itself--and this is the key, they assist the body in healing
itself. They can be taken to strengthen specific organs, eliminate toxins,
and stimulate physiologic processes like bile release from the gall
bladder or intestinal motility.
Herbs and the Holistic Approach
Herbs are the epitome of the holistic approach, which at its core seeks to
correct the imbalances--physical, emotional, or spiritual--that cause
disease. Treating the pain of a headache does not treat what has caused
the pain in the first place. The power of herbs is their ability, when
used correctly, to treat the underlying causes of disease--a perfect
alignment with the holistic approach to healing. When used properly herbs
assist the body in restoring balance. Because herbs lead to a deep
healing, they frequently take longer to work than allopathic medications.
The most effective way to use herbs is as a part of a comprehensive
wellness regime.
Herbs and Western Medicine
Herbs can be used as an alternative to Western medicines in fact--this is
the way most of us have been introduced to herbs. Our Western way of
thinking leads us to use herbs as we would use any allopathic medicine, to
treat the symptoms of a disease. For example, we might use lavender or
chamomile in the same way as we use aspirin to treat a headache. We have
been taught to look at plants as containers with certain active
ingredients. Our science searches to discover what chemicals in a plant
can be used to treat a certain conditions, and then either extracts the
chemicals or synthesizes them in the laboratory.
While using herbs to treat symptoms is not wrong, and usually much safer
than allopathic medicines, an herbalist knows that herbs are much more
than symptom reducers and that the sum of the parts of the plant is much
greater and more powerful than the individual components. They know that
the components of herbs act synergistically to provide a type of healing
that cannot occur if the parts are administered individually.
Herbs and Nutrition
Herbs are an incredible source of a diverse group of nutrients including
vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes, amino acids, proteins,
sugars, carbohydrates, chlorophyll, antioxidants and essential fatty
acids. In fact, other people use many of the plants we use to treat
illness as part of their diet. For example, Nettles is a plant rich in
vitamins and minerals, and is used in soups and stews by many people in
Europe. An herbalist may use nettles to treat allergies or conditions of
the prostrate. Despite the marketing information we are given by most pet
food companies, commercial foods are not well rounded and can be lacking
in many of the essential dietary components our companions need. Herbs are
excellent sources of these missing nutrients.
How Herbs are Administered
Herbs come in many forms, and how we administer them to our companions
depends on their condition. A poultice may be applied to the skin to
assist in healing a wound, whereas a tincture might be given orally to
treat anemia.
Fresh and dried herbs are probably the best and most active form, but our
companions generally do not want to eat them. With dogs and cats their use
is primarily for making teas or poultices.
Herb capsules are dried, crushed plant material placed in a gelatin
capsule. Because digestive systems of our companions work much faster than
ours these may not be the best choice because the time it takes for the
capsule to dissolve can reduce absorption of the herb.
Herb tablets contain the plant material compressed tightly, usually with
some type of filler to hold everything together. They are absorbed faster
than herbs given in capsular form.
Alcohol extracts or tinctures are prepared by soaking a measured amount of
herb in an alcohol and water mixture for a set amount of time. The alcohol
serves as a solvent that breaks down the plant material and absorbs the
active ingredients. The solution is strained to remove the plant material
once soaking is complete. Tinctures are the strongest and most readily
available herb preparation, but animals usually don't like the way they
taste. The good news is that a dose is usually only a few drops, and it
can be placed on your companion's tongue or gum, or even applied topically
to an area of skin.
Glycerites are glycerin based herb extracts. They are prepared the same
way as tinctures except a vegetable glycerin is used instead of alcohol.
Animals generally like the sweet taste of glycerites, which makes
administration a breeze. The downside of glycerites is they tend not to be
as potent as tinctures; however, you can adjust for this by increasing the
dose. The biggest problem is that many herbs, particularly those that are
resinous--oily--do not extract well into glycerites.
Herbal teas are made by steeping a specific amount of plant material in
hot water. Teas are generally weaker than tinctures and animals don't
usually want to drink enough to be therapeutic. They are very useful as
tonic supplements mixed with food or when used topically.
Decoctions are made by gently simmering plant material in water. They are
stronger than teas, have the same uses, but also the same drawbacks.
Oil infusions are made by soaking the plant material in oil. The plant is
usually left soaking for a month or more, and then the oil is pressed out.
Oil infusions are used topically or given orally. The oil used varies, but
olive oil is a common choice--it has its own healing properties and
resists spoiling.
A poultice is a cluster of herbs mashed with water and/or oil to form a
paste-like patty that is applied to the skin and held in place with a
bandage.
Salves and ointments are made by adding a thickener like beeswax or
coconut butter to an oil infusion. The medicine is then applied topically.
Essential oils, though not strictly considered herbs, deserve mention.
They are the concentrated, oil portion of many plants and have healing
properties when applied topically, used as aromatherapy, or sometimes
taken orally. They are usually prepared by pressing fresh plant material,
or extracting the oil with steam.
Standardization
With the growing interest in herbs efforts have been made to find ways to
standardize doses. The old days of an herbalist mixing handfuls of various
plants, wrapping them in brown paper, and then telling you to boil the
mixture in a quart of water are rapidly diminishing. Two methods to assure
a consistent dose have been developed.
Standardized extracts contain a concentrated amount of the primary active
ingredient of the herb. While a consistent dose is assured, the whole herb
is not present and some of the healing properties of the plant may be
lost.
Marker extracts rely on the measurement of a constituent of the plant,
though one that is not necessarily critical to the plant's effectiveness.
The idea is that if you know a set amount of a given marker is present in
the preparation, you can assume that the same relative amounts of the
other parts of the plant are also present. All of the plant is used so the
holistic properties of the plant are maintained.
Side Effects of Herbal Supplements
Herbal does not mean harmless and though herbs are far safer than
allopathic medicines, some do have side effects, especially if taken in
large doses. Unwanted effects can also result if certain herbs are taken
with certain drugs, or other herbs. For instance, ginkgo has
blood-thinning properties and if given with aspirin or other blood
thinners bleeding may result. It is always wise to consult an herbalist or
holistic veterinarian before beginning treatment with any herb, especially
if your companion is on another medication or herb.
Dosing & On again, Off again
The proper dose for your companion is influenced by many factors including
their weight, the condition being treated, its severity, and any other
medications they are taking. A recommended dose is included with most
herbal preparations, and herbalists usually suggest beginning with a lower
dose and observing how your companion responds. Additionally, herbalists
usually recommend treating for 5 or 6 days, then stopping the herb for a
day or two to evaluate the response.
An Herbal Medicine Chest
There are over 1000 herbs used to treat conditions ranging from flea
infestations to cancer. The definitive resource for using herbs to treat
our companion animals is, All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for
Pets, by Mary Wulff Tilford and Gregory Tilford. An incredibly
comprehensive review of the history and uses of herbs, it also has an
eye-opening chapter discussing nutrition.
The herbs listed below are common ones used to treat many problems our
companion dogs or cats may encounter and will give you an idea of the
power of herbs. The use of herbs is staggering, and only a partial list is
given for each herb presented. Remember that each herb has its own unique
qualities and you should always consult your veterinarian or a trusted
source before giving your companion any medications.
Alfalfa, medicago sativa, is a chocked full of nutrients, proteins,
vitamins and antioxidants. It is used to treat bleeding disorders,
arthritis and other inflammatory diseases of the joints, and as a general
nutrient.
Aloe is most well known for its use in treating irritations of the skin
when applied topically. It is also used to treat injuries and irritations
of the digestive tract when taken orally, and has been shown useful for
treating fibrosarcoma and feline leukemia virus.
Arnica is a member of the sunflower family and is most commonly used
topically to treat closed tissue injuries such as fractures, sprains, and
bruises. It increases circulation to injured areas and dramatically speeds
healing. Cats are more sensitive than dogs and arnica should be used
cautiously with them.
Burdock, arctium lappa, is a powerful liver tonic that helps clean and
build up blood and removes toxins from the body. It is also useful for
treating chronic skin conditions such as eczema.
Catnip, nepeta cataria, is a not just for cats. Our feline companions
experience a feeling of euphoria when they sniff the leaves, but ingestion
of the plant has a mild sedative effect and promotes restful sleep in cats
and dogs. In both species it also relieves gas and stomach upset.
Chamomile, matricaria recutita, is used to treat a wide range of
conditions including indigestion and gas, inflammation of the skin from
flea bites and allergies, worms, and as a general tonic to strengthen
smooth muscle tissues like the heart.
Garlic, allium sativum, is an herb no medicine chest should be without. It
is useful for treating internal and external infections including worms,
and is a powerful antioxidant that protects against cancer. It is an
immune system enhancer, cardiovascular tonic and blood-thinning agent.
Ginger, zingiber officinale, is useful for reducing fever, treating motion
sickness, and as an analgesic.
Ginkgo, ginkgo biloba, is a cardiovascular tonic that promotes circulation
and is believed to slow aging because of its antioxidant properties.
Goldenseal, hydrastis canadensis, is used to treat infections of the
gastrointestinal tract, and has anti-inflammatory properties useful for
treating irritations of the mouth, upper respiratory tract and eyes.
Licorice, glycyrrhiza glabra, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and immune
system stimulant. It is used to treat a wide range of inflammatory
diseases including arthritis, as well as for healing stomach ulcerations
and many respiratory conditions.
Rosemary, rosmarinus officinalis, is a member of the mint family that has
a long list of medicinal uses including antispasmodic effects on the
heart, analgesic and antimicrobial properties. It is used as a general
cardiovascular tonic and for relieving muscular pain.
Yucca, yucca schidigera, is a member of the lily family and aids in the
assimilation of nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract, and has
anti-inflammatory properties.
Using Groups of Herbs
Using herbs individually is only part of the story. Herbs can be used
together to create even broader and more powerful healing medicines. For
instance, a combination of fennel seed, marshmallow root and chamomile is
used to treat colic, and garlic power, fennel seed, and yucca root mixed
with raw pumpkin seeds is a wonderful antiworm food supplement.
Herbs are Nature's Medicine, and without doubt we, and our animal
companions are part of the natural world. It only makes sense that we use
the plants Mother Nature has given us to ensure our companions shine in
their golden years.
Richard Sandore is a medical writer who has practiced allopathic and
alternative medicine. He can be reached at richard(at)richardsandore(dot)com.
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Robbins Pet Care. All Rights Reserved. The products sold by Robbins Pet Care are not intended to be the sole source of treatment or to take the place of expert veterinarian care. Please consult with your veterinarian and ask about using a natural and alternative approach for the treatment of your pet.
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