MEDICINE CHEST

There is a wealth of healing treasures, from allopathy to homeopathy.

BECAUSE OF THE MANY MODALITIES I routinely employ, I can treat an animal effectively even if I don’t have a diagnosis. The final arbiter of health and disease is not whether a group of symptoms has a name. From the standpoint of proper treatment, uncovering the onset of the disease is as important as making a diagnosis. Tracing the cascade of contributing factors and events can determine an effective plan of action.

Every animal preserves homeostasis, which is the maintenance of a dynamic, physiological equilibrium. Signs of disease are actually feedback provided by the healthy part of an organism in response to detrimental factors. When these factors reach a critical mass, the animal will exhibit signs of disease. The severity of signs will determine which changes must be made.

Does pain medication only suppress symptoms? No, is my answer. While painful areas in a pet alert us to an unhealthy condition, pain must be managed or it can further debilitate the animal. My goal is to relieve severe pain before an animal leaves my clinic. Pain meds are the first step on the road to healing. Extreme or chronic pain is debilitating and requires energy that would be better used for healing. Only when inflammation, nerve pain, and severe or chronic pain is addressed can the immune system instigate the body’s own healing mechanism.

Medications must be reevaluated as
the animal gets better.

It makes sense to adjust the dosages of a medication as the animal comes into balance and begins healing. Be sure to ask your vet how long you should continue giving a medication before deciding if it is working or not. For instance, if a cat with an upper respiratory infection is not feeling better after weeks on a medication, the medication should be reevaluated. Or if your poodle is no longer itching, discuss weaning off steroids with your vet.

Starting new medications? Pay attention to your pet’s reactions.

Don’t go out of town, if possible, when your pet starts new medication or food. If you must leave your pet, please give detailed instructions to the pet sitter about possible side effects or negative reactions.

Finally, cortisone (steroids) as well as herbal combinations have a place on the healing curve. Sometimes serious medication is needed to alleviate inflammation or limit tissue damage.

HERBAL OPTIONS AND SUGGESTED USES
ALLERGIES
Omega-3	free-radical scavenging
Aloe vera	cooling for skin and GI
Vitamin E	vitamin for skin function
Red clover	soothing skin support
Nettles	antipruritic (anti-itch)
Plantain	antipruritic, soothing
Garlic	antiparasitic/bacterial
Skullcap	decreases swelling
ARTHRITIS
Boswellia	anti-inflammatory
Turmeric	anti-inflammatory
Pennywort	anti-inflammatory
Feverfew	anti-inflammatory
Celery seed	anti-inflammatory
Apple cider vinegar	pH regulation
Arnica	blood mover/decreases bruising
ANXIETY
Valerian	sedative effects
Chamomile	sedative effects
Lyme blossom	calms the mind
Skullcap	calms the mind
Kava kava	sedative effects
CARDIAC DISEASE
Coenzyme Q10	vascular integrity
Hawthorneberry	improves overall cardiac function
Omega-3	free-radical scavenging
CONSTIPATION/MEGACOLON
Cascara	colon motility stimulant
Ginger	GI motility stimulant
Kelp	minerals and laxative
Slippery elm	fiber and soothing
Licorice	antispasmodic
DENTAL
Peppermint	odor relief/antibacterial
Blackberry	antibacterial
Echinacea	immune enhancing
Burdock root	anti-inflammatory
Licorice	odor relief/anti-inflammatory
DIABETES
Gymnema	blood glucose regulation
Corn silk	blood glucose regulation
Uva ursi	blood glucose regulation
DIARRHEA
Pumpkin	GI regulation/fiber
Slippery elm	fiber
Psyllium	fiber
Wild yam	GI regulation/fiber
Blackberry	tones GI lining
Peppermint	antispasmodic
FLATULENCE/BELCHING
Chamomile	GI soother
Licorice	antispasmodic
Slippery elm	fiber/GI mover
Fennel	antigas
Kelp	GI soother
Peppermint	carminative
Ginger	antinausea
GASTROINTESTINAL
Peppermint	carminative
Cinnamon	GI warmer
Ginger	antinausea
Parsley	carminative
Wild yam	GI soother
Fennel	antigas
Slippery elm	fiber/soothing
GERIATRIC
Omega-3	free-radical scavenging
Milk thistle	liver protectant/tonic
Ginseng	cognitive support
Arnica	blood mover
Boneset	joint support
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Ashwaganda	enhances immunity
Shiitake mushroom	enhances immunity
Licorice	enhances immunity
Echinacea	enhances immunity
Astragalus	improves healing
Bupleurum	enhances immunity
INFECTION
Oregon grape	antibiotic properties
Oregano	antibiotic properties
Barberry	antibiotic properties
Garlic	antibiotic/antifungal/antiviral
Peppermint	antibiotic properties
KIDNEY/BLADDER TONIC
Dandelion	diuretic
Cranberry	pH regulation
Stone root	bladder stone dissolution
Gravel root	diuretic
Hydrangea	antispasmodic for bladder
Corn silk	diuretic/anti-inflammatory
Uva ursi	antiseptic/anti-inflammatory
LIVER
Milk thistle	liver protectant/tonic
Omega-3	free-radical scavenger
Vitamin C	free-radical scavenger
Dandelion	improves fluid balance
SAM-e (denosyl)	normalizes liver function
NEOPLASIA
Vitamin A	induces apoptosis
Vitamin C	free-radical scavenging
Turmeric	anti-inflammatory
Mushrooms	enhance immunity
Green tea	anti-inflammatory
Hoxsey formula	anticancer combo
Maitake mushroom	immune boost
Omega-3	free-radical scavenging
Milk thistle	liver protectant/tonic
OCULAR
Bilberry	ocular vascular support
Eyebright	ocular tonic

GENERAL DOSING FOR
HERBAL PREPARATIONS

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF a vet, begin giving an herbal dose at or below the minimum dose. Try it for a few days, then increase to a midrange dose.

	TINCTURE	GRANULE/ POWDERED
CANINE 1–15 LBS	1/4–1/2 ml	1/8 –1/4 tsp
15 –30 LBS	1–21/2 ml	1/4– 3/4 tsp
30 – 60 LBS	21/2–4 ml	3/4–1 tsp
60LBS – GIANT	4–7 ml	1–11/2 tsp
FELINE	4 drops–1/2 ml	1/8 –1/4 tsp

You can also dose tinctures 1 drop per pound of body weight per day. The daily dose can be divided.

MARBLE THE RABBIT

I had never before been asked to treat a pasteurella sinus infection in a rabbit without antibiotics, but when I was, the request made sense. Pasteurella infections in rabbits are all too common and can be life-threatening, causing abscesses anywhere, including the brain. Pasteurella is managed, but usually not cured, by repeated courses of antibiotic treatment. The owners of Marble the rabbit were concerned about the effect of antibiotics on his delicate digestive system. Antibiotics can upset the stomach and the intestinal flora and pose serious health risks. Colic and GI upset in rabbits (as well as in horses) can quickly become life-threatening.

Marble’s owners were hoping for another way to treat his infection and upper respiratory signs. We devised a plan that would boost his immune system. I did insist that they take home a “just in case” course of antibiotics—which they still have, unused—but this integrative plan worked well.

Once a week this soft, sweet rabbit allowed me to place tiny needles around his face, ears, and body to stimulate circulation in the sinuses and to support his immune system. I also gave him periodic injections of vitamin B12. His herbs included echinacea, goldenseal, nettles, red clover, elecampane, oregano, and Oregon grape. Being a rabbit, Marble ate them with gusto. We also gave him vitamin C, cranberry, a good probiotic (Bene-Bac), and a homeopathic remedy for cough and upper respiratory signs (spongia tosta).

Armed with a healthy diet of fresh greens, timothy hay, vegetables, and our supplements, we gave his body the chance to fight back.

Over a year later, Marble hadn’t relapsed into any significant pasteurella episode. And he’d never had an upset stomach.

I often recommend these combination products:

 Serenity (Gaia) is a calming herb mix for anxious dogs or cats.

 Dog Gone Pain (DGP) (Harmony Company) is an herbal anti-inflammatory combo for dogs.

 Cholodin (MVP Laboratories) enhances cognitive function in dogs and cats. It combines choline, lecithin, vitamins, minerals, and brain function enhancers. This is especially indicated for animals that walk into a room and seem to have forgotten why they are there.

 Si Miao San (Natural Path) is a versatile Chinese combination for inflammation, arthritis, and allergies.

 Hoxsey (Natural Path) is an elegant combination of anticancer/anti-inflammatory herbs.

 Traumeel (Boiron) is a homeopathic combo for trauma, inflammation, and pain.

 Cascara Combo (Natural Path) is a tincture combining herbs for constipation and poor GI motility in the colon.

 Discus Compositum (Boiron) is a homeopathic remedy for disc disease.

 D-Mannose is used to decrease incidence of chronic urinary tract infections.

 Minor bupleurum is a Chinese herbal combo used often for hind end weakness.

Other Supplements

 Probiotics—Bacillus coagulans modulates GI microflora as well as GI immune responses.

 Honey is used topically for wounds and orally for allergies.

 Adequan, an injectable nutraceutical glycosaminoglycan, is used for arthritis or joint injury. It is a precursor for healthy joint fluid. Injected subcutaneously rather than in the muscle.

Home-Care Remedies and Tips (Yes, you can try these at home.)

 Skunk odor remover recipe: 1–2 tbsp of dish detergent (I use Dawn), 1/4 cup baking soda, 4 cups of hydrogen peroxide. Don’t close mixture in a bottle—it will explode!

 Administer topical flea medication if needed, spreading it sideways, high up on the neck, from left to right, rather than trying to part the hair down the middle.

 Peanut butter or olive oil to dissolve sap/gum.

 Place steeped, but cooled tea bags on hot wounds/lick granuloma/swelling/irritated eyelids.

 Daily coconut oil can help with gastric reflux—1 tsp per meal for a 50-pound dog.

 Use Murphy’s Oil Soap (yes, the same soap used for wood floors!) as a shampoo, to soothe itchy, scaly skin. It’s a gentle vegetable-based soap, and it has the proper pH.

 Apply silver sulfadiazine, an ointment used to treat second-and third-degree burns, topically on hot spots/wounds.

 Nail bleeding after a trim or being broken? Don’t have quick-stop powder? Apply cornstarch, soap shavings, tea bag, cotton gauze, and apply pressure while you elevate the limb. Do not use water or rub.

My good friend and colleague Dr. Richard Palmquist, a well-known integrative veterinarian in Los Angeles, is an expert practitioner of, among many other things, homeopathy. The basic principle of homeopathy is the idea that “like cures like.” This area of medicine uses small amounts of agents whose toxic symptoms match the symptoms and signs that are exhibited by the patient to cure them. Below is a homeopathic first-aid kit Dr. Palmquist recommends pet owners keep on hand.

A HOMEOPATHIC FIRST AID KIT FOR PETS
MAIN SIGN	HOMEOPATHIC AGENT
Insect sting: red, hot, and swollen	Apis mellifica
Insect sting: painful, swollen, and bruised	Arnica montana
Insect sting: inflamed and blistered	Cantharis
Foxtails and other foreign bodies	Silicea, Myristica sebifera
Hot spots: sudden red and hot	Belladonna
Hot spots: yellow, oozing discharges	Graphites
Hot spots: red with swelling, hive-like	Apis mellifica
Vomiting: small amounts of stool, angry	Nux vomica
Cough: after wet weather	Drosera
Early stages of illness with fever and fear	Aconitum napellus
Shock/trauma	Traumeel, Aconitum napellus
Bleeding/bruising and resulting shock	Arnica montana

Homeopathics I Use in My Practice

Ruta graveolens—for tendon circulation

Rhus toxicodendron—rusty gate syndrome, stiff when first moving

Spongia tosta—for dry cough

Aconitum napellus—for colds or flu

Asclepias tuberosa—for cough

Symphytum/comfrey—to “knit bone” for fractures

Arnica—for bruising, strokes, and blood congestion; it moves blood

Dosing for homeopathic pellets usually works out to be about one pellet per 10 pounds, up to three times a day.

IS THERE EVIDENCE
FOR HOMEOPATHY?

POSITIVE RESEARCH EXISTS FOR homeopathy in both animals and people. A recent German trial showed that the homotoxicology agent Zeel worked as well as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication carprofen for arthritis of the knee. Both treatment regimens were well tolerated, with the three treatment-related adverse events all in the carprofen group.

A very important aspect of my work is encouraging veterinary research and scholarship in integrative medicine. Not surprisingly, big pharmaceutical companies do not support alternative research. As a board member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association Foundation, I am proud to say that research and scholarships in integrative medicine are now being funded on a larger scale than ever before. Donations to this nonprofit organization have been used to support much-needed integrative medical research and veterinary student scholarships. A portion of my book sales will be donated to this organization. (To donate, visit the website: www.foundation.ahvma.org.)