From:
Troy Lynn Eckart
Date: 2001-04-02 16:37:00 UTC
Subject: Re:Herbal therapies
I use herbal therapies on our group but caution that a lot of research
needs to be done before going this route. Our vet is very helpful as he
is interested in alternative therapies and his guidance is a blessing.
Some herbs may work for an ailment but if there is a hidden ailment they
could cause problems. I have several herbal books, human and animal, and
the supportive advice of our vet if I want to experiment with herbal
therapies.
I have used slippery elm bark and ginger with good results on some
intestinal upsets. I've used injectable polypeptides and oral Essiac in
combination with traditional treatment on a ferret with lymphoma. Charlie
did go into remission for 2 years, but I can't say specifically that it
was the Pep-E or Essiac that made the difference.
Supplements need to be researched, whether it be herbs, vitamins or
minerals. For example - Echinacea should NOT be given to ferrets whose
immune system is on overload (such as with ECE) and when it is given it
should be only on for 2 weeks then off for at least a week, though I've
found that for me personally, Vit C works better than Echinacea, which
brings up another issue - what works on one may not necessarily work on
another. Drenamin works wonderfully on Ferris though it did nothing for
one of the girls though both are adrenal. Causes of ailments and the
supplements needed for the same ailments may be different in different
animals. In our herbal therapies we are trying to treat the cause (if
known) to cure the ailment, not just treat the symptoms. As I mentioned,
lots of research is needed before trying herbal therapies.
I currently include supplements of turmeric, garlic powder, chamomile,
CoQ10 and amino acids in our maintenance recipe. From their activity
level I think they are doing well with these additions (especially at 4:30
a.m......).
Hugs to all. tle
Troy Lynn Eckart
Ferret Family Services
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~sprite/ffs.html
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