From:
sukie crandall
Date: 2005-08-15 21:09:05 UTC
Subject: yet more cautions for licorice (HAZARDS)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-id: <BAAA535D-43F0-4A20-A051-A4ED5090DF93@optonline.net>
It's been long known that chronic use of licorice, or using a large
amount can cause cardiovascular damage but there are some new
cautions out for his herb. Since one of the herbal preps sold both
privately and by at least one ferrets store used to contain it -- and
may still contain it since I have not checked ingredients -- and
since some of these can also be severe effects I figured that I had
better let you know some details from the newest (third) edition of
the _PDR for Herbal Medicines_ .
The only Commission E approved uses are for upper respiratory catarrh
or gastritis and then only in small amounts and for a short time.
Contraindications include: liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes,
neuromuscular disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. It can CAUSE
high blood pressure, edema (so something else to try to remember to
ask about for coughing or bloating ferrets), cardiac complaints,
pseudohyperaldosteronism with hypercortisolism, severe electrolyte
imbalances, muscular weakness, flaccid paralysis, myoglobinuria,
encephalopathy, and vision disturbances.
Those are for humans, of course, but this is such a potentially
dangerous herb that it should not be given casually to any species,
and definitely the vet needs to know if it was or is being given.
These statements come directly from pages 513-515. You may verify
there.
There are things for which the compounds are under study, but treat
this herbal med like you would any medication that has a high rate of
serious negative side effects and many contraindications. Check with
the vet first, test for any of the conditions which can make it
unsafe to give, give only tiny amounts for only a short time and only
under vet supervision with further tests as the vet feels necessary.
Hopefully, eventually there will be medications that derive from this
which do not have these hazards but the true licorice (not the
imitation flavoring in most candy), licorice root, etc. are things to
consider only with caution first and during.
-- Sukie (not a vet)
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