From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-08-12 18:33:32 UTC
Subject: Four Paws, Five Directions book Re: [ferrethealth] Digest Number 873
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
> **I have it and have used it to good effect, but it can be difficult to
> interpret at times as to whether a particular herbal remedy is safe for even
> dogs/cats, let alone ferrets. Moderately recommended, use with caution, IMO.**
>
> Dr. Ruth
That is so often a problem with herbals and ferrets
(or cats and dogs). Most of the references are written
for humans. Not only that, but too many of the popular
references play down, or down-right ignore the needed
cautions. I really feel the hairs rising on the back of my
neck when I run into references that underplay dosing
problems and contamination problems. Heck, just on
the 9th there was yet another case of herbal meds with
hidden non-herbal meds added:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01678.html
(human cholesterol control ones). Just like other meds
there are dose levels at which even the herbs known to
be safe normally can become dangerous. Just like with
other types of meds there are individuals who are too
sensitive. Just like with other meds there are problems
with interactions and counter-indications.
The general rule is that anything strong enough to help
is usually strong enough to harm.
At the same time, the animal poisoning sites have toxic
vs. non-toxic plants sections but those tend to relate
mostly to ornamentals.
There is very little out there on herbal medical
approaches for ferrets which have complete enough info.
So, it all adds up to using the references carefully. Seeing
the bad as well as the good, cross-referencing to see if
the med causes problems for ferrets (for instance the
later posts on Pau D'Arco from vets in the FHL Archives),
etc.
Here are some refs which don't downplay things or else
which are designed for veterinary use:
http://www.altvetmed.org/pages/articles.html
http://www.brainybrawn.com/IMCAccess/HerbSuppIntC_lookup.html
http://www.pfaf.org/database/index.php
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/index.htm
<http://www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?
pagename=poisoncontrolhotline_pagewrapperlanding>
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc
http://www.avonvets.co.uk/2ndyr_hands/Poisons.html
So, all that one can do is to try to look the things up and
then try to find both the human info on the cautions
(because that may be all there it) on top of the veterinary
poisoning refs and veterinary use refs.
Sometimes useful to also search about such meds:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez
Just as there are human make poisons there also are
natural ones. Luckily, most things in the world are *not*
dangerous, but it sure helps to check carefully beforehand.
Personally, I don't trust any site which fails to give a balanced
picture with the downsides as well as the upsides, no matter
what type of med is involved. (Yes, I check several meds if I
run into that because some are just plain safer than others.
Licorice is an excellent one to include in a check of sites. If
the site fails to mention the cardiovascular damage which can
occur with too long use or very high doses, or fails to mention
that licorice can cause a syndrome which looks like one type of
adrenal cortical disease, or fails to mention both, then big red
warning flags begin waving. If the site plays down common
problems encountered in the U.S. -- but serves the U.S. -- then
I worry, too. Common problems include things like dose control,
adulteration, and lack of much federal safety over-sight due to
limitations passed by Congress quite a while ago now in a bill
created by Sen. Orrin Hatch, if memory serves.
That is not to say that herbals can't be safe and effective;
we use some ourselves. What it means is that the level and
types of info which you will find on the inserts in prescription
boxes have to be searched out on your own. Basically, the
responsibilities were greatly shifted to the consumers, so even
for human use in the U.S. we all have more of our own research
to do, and for ferrets we have to cross-ref with even more sites.
So, just know that when it comes to herbals it is up to you to
access both sources of information and the info they contain,
to use multiple sources together, and to basically take on multiple
responsibilities which we expect non-alternative medicine providers
to themselves cover.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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