VETERINARY HERBAL MEDICINE - Denes Natural Pet Care

can be explained scientifically. Commercial interest in plant medicines has also
increased in the never ending search to isolate new compounds on which to base
new drugs. This concept is not new, many of the drugs we take for granted now
where originally based on plant compounds. In this list we can include Foxglove on
which digitalis and related drugs are based, Wild yam from which steroids were
synthesised and Meadowsweet from which salicylic acid, the forerunner of aspirin,
was first discovered in 1839.
Most herbalists would support the fact though, that single isolated compounds do not
always work as well or as effectively as those present naturally in the whole plant.
Each individual herbal remedy contains a multitude of different compounds which
augment and balance each other. It is mainly because of this reason, that most
herbal remedies have few side effects as the individual ingredients tend to work in
harmony together and with the body.
As such, herbal medicine is holistic in its approach. Since plants are an integral part of
this planet, their use in healing means taking part in the planet's ecological cycle,
putting us in more direct contact with nature. It is important to remember that we
share a common biological ancestry with many of the basic elements found in plant
cells. Herbalism can account for the patient as a whole, understanding that many
factors combine to cause illness, for example stress, diet and environment. Where
necessary, we can combine remedies to suit the patient. In fact, many herbs combine
together to achieve a more profound healing effect. They act in a slow and subtle way,
helping redress the balance even in instances where there is a deep seated nutritional
or biochemical problem.
At one time herbal remedies were used regularly in veterinary medicine, especially in
the early 1900’s when most veterinary work involved treating horses and to as lesser
extent dogs. Many of the patent mixtures used, contained plant remedies, as the
textbooks of the time will testify. By the early 1980’s few herbal products remained
in practice. Nux vomica was still included in cattle stomach powders as a tonic and
Chelidonium was used to help treat liver and urinary problems in dogs and cats. The
following years saw the demise of these products at a time when general interest in
herbal remedies was growing. Although a few herbal based medicines have
reappeared lately in general veterinary practice, proprietary herbal products have
existed for some time.
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