AR-News: (US NY) Herbal additions to a dog's diet

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

March 15, 2004


Herbs are hot these days. But like most holistic remedies, they're hardly 
new. They are the original "drugs," used by shamans, medicine men and midwives 
long before technology enabled us to take them into the laboratory and create 
synthetic versions. Indeed, almost a quarter of the drugs on the market today 
are derived from botanical sources.

Still, some common herbs should be used with great caution in our dogs: 
Comfrey has a centuries-long tradition of use for burns, skin irritations, mastitis 
and respiratory conditions, but there is great concern about its toxicity 
when taken internally in too great a quantity. Black walnut, touted as a natural 
wormer, also can be dangerous at high doses.

Here is a list of some useful "beginner" herbs that are relatively easy to 
find and use. As always, be sure to check with your veterinarian or holistic 
practitioner before using any herb, especially one that can have side effects.





full story:

http://www.newsday.com/features/columnists/ny-lspets3708453mar15,0,6437701.col
umn?coll=ny-features-columnists 
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