Herbal Medicine

Veterinary Herbal Medicine is almost as old as human medicine (ten to twenty thousand years old). Together, they are both almost as old as man.

As soon as man took on domestic animals, ten thousand years ago, they inevitably became ill through this process of confinement, but also through normal wear and tear and old age. Animals were treated with herbs internally and externally to help with their ailments. The herbal tradition continued, in force, until relatively recently. One only has to look at veterinary texts from the first part of the last century to see doctors and vets preparing herbal preparations for itching skin, coughs, sprains, gut problems, nervous disorders and more.

Modern Veterinary Drugs are very effective. Almost too effective, it could be argued. They are very highly targeted at certain enzymes or specific receptors but as the specificity is not 100%, they have side effects.

In the short movie below, Dr Nick Thompson explores the topic of anthelmintic resistance and the problem that all human and animal de-wormers face rapidly developing resistance.

Herbs can, in most cases, mimic the effect of many drugs, but without the side effects. This is because they contain hundreds of drugs that can have a balancing effect on more toxic consequences. For example many diuretics cause loss of potassium. Nettle leaf can be used as a mild diuretic, but as it has high potassium, some loss from the body is compensated for.

I’m not saying herbs are benign and can be used without risk. They can be very effective, but because of the built in balancing effects of the complex phytochemicals, they can have a greater therapeutic/safety margin than pharmaceutical drugs.

If you are interested in the use of herbs for your animal, please contact the practice during call-in times, and we would be pleased to make an appointment for you.

Video below: Nick talks about herbs at the AHDA Conference in Dubai

Watch Part 2 of this video here

Listed below are conditions I have personal knowledge of herbs helping in the species I treat:

Joints

  • Arthritis, Joint pain (neck, back, limbs, feet) in all species I treat

Digestion

  • Colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
  • Diarrhoea
  • Constipation
  • Some Liver Disease in all species, including some Ragwort Poisoning in Horses

Skin

  • Itching skin, Atopy, Pruritus

Respiratory

  • Chronic Rhinitis, Chronic Sinusitis, ‘Snotty/Fluey Cats’
  • Some coughing conditions, Kennel Cough, Upper Respiratory Disease,COPD

General Medicine

  • Recurrent Infections in all species
  • Resistant infections in all species
  • Idiopathic (of unknown cause) disease of any form
  • Urinary

Cystitis

  • Spraying indoors or Stress Problems – cats especially
  • Some FLUTD cases in cats
  • Some Bladder stone problems
  • Some Bladder crystaluria or crystals in the urine problems
  • Some Liver Disease, including some Ragwort Poisoning in Horses
  • Some Kidney Disease including support for Chronic Renal Failure in cats and dogs of all ages

Cardiac/Circulation

  • Some circulatory problems
  • Cardiac failure
  • Dilated Cardiomyopathy
  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
  • Idiopathic heart disease.

Mental/Emotional

  • Fear issues
  • Frustration issues in all species including helping with forced box rest in horses.
  • Lick granuloma in dogs
  • Endocrine
  • Thyroid disease in cats and dogs
  • Some aggression
  • ‘Hormonal’ male and female horses, dogs and cats!
  • Endocrine alopecia

Who Needs Herbs? An article by Nick Thompson

We have drugs for most problems in most species; humans, dogs, horses, cats and livestock. We know the entire human genetic structure, we understand bacteria and viruses and we no longer believe in magic potions.

What possible use could there be for herbs in the modern world?

This is a question that strikes a lot of us when confronted, time and time again, with ‘herbs’ and ‘natural medicine’ in the media. As a vet working in practice, seeing large and small animals, I used to think this as well. But I’ve been studying herbs for years now and I’d like to tell you a bit about what I’ve discovered…

Click here to read the full article.

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Dr. Nick Thompson
BSc (Vet Sci) Hons, BVM&S, VetMFHom, MRCVS.

Holisticvet
The Veterinary Practice
The Bungalow
Slaughterford
SN14 8RH
United Kingdom

Email: nickthompson@holisticvet.co.uk
Tel: 01225 487778

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During Covid


During the Covid Crisis, I am able to give advice to animals not in my direct care.

If you have a dog and you would like to consult with me, we can arrange telemedicine consultations. We are happy to talk to you from anywhere in the world. Telephone is usually sufficient, but Zoom and Skype can also be easily arranged.

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