Pets as Herbal Teachers—Part 2
Filed Under Herbalist |
Here’s another case of one of my pets being a wonderful herbal teacher: my dog, Samantha. You can see her picture on my website. Sam is a recued dog from my vet’s and we’ve had her since she was 4 months old. Now at 8 years old, she has been having some real skin issues.
Sam had always been an “itchy” girl, but last summer, fleas were bad in Texas and she lost most of her hair to a bacterial infection/flea allergy. I actually went to my vet for help and got her skin issues under control with antibiotics (sometimes, you need meds).
Then she developed “black skin disease.” This is a pretty rare condition with a largely unknown cause. (You can google “black skin disease dog” and read more.) I was concerned because I was already giving her herbs for arthritis (two herbal combinations—one with alfalfa, horsetail, and bromelain among other herbs and another with white willow bark, lettuce leaves, valerian, and capsicum for the pain), giving her a top-quality natural food brand, and 1 raw chicken leg daily. (Note: if you don’t cook the chicken, the bones stay pliable and won’t splinter. That way, your dog gets all the nutrients from the raw meat and the raw bone.)
We could feel her back end was warmer than normal where the skin had darkened. I had the thought that we should give herbal support to her kidneys and overall immune system. I started her on a cranberry/buchu combination, alternating with uva ursi (there is discussion that the two should not be used together). I also gave her the Chinese herb astragalus to support her immune system.
Her hair and skin now are back to almost normal (her new fur is curly), and I’m very grateful to Sammy for giving me the opportunity to work with her.
Wendy
Comments
2 Comments so far
Hi,
I was very happy to read your story, also very happy to read that Samantha is all better.
I mentioned you on my English blog: http://www.chinesemedicinenotes.com/2008/06/12/weekly-links-june-12/
And also on my Hebrew website….
All my best and a bellyrub to Samantha,
Yael (female)
Thanks for your kind thoughts, Yael - I’ll give Sam a belly rub just for you!
Wendy