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NATURAL PET NEWS
March 19, 2001 Edition
This Issue's Table of Contents:
A NOTE FROM DONNA
Mothballs are Toxic to Pets
HEALTH/HERBAL INFO
Herbal Help for Ear Infections
SUCCESS STORY
Clean and Critter Free
BEHAVIORAL/EMOTIONAL TIP
Dogs Trash Picking
FEATURED WEB LINKS
15 Ways to Keep Your Kitty Content
SUPPLEMENTS AT WHOLESALE PRICES
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** A NOTE FROM DONNA **
Winter is nearing its close and people will be packing up their woolies.
Please remember that MOTHBALLS ARE TOXIC!
People also use these in the backyard at times to repel deer and other
critters. Unfortunately, it doesn't keep our pets from getting into
trouble. According to the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), the
ingestion of just one mothball can cause serious problems. Symptoms include
vomiting, lethargy, seizures and blood disorders. Kidney failure and coma
can develop in severe cases.
The most dangerous mothballs are the old-fashioned type, which contain 100%
naphthalene. To prevent this from happening you might want to try natural
alternatives to mothballs, such as cedar blocks or essential oils. Remember
the APCC's emergency hotline at 1-888-4-ANI-HELP for round-the-clock
telephone assistance. For more information on poison prevention, visit
http://www.apcc.aspca.org.
Have a wonderful week! Spring is around the corner!
Donna
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** HEALTH/HERBAL INFO **
This is a long but VERY informative article. With ear infections being such
a common problem, I had to include it!
HERBAL HELP FOR EAR INFECTIONS
written by Randy Kidd, D.V.M.
Source: Herbs for Health May/June 2000
Otitis, external external ear infection, is one of the most common problems
veterinarians see in their practices today.
Otitis is caused by a wide variety of microorganisms-bacteria, fungi, and
yeasts. It is often the result of other primary causes such as
hypersensitivity diseases, foreign bodies, hypothyroidism, autoimmune
diseases, parasites, and the use of inappropriate treatments and/or
irritating cleansers in the ear.
The recommendations listed below are for otitis externa only. Otitis media
and otitis interna-infections of the middle and inner ear-are problems for
your veterinarian only. Be sure to get an accurate diagnosis before you
begin home treatment.
Symptoms and traditional treatment:
Symptoms of external ear infections include head shaking, crying, and
scratching the affected ears. The ears may feel hot and show evidence of
scratching and irritation. Gently swabbing the ear canal with a large chunk
of cotton may reveal a gooey brown to black discharge.
In Western medicine, after flushing and cleaning the ear canal (often under
general anesthesia), various antibiotic or cornbined antibiotic/steroid
preparations are used. Surgery to open up the ear canal for better
circulation may ultimately be indicated for cases of otitis externa that do
not respond to normal treatments.
Unfortunately, many of the proprietary preparations contain corticosteroids
(cortisone), the theory being that they counteract inflammation and thus
diminish the pain and irritation. Although there are some rare occasions
when I feel I need to resort to steroids, I almost never use them. Steroids
retard the long-term healing process, and their list of potential adverse
side effects is enough to make anyone who can read hesitant to ever use
them.
Finally, it's been my experience that many of the antibiotic preparations
commonly used for otitis do a fair job on bacterial infections, but the
reduction of bacteria is often followed by severe fungal or yeast
overgrowth. It's almost as if the yeasts and fungi feast on the drugs used
in Western medicine preparations.
Holistic care:
It's important to first see your veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis. He
or she should visually examine your pet's ear canal and take a swab to
identify the primary bugs involved and the severity of the disease.
Herbs are a primary line of defense and my first choice for external ear
infections.
For obviously infected cases, I recommend several herbs, discussed below. If
the pet's ears are relatively clean, a mild mix of vinegar and water (in
equal proportions) and/or an occasional herbal preparation, applied into the
ear canal, may be sufficient for prevention of otitis externa. How often you
use the vinegar/water or herbal solution depends on the individual case.
Many of the chronic ear infections I see also have cervical subluxation (the
chiropractic term that refers to partial dislocafion of the neck vertebrae).
Cause or effect? I don't know, but adjusting the upper cervical vertebrae
(and the way it "hooks onto the head") just makes sense to me. I've
seen
some dramatic cures using chiropractic and mild herbs alone.
The best otitis herbs:
Following is a list of my favorite herbs for otitis. Topically, I use herbal
drops inside the ear canal to bring the ear's flora back into balance.
Internally, I use herbs to enhance the immune system, thwart microorganism
overgrowth, and to relieve pain and inflammation. Many of these herbs are
available commercially, usually as a mixture of several herbs in tincture or
herbal oil form. Look for them in health-food stores or the better pet
stores as over-the-counter preparations. (For an easy-to-make-at-home
preparation for mild infections, see "Making mullein mix")
Please note that the key to curing external ear infections is getting the
herbal mixture into contact with the offending bugs. Have your veterinarian
show you how to properly apply vinegar or herbal solutions so that they
reach deep into the ear canal. And remember, as always, it's much easier to
prevent infection than to cure it. For prevention, I recommend using a mild
herbal ear remedy once a month or so throughout your pet's lifetime, both
internally and topically into the ear canal. For infections, the duration of
use can vary on a case-by-case basis from once or twice daily for a few
weeks to once a week for several months.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) has relaxing, anti-inflammatory, analgesic,
sedative, and antiseptic qualities and is perfect for soothing sore ears.
Taken internally, it has a powerful ability to calm your pet and help her
sleep through the pain.
St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) has antibiotic properties and is
wonderful, both internally and externally, for calming your pet during an
infection.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) has an amazing healing ability and is one
of the best herbs for treating local skin and external ear problems. Used
either internally or externally, it is a potent antifungal herb.
Mullein (Verbascum spp.), extracted in olive oil, is perhaps the best single
remedy I've found for soothing and healing inflamed surfaces. For otitis,
use the solution externally in the ear canal.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is often added to otitic herbal mixtures for its
antibiotic properties.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is an excellent astringent that decreases
swelling in the ear canal and eases pain.
To balance the immune system and help counterattack the microbes from the
inside out, I typically recommend a combination of echinacea (Eckinacea
spp.) and Oregon grape root (Mahonia aquifolium), given as a tea, tincture,
or capsules/tablets. Read the label and adjust the dosage for the weight of
the animal based on a human weight of 150 pounds.
The good news is that herbal remedies are effective against fungal, yeast,
and bacterial infections. So herbal ear-infection remedies won't allow the
yeast overgrowth common with antibiotic use. What's more, several of the
above herbs (chamomile, mullein flowers, and witch hazel) relieve the pain,
inflammation, and irritation common with ear problems. This means that when
you're using herbs, you almost never need to resort to ear medicines that
contain steroids.
However, herbal remedies are not the magic bullet for all external ear
infections. Remember that herbs tend to act slowly. While your pet's ears
are healing, you may want to give them soothing herbs such as valerian
(Valeriana officinalis) or chamomile internally to keep them calm. It's been
my experience that the herbal remedies work nearly as fast as other
veterinary drugs, and whatever we lose in quickness of response we get back
with a more completely healed ear at the end of the therapy.
Randy Kidd holds doctorates in veterinary medicine and veterinary and
clinical pathology. After practicing traditional veterinary medicine for ten
years, he opened Honoring the Animals, a holistic practice in Kansas City,
Missouri.
Making mullein mix:
Pack mullein leaves and flowers in a glass jar and cover with olive oil. For
increased antibiotic effectiveness, you can add a clove or two of garlic per
pint of oil. Let the mixture sit for two to three weeks. Strain and apply
several drops of the warmed oil into the ear canal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** SUCCESS STORY **
CLEAN & CRITTER FREE
"Since I have my dog Bandie on a cleanse for heartworms, he stinks alot
more. Last night, he got a bubble bath with Sunshine Concentrate instead of
the doggy shampoo since it absorbs odors rather than covering them with
perfume and it rinses off a lot easier. I added Tea Tree Oil to the water,
of course, to repel any critters. I like using something without chemicals
that are absorbed into the bloodstream. It's been a week now and he still
doesn't smell. I love that Sunshine Concentrate for sure. It saves me so
much money not buying chemicals to clean with and I love it for dishes.
It's really is a wonderful product." Rob
Read more about the products mentioned:
Sunshine Concentrate: http://www.theherbsplace.com/sunconc.html
Non-Toxic
Cleaner
Tea Tree Oil: http://www.theherbsplace.com/teatree.html
Tea Tree
Oil
Read more success stories.....find one that interests you!
http://www.theherbsplace.com/sspets.html
Pet Success
Stories
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** FLINT RIVER RANCH HEALTH FOOD FOR PETS **
We've been using natural pet foods since 1978.
What they use in pet foods is disgusting! You really
do need to be informed about what's in those
"premium" pet foods. Pets need nutrition just as we
do to be healthy. Flint River Ranch passes our high
standards. Oven-baked and loaded with good
ingredients. Try the difference! Flint River Ranch
Pet Foods are 100% GUARANTEED!
http://www.theherbsplace.com/frr.html
Health Food for
Pets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** BEHAVIORAL/EMOTIONAL TIP **
DOGS TRASH PICKING
From TipWorld.com - Dog Training
http://www.tipworld.com
A subscriber "Hispick" writes, "I too have tried sprinkling black
pepper
on our trash to get our dogs to stop raiding it. However, it had no
effect. I have tried a mix of hot pepper and black pepper, small
amounts and half a can of pepper. But alas our dogs seem to love it
and would lick clean meat platters coated with the stuff. At a loss
for a solution I had accepted the fact that the garbage can would
"sleep" on the counter until I remembered that cinnamon in small
amounts is yummy, but in large amounts is VERY hot. Now a shake or two
of off-brand cinnamon and the trash stays in the can."
We've never heard of this technique. We assume it isn't bad for dogs.
Thanks for writing in--perhaps it will help another subscriber with
this problem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** FEATURED WEB LINKS **
15 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR KITTY CONTENT
Great ideas for keeping your cats happy which helps to prevent behavioral
issues. The site is Caring for Creatures and it's a great no-kill shelter
in Virgina.
http://www.caringforcreatures.com/care.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** NATURE'S SUNSHINE PET & PEOPLE
SUPPLEMENTS AT WHOLESALE PRICES**
If you're not familiar with Nature's Sunshine Pet Products, read more.....
http://www.theherbsplace.com/nsppet.html
Pet Supplements
Nature's Sunshine allows Wholesale Buying Members to order direct from their
warehouse at 35-40% OFF retail. There is NO SIGN-UP FEE if you place a $40
or more wholesale order at the time you sign up. No monthly minimums to
purchase - you never need to order again. You can sign up on the telephone
if you have a credit card. Read more about Wholesale Membership:
http://www.TheHerbsPlace.com/whsl.html
Wholesale Membership
or get automatic-return info by sending an email
mailto:SignupInfo@TheHerbsPlace.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To SUBSCRIBE to this newsletter,
send a blank e-mail:
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IMPORTANT NOTE: The stories, suggestions, and information in this newsletter
are not meant to diagnose or prescribe. If your pet has a medical problem,
you may want the advice and recommendations of a veterinarian. All stories
and information content that is passed along in this newsletter is for
informational purposes only and is not necessarily endorsed by "The Herbs
Place.com" This is a personal publication by Donna Watkins. The ideas and
information expressed in it have not been approved or authorized by anyone
either explicitly or impliedly. In no event shall Donna Watkins or "The
Herbs Place.com" be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any
action arising in connection with the use of this information or its
publication, including any action for infringement of copyright or
defamation.
--
Blessings of Peace and Health to You Today!
Randal and Donna Watkins
http://www.TheHerbsPlace.com
The PLACE for HERBS is "TheHerbsPlace.com"
