Here are some
veterinary related facts about the herbs used in my products. I’ll
add more later.
Devil’s Claw
Harpagophytum procumbens:
Distribution-
Southern Africa.
Devil’s Claw is
mainly used in the treatment of arthritis, back pain and muscular
pain.
The activity of
Devil’s Claw is still not fully understood but it has been shown to
reduce prostaglandin (PG)E2 synthesis and nitric oxide synthesis. It
is thought that its activity is due to more constituents than simply
the harpagoside which it contains.
Because it is a
bitter and hence increases the secretion of gastric acid it may
worsen stomach ulcers and so should be avoided in animals with this
condition. Likewise, because it is a bitter it can often increase the
appetite, particularly I find in older animals. I seldom use it on
its own but prefer to combine it with other herbs.
Meadowsweet Filipendula
ulmaria:
Distribution - Europe,
Northern Asia and Northern America.
Meadowsweet is used
in animals mainly for its anti-inflammatory properties which affects
mainly the joints, muscles and in the bowels. It is also useful for
the prevention and treatment of gastric ulceration in horses. It has
a high salicylate content which is the main component of aspirin. It
is interesting to note that the name aspirin was derived from “a”
which stood for acetyl chloride and “spir” which was from Spirea
ulmaria, the old name for meadowsweet.
Because the toxic
dose for salicylates in cats is not well established it it
advisable not to use meadowsweet in this species.
I also find it useful in
treating inflammatory conditions of the skin such as eczema.
Myrrh Commiphora molmol:
Distribution – East
Africa, Arabia and India.
Myrrh is one of the
oldest known remedies. It is reported to be one of the gifts given to
the baby Jesus by the three wise men. It can be used topically for
skin lesions and chronic ulcers. It has an antimicrobial and
vulnerary effect. It is also useful as a treatment for gum disease,
gingivitis and oral infections where a tincture is diluted with water
and used as a mouth wash. There is also some evidence that it has an
effect on internal parasites in sheep.
