Herbal Medicine

The history of herbal medicine

The history of herbal medicine is long and rich and ancient cultures in Egypt, Greece, China and India were prolific users of herbs and plants for medicinal purposes. Many of these plants are still used today in Western herbal medicine and can be used in the most straightforward way to be effective. This could be as simple as drinking chamomile tea for calming and relaxation or squeezing some aloe vera gel onto a wound.

Herbal medicine is based on a holistic approach to life and health. The practitioner recognises that each patient is an individual and requires a unique formulation and treatment plan based on their energetics and idiosyncrasies. Herbs are used to raise vitality, boost immunity, relieve symptoms and address the cause of the issue, whilst changes to diet and lifestyle may also be recommended as part of this holistic approach.

Sometimes a dog may present with a range of mild symptoms however lab tests return negative or borderline results so according to conventional medicine, there is no evident pathology and the patient is well. In the meantime, the dog may be prescribed a course of steroids, anti-inflammatories or antibiotics to “fix” the symptoms. Clearly though, the patient is not “well” so the herbal practitioner will delve into discovering the underlying cause of the issue and use herbs to potentiate the body’s self-healing mechanisms and restore health.

Herbal medicine embraces a positive approach to the owner and the patient; it can provide hope to hopeless cases and a chance to improve your dog's state of health in incurable cases. Many dogs with chronic illnesses will benefit greatly from using herbs as an adjunctive therapy to conventional medicine.

Please BOOK A CONSULTATION if you would like a tailor-made herbal plan developed for your dog.

NB: herbs can be very powerful and can interact with other medications so please ensure any herbal supplements are discussed with your vet prior to administering to your dog. Many herbs are not suitable for puppies or pregnant bitches.