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Robert McDowell's Herbal Treatments 15 April 2007 Herbal Help for Humans and their CompanionsDo not dwell in the past, Do not dream of the future, Concentrate the mind on the moment. ~ Buddha ~ This week we feature:-
Feline - Scabies Scabies is a progressive & uncomfortable disease & as cats are not the easiest of patients. What is really going on with Scabies is that the skin's own resistance to parasitic attack has been weakened through the build-up of toxins under the skin. These toxins can be simply the normal products of metabolism or derived from to many chemicals in feed or from worming over a long period and the body stores them under the skin if other means of elimination are overloaded. Therefore you start with a bloodcleanser. The blood cleansing tonic I have in mind can be found by clicking on: http://www.herbal-treatments.com.au/cat_blood_poisoning.html When a course of blood cleansers is given over a complete blood cycle (around 12 weeks) the skin is able to recover its normal resistance and can often repel the mites and other parasitic attack on its own. If the skin damage has been extensive and long term I provide specific antifungal/ anti parasitic herbal applications which are mixed 20 drops into 20ml of Colloidal Silver and sprayed onto the cats coat after rinsing in warm water once per day. In addition in some cases I advise using a skin recovery spray or skin healing ointments to repair the scarring and restore the health and elasticity of the skin itself. The Antiparasitic/ Antifungal Concentrate costs found at: http://www.herbal-treatments.com.au/cat_anti_parasite.html Colloidal Silver: http://www.herbal-treatments.com.au/cat_anti_parasite.html This program can completely and permanently clear up the mange particularly if it is instituted with a natural raw meat diet and you can eliminate commercial cat feed entirely. Start with the blood cleanser you will notice changes by the end of the first month . Below is a recent letter ( soon to be a testimonial) from a client with a cat with scabies:- Anyway...Just wanted to give you a report on Daphne my cat. I have been using the herbal treatment for "Scabies" on Daphne for about a month now. I sent previous photos of her showing how she had patches of hair loss and lots of dander flakes. I'm happy to report that right now, all of her hair has come back and I can find only one very small scab near her front shoulder. When I used to brush her, hair came out by the handfuls and dander flakes would be all over her. Now even with scratching her back briskly, hardly any signs of dander at all. She is looking so much better. To tell you the truth, she even is more active and playful. Maybe my imagination, but I don't think so. Her hair is so much slicker and healthy looking. I just wanted to let you know. Canine - The Controversy of Vaccinations Obviously not being Vets we are not able to totally advise with regards to vaccinations. We can though most certainly give an opinion. The immunity that a puppy obtains from it's mum wears out somewhere between the age of 6 to 16 weeks of age. Unfortunately there is no way of knowing when that time is for each individual puppy and whilst there is still a high level of antibodies they will unfortunately prevent the vaccine being taken up by the puppy's immune system. This is why there is a vaccination protocol of set times (most commonly 6 to 8 weeks, then 12weeks then 16 weeks) for vaccination to cover the times when MOST puppies maternal antibodies have decreased sufficiently to allow the vaccine to take. Some owners of susceptible breeds such as Rottweilers, who for some reason seem to be very susceptible to Parvo, actually vaccinate every 2 weeks up to 16 weeks of age. Now - I used to be very happy and in fact used to recommend vaccinating every 12 months to 2 years for dogs when I was Vet Nursing but over the last 5 or more years there has been some concern that vaccinating this often may in fact cause the immune system to have problems such as auto-immune diseases or skin allergies etc. Keep in mind this seems to only be a problem for SOME dogs and I certainly over my 15yrs of nursing saw many dogs who had yearly vaccinations with NO adverse effect. However, having said that, I personally for my own dogs now elect to vaccinate at 8 weeks for the first (so long as Mum is up to date with vaccinations) then 12 weeks and again at 16 to 18 weeks of age. I strongly believe in socialising puppies during their first 4 months of age (and beyond of course) as this is the critical age that puppies need to be exposed to as many stimuli as possible to be a well balanced emotional individual. So obviously ensuring that they are covered as much as possible is necessary as having nursed many Parvo cases I most certainly do not EVER want my puppy to come down with it. Obviously I do not take a puppy where there may have been lots of stray or uncared for dogs especially during the time of year when Parvo is most prevalent. I do not worry with the Kennel Cough vaccine as like any "flu" vaccine it is not 100% effective although it will usually mean that if they get Kennel Cough it is to a lesser degree than an unvaccinated dog. Kennel Cough however is not a deadly disease like Distemper, Hepatitis or Parvo. etc although in some RARE cases it can progress to pneumonia. I may elect to vaccinate against Kennel Cough should my dog need to be boarded in a kennel that has had recent outbreaks. There are kennels that require certificates of vaccination for certain diseases. I then vaccinate in another 12 to 18mths time and then every 3 years or more after that. We have not been able to titre test in Australia until recently and I will probably do a titre test and if all looks well may even elect to not do the 3 yearly booster but titre test instead. My dogs are constantly out and about with me being exposed to possible low level viral contamination and therefore their immune system will be generating antibodies. I do also feel it is important to have a wellness check every 12 to 18mths or so to pick up on any problems that may be starting that you are unaware of - abdominal masses for instance. It also allows the dog to feel comfortable within the veterinary environment should any problem develop and allows you to develop a relationship with your vet - again in case you come up with a problem. There is nothing worse than having some serious illness and not knowing a vet that you are confident with. In fact with young dogs I often just take them into the waiting room and pop them on the scales and give treats and let them socialise with the vet nurse etc so that it is a fun thing to do! I hope this has been of assistance and please keep in mind that these are personal views. I will attach a veterinary link that I found that looks to have a sensible approach to vaccines and will explain things in a more in depth manner than I have and also goes into vaccine types etc and other diseases that I do not have experience with. I think you will find this to be informative. http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_vaccination_options_prevention.html http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_how_parvo_infection_happens.html http://www.marvistavet.com/html/our_hospital_s_vaccination_pol.html Equine - Herbal Hedgerow for Healthy Happy Horses The very best way to use herbs for health and well being, as we've seen, is for your horse to self-medicate as its instincts dictate. Most of us don't have access to huge tracts of untouched land for our horses to roam, so hedgerows are the next best things. Creating herbal hedgerows (called 'ditches' in Ireland) around your property, will allow your horses access to those plants they would forage for in the wild, and also provide a place to grow herbs for drying and collection for your supplement program, or for treatment for specific problems. The best base for a hedgerow is the Hawthorn bush. Read more at the following site it includes details about the value of these herbs. Aniseed, Borage, Comfrey, Chamomile, Dandelion, Dill, Fennel, Garlic, Horehound, Horse Radish, Horsetail, Milk Thistle, Millet, Mint, Nettle, Parsley, Pennyroyal, Red Clover, Rosehips, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Shepherds Purse, St. Johns Wort, Tansy, Vervain, Wild Lettuce, Wormwood and Yarrow. When selecting the individual herbs you need to find the wild varieties, not the modern commercial ones. That is to say, find some of the old-fashioned Garlic with the small cloves, and make sure you get the Wild or Dog Rose with the small pink flowers and not the commercial ornamental roses. Look for the 'healthy supplements and hedgerows' under equine articles. http://www.herbal-treatments.com/equine_articles.html#3 http://www.herbal-treatments.com/articles_healthy_supplements.html Human - Smoke Cravings are Maddening Congratulations on your decision to give up smoking its not an easy decision to make and carry out; you will feel better in the long run. You need to attack it from many angles and get as much support as you can, ie quit line, nicotine patches, herbal tonics to support the organs involved and also to balance out any nervous anxiety related to giving up an addictive substance. Have a look at the following tonic; it will support the processes of elimination and support the organs that have been affected by smoking. http://www.altivoe.com/herbs_smokers_support. Include fenugreek tea to support your lymphatics. Take 2 teaspoons of the seeds into a cup of boiling water steep, strain and drink. Drink Dandelion tea for your liver. The liver is the organ that processes all toxins. It can be bought locally; drink 2-3 cups a day. Reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake and include plenty of fresh air, fresh unprocessed food and exercise. Remember to beat an old habit you need to replace it with a new one. It takes about 21 days to create a new habit. Purchase Dr Bach's Rescue remedy; dose yourself am and pm, particularly when the cravings are kicking in or if you feel sad, depressed, angry etc. Try to substitute an activity that will take the mind and body off the cravings like exercise a hobby or activity that involves the hands and brain. Good luck. Home Remedies - Cold and Flu Mix Here in Bathurst our mornings and evenings are now starting cool down. The following signs; long sleeves, heaters, mists and fog all point to the fact that our long hot dry summer is drawing to a close. So to be ready for winter I have included one of many possible herbal tonics. Cold and Flu Mix-lemon, honey, garlic, ginger, cayenne Here's what you do: (you may need to experiment with amounts to get the taste that suits you) 1. Fill up your teakettle and get it boiling. 2. Meanwhile, grate a one-inch piece of fresh ginger root and a crushed garlic clove. 3. Use thermos or saucepan. 4. Put the ginger in the thermos. 5. Put a half a lemon of juice in the thermos. 6. Add a couple of tablespoons of honey as well. 7. When your water is boiled, pour it in the thermos. 8. Cover it up and let it sit for 20 minutes. 9. Add cayenne to taste 10. Strain into a tea cup and enjoy! Why ginger, lemon and honey? Well, you probably know that lemon is high in Vitamin C. It is also full of phytochemicals. These are plant constituents that help boost the immune system and much more. Ginger and honey are also well documented to help the immune system. Stephen Buhner does an incredible job of talking about the virtues of these and other herbs in his book 'Herbal Antibiotics'. Reader Feed Back Addendum To Ben (March 2007) I do have some very sad news - Ben's illness recurred in a big way. and he died on Christmas Day. It's taken me until now to start to feel ok about losing him because he was such a BIG part of my life. Everything I tried in the way of food and treatment stopped working and I called the vet. He was wagging his tail until the end. His birthday was on 18th December and he made it to 10 years old. I brought him home and planted a Gold Bunny rose bush on him. I feel very blessed that we got him to this age and shared a very special love. A week ago, I welcomed another little Labrador puppy called Molly. She's a little dynamo and loving her raw diet. My other Labrador, Tigerlily, is loving being back on the raw diet too and she's enjoying Molly's company, or at least I think she is. After the trauma, I'm now looking forward to lots of happiness and peace. I very much appreciate Robert and everyone else's advice and the herbs - Ben would not have made it to 10 without them. Regards Trish Read Bens story: The Miracle Of Ben: Surviving Seizures, Pancreatitis and IBS" http://www.herbal-treatments.com.au/ben2.html We value your feedback so much that we are making it easier for you to send us a sentence or two. Please fill in the form below and click 'Submit' Wishing you and your companions the best of health and happiness. Yours Truly, Judith Burton for Robert McDowell |
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