Herbs for Animals: Principles of Herbalism
by Gregory L. Tilford, Herbalist
As an herbalist who finds himself
entrenched in an unprecedented and very exciting "herbal
revolution", I also find myself frustrated when I think
of how many people I see using medicinal plants as allopathic
medicines, and how many people haven't realized the power
of herbs because they have failed to break away from conventional
standards of thinking. After all, goldenseal can be used
like any other antibiotic to bypass the immune system; to
directly counter an infection. Senna, aloe, turkey rhubarb,
and cascara can be used as a laxative remedy to relieve
the symptoms of constipation without regard to underlying
causes. Echinacea will act to strengthen the immune system
and curb a reoccuring viral infection without addressing
the real reasons for reoccurance. But in using herbs this
way, what do we really accomplish? What sets herbs apart
from mainstream medicines when employed this way? Answer:
Not much!
In fact, many of the best known herbs
have gained their notoriety through their use as pharmaceuticals
designed with purely symptomatic purposes in mind. Cascara
sagrada, aloe, and senna remain on the ingredient lists
of several popular brands of laxatives; while wild cherry
bark and horehound still serve to suppress coughs. And although
they are undeniably useful this way, their use in this capacity
only addresses the symptoms of disease, and falls far short
of a curative solution. In holistic medicine "dis-ease"
is not viewed in the central focus of the healing effort...
the whole individual is. From an herbalist's perspective,
disease is viewed as an imbalance which is occurring in
an otherwise healthy body; the therapeutic goal being to
identify what caused the disease in the first place, correct
the imbalance, then prevent it from occurring again. This
perspective differs quite dramatically from mainstream western
medicine, which concentrates on reactionary practices to
suppress the uncomfortable symptoms of disease. In the "allopathic"
modality of medicine, we don't take aspirin to address the
underlying cause of a headache... we use it to relieve uncomfortable
symptoms; usually without regard to the whole picture. If
taken into a holistic perspective, we would investigate
the headache as a systemic imbalance; the cause would be
identified and adjustments would be made in diet, lifestyle,
or whatever is necessary to regain proper systemic balance.
The key to accessing the full potential
of herbal medicine rests in how well we can embrace the
holistic perspective of healing. For most of us this means
putting old predispositions aside, revving up some imagination,
and engaging in some good'ol open-minded observation. First
we must learn to recognize good health, then we must learn
to recognize changes. In holistic medicine, "good health"
is viewed as "the maintenance of proper balance"
within a complex, finely tuned, intricately related unification
of all which comprises a living body. Here we must recognize
that all elements of the mind, body, and spirit must be
at optimum levels of co-operation, and we must realize that
if any element of the collective whole fails at its job,
an imbalance (dis-ease) will result. To accomplish this,
a proactive approach toward health and well-being is an
absolute necessity; and proper diet is needed as the primary
foundation from which to base our holistic efforts.
Nutrition: the Foundation of
Health
The body requires fuel and building
materials in order to function as Nature designed it, and
proper natural function is exactly what the herbalist wishes
to maintain. Herbal therapies are pointless in absence of
proper nutrition. Herbs will not substitute for systemic
dysfunction which is due to malnutrition. Just like us,
animals need raw, unprocessed foods that are rich in a diversity
of live enzymes and nutrients, and a diet comprised solely
of canned food or dried kibble cannot provide such a diversity...
no matter how good it is. Learn to feed your animals a natural
diet, supplemented with a good quality commercial food.
Then and only then, herbs can be used to assist the fuction
of well-fed organs. Remember... good nutrition is the first
step in achieving a state of healthy balance... without
it, the body is already dis-eased.
Using Herbs Naturally
Eliminating a symptom, or even a disease,
is only a small segment of the holistic picture... in order
to achieve a balanced state of health, we must first identify
and confront the underlying causes . For instance, in the
case of chronic constipation we know that a digestive dysfunction
is occuring which is altering the body's efficient elimination
of waste. In viewing how the body is supposed to work, we
see that efficient waste elimination is contingent upon a
delicately balanced cooperation between the salivary glands,
stomach, liver, gallbladder, and intestines... if any of these
organs aren't working efficiently, then a digestive disorder
will occur. In the case of constipation, we must first look
to the liver and gallbladder, which are responsible for the
production and release of the digestive chemicals essential
in the break down and assimilation of solid food. Next we
must ask, "If it's a liver disorder, then what's causing
it?"... usually it's diet, and nutritional adjustments
are all that are necessary to regain systemic balance. But
sometimes the body may require a "stimulatory boost",
and this where we open the herbal medicine chest. In this
case we might choose dandelion: an herb which will gently
stimulate the production and release of bile and digestive
enzymes. This in turn will assist the digestive tract at its
job of breaking down food materials into waste products which
can be easily eliminated. It is easy to see that if we had
confronted constipation without regard to the underlying cause
(unbalanced diet) and had simply softened the stool with an
herbal laxative, we would have done nothing toward achieving
a long term solution.
Herbs are naturally designed to work
with body functions, not against them. For instance, antibiotics
essentially bypass (and often destroy) the body's natural
immune system while achieving their goals through microscopic
assassination. Echinacea on the other hand, stimulates natural
auto-immune responses while leaving the immune system intact.
The natural immune system then works more efficiently at
what it is designed to do... it enables the body to heal
itself through complex mechanisms that modern science has
barely begun to understand.
A healthy, well-balanced body doesn't
get sick; it maintains itself through the efficiency of
its own, mind-boggling health care system. To do this, it
must first be properly fed and supplemented with what it
needs in times of crisis. This is where herbs come in...
as complimentary aids to body function.
Wild animals have an instinctive ability
to use herbs ... even domesticated animals retain part of
this ability. Dogs eat grass; my cat nibbles aloe on occasion
(although she obviously dislikes it). Humans on the other
hand, often get caught up in less than thoughtful reasoning...
and as a result, we often find ourselves chasing our tails
with symptomatic, short term solutions to the long term
health care issues.
The basis of what we have learned about
herbs was been gained through human observations of animals
in the wild. Our dogs, cats, birds, and their predesessors
are the true herbalists and teachers... the least we can
do is return their favors by giving them what they inherently
need.
But first... we must learn to use herbs
as they do.
© Copyright 1996
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