What is herbal therapy?
Western Herbal Veterinary therapy is the use herbs for medicinal purposes. The body often has the capacity to heal itself; herbal therapy can help the body fight disease, while also helping the entire body to become healthy. Herbs are plants that contain ingredients with active therapeutic properties. These active ingredients may be present in the whole plant or only in a specific part. Herbal medicine will often use the whole plant for medicinal purposes, providing a holistic approach.
Why use herbal medicine?
Animals in the wild will often seek out certain plants to ingest when they are sick. The holistic approach using herbs for pet healthcare addresses the patient's physical, emotional, mental, digestive health as well as the patients diet, their environment and their exercise. Herbal therapy has a perception of being "natural" and organic, and many owners of their pets and family members may already be using herbal supplements and therapy in their own healthcare.
Herbal medicine can be used to treat sub-clinical conditions such as the body's response to stress and fatigue. Many times practitioners may not always know "what is wrong" , may not have the answers or can only get answers with expensive diagnostic and/or invasive testing. The practitioner does know the patient is tired, lacks energy, is cold or pale. Herbal medicine can be used in those particular situations, usually without doing harm.
Herbal medicine may be more effective in chronic conditions where conventional medicine has not been helpful, is expensive, or has side effects.
Herbs have actions that is lacking in conventional medicine such as:
*helping patients respond to the stress of disease
*helping patients respond to age related issues
*help with nutrition
*stimulate the immune system
Herbs may also treat specific organ systems such as the liver, kidneys, or digestive tract.
Herbal therapy and your pet
It is important to understand that natural/organic does not always mean safe, so it is important to consult with your veterinarian before proceeding with any herbal supplements for your pet. Call us to schedule a consultation appointment with our herbal specialist, Dr. Losito, to assess your pet's needs and the potential for herbal therapy care.
Make an appointment by calling us: (315) 468-3446
Life is good, life is better with herbal medicine!
