Molly's Herbals

Health Issues
 

 

 
Information:



Various Health Issues in Animals

 

Heartworms

Heartworms are not really worms, but parasites transferred to your dog usually via the bite of mosquitoes. Heartworms and "intestinal worms" (intestinal parasites: tape worms, roundworms, whipworms & threadworms) are not the same thing. Natural prevention begins with identifying how at risk your animal is. If you live in a high risk area (mosquito infested), your dog's coat should never be cut, so that it can serve it's natural function of a protective barrier against mosquitoes. Use natural insect deterrents (Note: The FDA does not allow the use of the word "repellant" on any natural insect "deterrents.") Proper nutrition and immune system support will help build and maintain your dog's resistance to the parasite. In addition to extra vitamins and minerals being added to the proper, Ill balanced natural diet, you could also add garlic and/or Immune Support Tincture, which may help strengthen the immune system. When taking a trip into a high risk area, Echinacea could be given for three days before the trip and continued three days afterwards.

Black walnut, pumpkin seed and other herbal treatments cannot be relied on to cure heartworms because these work in aiding to expel worms from the digestive tract, and heartworms never enter the digestive tract. If your dog contracts heartworm, do not rely on home administered herbal remedies but instead, contact a holistic vet right away.

 

Fleas

Like other holistic health care approaches, I need to try to look at the flea issue differently. It's not holistic to just switch to an herb from a chemical to attempt to kill all the fleas. I do not just address the symptoms that the fleas cause (itching), but to get to the cause of the allergic reaction that the flea bite stimulates in a vulnerable pet. Fleas, like all parasites, prey on the weak, sick, and malnourished. An animal infested with fleas is an unhealthy animal and I must ask ourselves why are the fleas bothering the them in the first place, rather than solely focusing on the elimination of the fleas. Holistic therapy does not begin with shampoos, coat dips, rinses, or sprays; it begins by strengthening the animal and making their home less hospitable to the fleas. It means getting your pet healthy enough, with a healthy coat and properly functioning immune defenses, so that fleas will cause no allergic reaction in him (itching) and ultimately the fleas will have no interest in him. The real key is a good, nutritional diet.

To a your pet's nutritional diet, you can add garlic and breIrs yeast with Vit B. These exude odors or tastes that discourage fleas. Add a clove of garlic or 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic to your pets meal. Add 1 tablespoon of breIr's yeast (1/2 Tbls. for small dogs and cats) to your pets daily meals. Every two days, sprinkle breIr's yeast on their coats and work it in with your hands. This dose not kill the fleas, it just makes them want to leave, so make sure to let your dog outside and give the house a good vacuum.

Other additions to your pet's diet that could be burdock root, dandelion, and red clover. These serve as useful dietary adjuncts by helping the body eliminate waste and allowing natural defense systems to work more freely in coping with fleabites. Nettle may be sprinkled onto your pet's food to lend nutritive support and a mild antihistamine action that may reduce the severity of an allergic reaction. Giving 1/2 -1 teaspoon of dried herb for each pound of food fed is a good starting dose.

To address fleas by external methods, your pet's living quarters can be sprinkled with diatomaceous earth (also called DE). For more info on DE, please click here. Vacuuming is a great way to keep down fleas.

Beneficial nematodes: These are microorganisms that are parasitic to flea larvae that you apply to the yard once in the spring with a hose-end sprayer. They work pretty Ill for keeping fleas from your yard. You can find more information about, and purchase these little critters here.

You can look for herbal flea powders that contain garlic as Ill as various flea deterring herbs such as wormwood and pennyroyal. I make an herbal pillow stuffing for our dog and cats' beds, which helps discourage fleas (Note: The FDA does not allow the use of the word "repellant" on any natural insect "deterrents."). You can find the recipe for the pillows below.

Lately, I have used my Shoo-Fly Spray on our dog to aid in deterring fleas, ticks and bothersome flies when she is outside.

If your pet has a real infestation that needs to be taken care of right away, or if some of the nontoxic products you have tried just aren't working for you, there are some over-the-counter chemical treatments you can safely try. Look for products containing citrus based d-limonene, and herbal insecticide. If you have a real severe problem, I recommended Front Line. I do not recommend any other the other products that come in the small plastic vials, they are not all the same and some are down right dangerous. Frontline is a different chemical and the only one I recommenced (and it really works). If you look around on the Internet, you can find this product at a fairly low price (much loIr than buying it from a vet).

 

Herbal Anti-Flea Pillows

Use this Anti-Flea Herb Mix in these various ways:

1) Make/Sew little pillows (8 "X 8" or so) stuffed with the following mix and place in the animals bed or sleeping area. The little pillow cannot be washed and you will have to replace it every couple of months.

2) If your pet has a cedar stuffed bed (cedar is a great flea deterrent). Stuff the bed with cedar chips and throw this herb mix in with the chips as you fill the bag. Change the entire filling of the bag every couple of months.

fleas

Herbal Flea Deterrent Pillow Filling Recipe:

    mix together:
  • 2 cups Pennyroyal*
  • 1 cup Rosemary
  • 1 cup Feverfew
  • 1 cup Southernwood (if you can't find this, use Wormwood)

* Do not let the animal eat this herbal mix. Pennyroyal should not be consumed. If there is a chance the animal will tear up the pillow, use peppermint instead of Pennyroyal, it will not be quite as effective, but will be safer.


 

 

Vaccinations

I choose not vaccinate our animals and I have good reasons. Please check out the following links to read more on this subject

 

 

Mange / Mites

Mange is a skin disease of mammals caused by mites that burrow under the top layers of skin that cases itching, hair loss, painful lesions, etc. This condition is difficult to get rid of.

All of the mange-causing mites have one thing in common: they are all opportunity seeking parasites that prefer a defenseless host. Therefore, prevention in the form of a Ill-balanced natural diet that provides immune system support should begin before an infection occurs. I recommend using Immune Support/Boost in conjunction with whatever other treatment you decide to try.

Here are a few things you can try:

  • Tea Tree oil:

Wash the animal with gentle soap and water. Remove excess hair by clipping or shaving it off. Use a spray bottle to saturate the affected area with the following mixture of tea tree oil and water. Mix 1 Tbsp. of pure Tea Tree oil with 1 Cup water. When using the spray, shake the bottle vigorously and often. Saturate the area with this mixture and let stay on fo-15 minutes. Dry the animal with paper toIls (throw out the toIl after using).

For suborn areas, saturate a cotton ball with pure Tea Tree oil and apply to the area. Do this 2 times daily, for at least a Iek or until signs of mange are gone.

  • Garlic:

Mites don't tolerate sulfur compounds, and garlic contains hundreds of them.

Ear Mite Oil:
(click here for information on how to purchase this oil already made)

  • One part Mullein Infused Oil
  • One part Garlic Infused Oil
  • 10-20 drops of Vit. E oil for each 1 oz of garlic & mullein oil mixture
  • Other Herbs to consider:
  • Lavender, Yarrow, Oregon Grape and Licorice. Any of these herbs can be used in oils, salves, or ointments as Ill, or they can be made into a skin rise.

 




* Disclaimer: The products offered on this web site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.

The information and statements presented on this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The use of herbs and essential oil for the prevention, treatment, mitigation or cure of disease has not been approved by the FDA or USDA. We therefore make no claims to this effect.

We are not veterinarians or doctors. The information on this site is based on the traditional and historic use of herbs as well as personal experience and is provided for general reference and educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or promote any direct or implied health claims. This information is and products are not intended to replace professional veterinary and/or medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your vet and/or doctor. We present the products on this site and the information supplied here without guarantees, and we disclaim all liability in connection with the use of these products and/or information. Any person making the decision to act upon this information is responsible for investigating and understanding the effects of their own actions. Please read our Services and Conditions of Use and Limitation Of Liability policy.

 
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