HERB OF THE DAY
CHAMOMILE IS A WONDER HERB!
HERB OF THE DAY: CHAMOMILE (Matricaria recutita)
This is one of our favourite herbs! A European native, a common garden plant, and a common garden escapee. You might think it’s a pretty feeble sort of herb; something people have as a tea when they don’t want the caffeine…but we think it’s something of a wonder herb.
CHAMOMILE FOR ANXIETY, BELLY ACHE AND ITCHY SKIN
Taken internally chamomile can reduce anxiety, without excess sedation. It is great for calming inflamed guts and reducing flatulence and gut cramps and it may help reduce some skin allergies.
Externally chamomile can soothe irritated skin and be used as an eyewash in mild conjunctivitis.
Like all herbs it’s not totally benign; some people and animals can be allergic to chamomile and it’s relations.
Fun fact: chamomile oil is blue!
ON-LINE MIRACLE CURES
ON-LINE CURES FOR WORMS, FLEAS, CANCER…
The internet is an amazing place…so much information, and so easy to buy anything at the click of a button. But it has it’s dangers.
Imagine your dog is due for worming…you usually get some stuff from the vet but it’s quite expensive and you aren’t heading in to town so you look online. First you find your usual wormer available from an internet pharmacy. You check the pharmacy is properly registered in the UK, and that you don’t need a prescription, and you’re just about to pay when….
You notice an article saying how bad chemical wormers are for pets. You read it and it’s scary stuff! One dog died, another had fits. So now you start looking for a more natural approach…something herbal. There are lots to choose from and they are all quite cheap, come with glowing testimonials and there is no mention of side effects. Great! Let’s order some….
Or maybe your cat has been diagnosed with cancer and the vet says there is nothing that can be done other than supportive care…but a quick internet search reveals several herbal tonics with great reviews…
HERBAL REMEDY QUALITY, SAFETY, AND EFFECTIVENESS
Before you put in your credit card details have a really good look at the products. The manufacturer should be able to tell you what herbs are in the product, at what strength. They should be talking about amounts of active chemicals, not just how much dry or fresh herb was used as herbs can vary in strength from season to season. Can the producer tell you how they quality check the herbs and where the herbs come from? Many herbs are rare in the wild and must be farmers of collected under strict controls, other herbs look similar to plants which are toxic or have no medicinal actions. Has the product been tested to show it is safe and effective? Beware of simple testimonials; “I use ‘herbal worm prevent’ on my dog and he never has worm!” may be true…but as most worm infestations aren’t obvious without faecal testing can the owner really be sure? For a worming product we would expect to see a study where pets were tested for worm eggs before treatment and split into a control group (no treatment) and a treated group, then tested again. Similar tests can easily be done to show the effectiveness of flea products. Cancer treatments are more difficult for a small herbal company to test and though most will do no harm, they may also do little good. Cancers can be very variable in how they affect pets. Some grow slowly and some grow fast even if you do nothing at all. Many herbs have well known side effects, especially at higher doses- does the company mention these, or any interactions with conventional drugs (there are many!).
RELIABLE, SAFE, HONEST HERBAL MEDICINES
We don’t offer miracle cures. We prefer monitoring for parasites and using appropriate doses of licenced products when required. These products can have side effects, but they are uncommon and well known and we take them into account when weighing up which products to use.
We do offer bespoke herbal medicines to support pets with a huge range of medical conditions, but our training means we are well aware of potential side-effects, drug interactions etc. We only buy herbs from manufacturers who follow Good Manufacturing Practice, and source herbs in an ethical and sustainable way.
So….instead of buying a miracle potion….book a consultation with us!
WHAT WE DO
WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT!
People can be confused by the term ‘holistic’, especially as it seems to be used to sell just about everything. So what does it mean at Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care?
HOLISTIC VETERINARY CARE
Holistic care is characterized by the treatment of the whole animal, taking into account mental and environmental factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.
Animals are usually referred for holistic assessment and treatment because they have complex, multiple, or chronic conditions.
We will ask questions about your pet’s diet, exercise, and mood state as well as the main symptoms. All too often a chronic illness means a pet can’t take part in the activities it used to enjoy and a low mood state or poor quality of life can make managing a disease more difficult. We often make changes to what,or how a pet is fed as well as using appropriate games, training and exercise to improve their mood as well as using acupuncture or herbal medicine.
Holistic also means that we use a wider variety of treatments than most primary care practices; we offer herbal medicine, acupuncture, and physical therapy as well as advising on diet, lifestyle, supplements, and behavioural modifications.
HOLISTIC VETERINARY CARE CASE STUDY: THE DEPRESSED PUG
A pug was referred to Four Seasons after diagnosis of a degenerative spinal condition. His pain was well controlled but he seemed to have lost all his spark and his owners were considering euthanasia. A detailed discussion revealed that as his mobility was poor the owners were taking this pug out on his own, then taking the other pugs for their usual walks. It seemed that the pug had a low mood state because he was missing out on walks with his friends. The solution was two-fold; herbs with a proven effect on improving mood and perhaps more importantly getting the pug back with his mates. His owners bought a ‘dog pushchair’ so he didn’t have to do the whole walk and let him out to sniff around with the others. In no time at all his cheerful personality was back and an integrated approach from his referring vet and our vet made a huge difference.
TURMERIC- WONDERHERB?
TURMERIC: WONDER HERB OR OLD WIVE’S TALE?
It seems you can’t look on any dog care site at the moment without being told how wonderful Turmeric is and some owners are buying huge stocks of turmeric powder and making up wonderful concoctions. But is it a cure all, and can it do harm?
GREAT THINGS ABOUT TURMERIC!
Turmeric is a well studied herb with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-platelet, bile stimulating, liver protecting, anti-cancer and cholesterol reducing properties.
It is a favourite of our vet Vicky for older patients with arthritis as is improves circulation and warms the patient as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. However these warming properties mean it wouldn’t be her first choice of anti-inflammatory herb for a young dog with an acute injury.
There is a wealth of research showing turmeric has anti-cancer properties, but many of these have only been carried out in test tubes rather than in actual animals. However it has shown promise against melanoma in lab animal trials. Turmeric certainly has a use alongside conventional cancer treatments as it may slow tumour growth as well as supporting the liver.
Turmeric’s anti-platelet effects may be useful in feline cardiac patients at risk of thromboembolism.
NOT SO GREAT THINGS ABOUT TURMERIC…
The biggest problem with turmeric is that it stains things yellow so use with caution in animals prone to vomiting or diarrhoea! It can also cause skin irritation so should be used cautiously on external wounds. As turmeric stimulates bile flow it shouldn’t be used in patients with bile duct obstructions and it can cause stomach irritation in some patients.
Turmeric shouldn’t be given to animals due to have surgery and could interact with other anti-clotting drugs increasing the risk of bleeding.
SO, SHOULD I FEED MY DOG TURMERIC?
Turmeric is certainly a useful herb and one which can be safely added to the diet of many dogs. As it is a readily available herb for culinary use we advise buying fresh turmeric root to avoid the loss of volatile oils. This be be grated then frozen so nothing goes to waste. Half a teaspoon twice as day of fresh root is enough for most medium to large dogs.
If your dog is already on medication for joint problems, allergies, cognitive dysfunction, liver problems, or heart problems we would strongly recommend speaking to a vet trained in the use of herbal medicines before using turmeric (or any other herb!).
Building the dose up over several days is advisable to avoid pets being put off their food or getting stomach upsets.
CAN HOLISTIC CARE HELP MY PET?
CAN HOLISTIC VETERINARY CARE HELP MY PET?
This is the most common subject of emails and telephone enquiries we receive. Unfortunately without examining a pet, and reviewing it’s history it is very difficult to give an easy answer. Below are some common problems and our thoughts on treatments.
DO YOU RECOMMEND NATURAL PRODUCTS FOR FLEA AND WORM CONTROL?
We are yet to be convinced of the safety and efficacy (usefulness) of most ‘natural’ flea and worm products. There are some preventative treatments we do recommend, but we usually steer clients towards a treatment plan with conventional products tailored to the pet’s lifestyle or monitoring with treatment when required.
MY PET HAS CANCER, CAN HOLISTIC TREATMENT HELP?
‘Cancer’ covers a huge range of diagnoses from benign growths up to invasive or metastatic (spreading) tumours. Herbal medicine can be used in several ways in cancer treatment; some herbs have been shown to slow cancer growth, others can help pets cope with the side effects of either the tumour, or any conventional medication being used. Herbs work best if used early in the course of disease, or after tumour removal to aid healing and reduce the risk of recurrence. Holistic care isn’t a magic wand that can save animals who are in the end stages of any disease, though it can be used to give palliation in the last days.
MY PET HAS ARTHRITIS, CAN HOLISTIC TREATMENT HELP?
This is an easier question to say ‘yes’ to! Musculoskeletal conditions including arthritis respond really well to a range of holistic therapies including herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, and home physio. We may also recommend other therapists such as massage, Bowen, or hydrotherapy. Holistic therapies work well alongside conventional medications too.
MY DOG HAS CDRM, WILL ACUPUNCTURE HELP?
Degenerative neuropathies shouldn’t respond well to acupuncture but our experience has been that many dogs diagnosed with CDRM also have concurrent arthritis and acupuncture does help them. Acupuncture has been very effective for some dogs which develop bladder and bowel control problems.
MY PET HAS EPILEPSY, CAN HOLISTIC TREATMENT HELP?
We have had good success with epilepsy cases, either using herbs as a treatment on their own for mild cases or as a complementary therapy with conventional drugs. Herbs can also be used where conventional medication is effective, but causing unwanted side-effects.
THE VET HAS DIAGNOSED LIVER/ KIDNEY/ HEART DISEASE!
There are herbs proven to provide support to all of the major organs. We may also suggest dietary changes in these cases, but early treatment has the best results.
So…can we help? Usually! An initial consultation starts from £40 (at Companion Care Eastbourne)
Stay Cool
HOLISTIC HEATWAVE!
KEEPING YOUR PETS COOL AS THE TEMPERATURE RISES
The unpredictable nature of the British summer can leave pets struggling to cope so, just in case the thermometer hits the promised highs this weekend here are some tips to keep your pets safe and cool.
HOT WEATHER TIPS FOR DOGS
Try to exercise your dog at the cooler times of day. If you have to go for a mid-day walk try to choose a shady walk; perhaps in some woodland.
Test the tarmac with your hand; if it’s too hot to touch it’s too hot for your dog to walk on. Watch out for melted tar that can get stuck in the hair between the pads.
Ensure clean, cool water is always available but don’t offer icy water to a hot dog returning from exercise as this may cause stomach cramps and vomiting.
Make dog ice pops by freezing treats in salt free stock.
An ice pack under the bed or in front of a fan can help keep your dog cool, and special cooling mats are also available.
Everyone knows not to leave their dogs in hot cars, but take car when driving around too; the air con or fans won’t always reach your dog if it is in the boot.
Walks that include a swim in a lake, river or the sea are great hot day options but check there are no risks such as blue-green algae and hidden obstructions before letting your dog dive in. Take fresh water to avoid your dog drinking sea water.
Think twice before clipping your dog! Double coats can actually help insulate your dog against heat. If in doubt consult a groomer.
HOT WEATHER TIPS FOR CATS
Cats are better at coping with heat than dogs, but ensure they have cool, shady places to snooze.
If your cat is a grazer ensure that food left out doesn’t become covered with fly eggs.
Cats with white ears and noses are at risk of skin cancer if they spend too much time in the sun. Use a pet or child sunscreen to protect them.
HOT WEATHER TIPS FOR OUTDOOR RABBITS AND GUINEA PIGS
Again, make sure the hutch and run provide shade.
Ensure water does not run out!
Consider a reflective hutch cover to help keep your pets cool.
Rabbits might enjoy a shallow water tray to paddle in, but guinea pigs generally don’t like getting wet.
HOT WEATHER TIPS FOR INDOOR PETS
Make sure your pets cage is out of direct sunlight and use fans to provide a cooling breeze.
Keep water bottles topped up and offer juicy treats like a little carrot or fresh herbs.
Enjoy this nice weather and stay safe!
DEADLY ICE?
ICE CAUSES FATAL BLOAT IN DOGS!
Really?
INTERNET STORY WARNS “ICE WATER CAUSES DANGEROUS BLOAT IN DOGS”
And yet the ‘hoax slayer’ sites say it’s not true at all. Some days it feel more like we’re the Mythbusters team on TV than a holisitc vet practice, but our mission is to educate so…what is the truth about ice and dogs?
Drinking cold water, iced water or enjoying a frozen treat on a hot day is really unlikely to cause your dog any more harm than an ice lolly or a Pimms over ice will do you. BUT if the dog has just returned from exercise and is hot and tired, or worse on the verge of heat exhaustion then iced water should be avoided. Very cold water hitting the stomach of a very hot dog can cause painful stomach cramps (try it yourself after a run…oh, you don’t fancy it, ok!) but these in themselves are unlikely to cause bloat. It may cause vomiting and this won’t help the dog recover and rehydrate. The bigger risk for bloat is from the dog drinking too quickly and taking large amounts of air into the stomach with the water. Again, not every dog will have a problem, but it could trigger a problem in a bloat prone individual. Feeding too soon before or after exercise are more common triggers for bloat and it can happen spontaneously in some dogs, possibly in response to stress.
SAFE WAYS TO COOL DOWN A HOT DOG
For a normal dog on a hot day just keep the water bowl topped up and in a shady spot. Frozen water bottles in front of fans can provide cheap ‘air con’ to travelling or kenneled dogs. Frozen treats provide great entertainment, especially if it’s too hot for walkies. You can freeze a stuffed Kong, make flavoured ice cubes, freeze carrots or put a whole selection of treats in a big bowl and freeze them (see picture).
For a dog which is very hot after exercise offer small amounts of tepid water at regular intervals until the dog is recovered. Use fans, cooling coats or hosing to reduce the body temperature. Avoid feeding until the dog is fully recovered as he won’t be able to digest food properly. Electrolyte drinks don’t help dogs recover in the same way as they do humans because dogs lose pure water when exercising whereas humans lose lots of salts through sweat. Electrolytes are more useful is a dog has been sick or had diarrhoea.
For dogs which tend to gulp water try a ‘Road Refresher’ bowl. these are non-spill bowls designed for travel but they have also been very effective at altering the way gulpers drink.
PROOF? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE PROOF!
IS THERE EVIDENCE FOR COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE?
A criticism often made of holistic practitioners is that we have no evidence that our treatments work. The truth is that some complementary therapies have a great deal of high quality scientific data to support their use, alongside anecdotal, historical and case study use.
EVIDENCE FOR ACUPUNCTURE?
When people think of acupuncture they think of an ancient, mystical, eastern therapy with cures disease by the rather strange sounding technique of ‘stimulating the flow of Chi along meridians’. Sounds a bit ‘far out’ doesn’t it…but if you translate ‘chi’ to energy and ‘meridians’ to nerves and blood vessels things sound more normal to our western ears. Studies have shown that needling certain points can alter heart rate and brain activity in areas relating to pain perception (1). Various studies have also looked at the effect of acupuncture on pain scores of human patients with knee pain (2). Blinding and placebo control are really hard in acupuncture trials as it’s difficult to devise a convincing ‘sham’ needling technique which might not have some effects itself. It has also been shown that acupuncture increases blood flow in the skin and muscles (3) which could help with healing in injury cases.
EVIDENCE FOR HERBAL MEDICINE?
Perhaps the most simple proof that herbs can have an effect on the human or animal body is that many plants are poisonous! One doubting pet owner suggested that there was nothing in herbs. Vicky offered him a cup of Foxglove tea and he backtracked a little. But there is a lot more evidence out there on the effects of herbal extracts. Echinacea has been well studied both in clinical situations and at a physiological level, showing not only an effect on the immune system, but the actual part of the immune system being affected (4,5)! Another well studied herb is Milk Thistle with good evidence for its use in protecting the liver from damage (6). Pharmaceutical companies provide an awful lot of information on the effects and safety of herbal medicines as many are being examined for their potential to supply the next wonder-drug. However history has shown that synthetic versions of plant compounds can be more toxic, as well as more effective, than the natural plant extract (7).
EVIDENCE FOR HOMEOPATHY?
At Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care we don’t offer homeopathy because, as yet, there is not sufficient scientifically rigorous evidence for how it works, or even that it works. Most published research looks at case studies without adequate blinding or controls, and though there are some promising results at first glance the improvements seen could often be attributed to the disease following it’s natural course (as in ringworm in cattle which usually self cures) or to environmental changes such as the resolution of flooding in a leptospirosis outbreak (8). The challenge for homeopathy is that improvements can be attributed to the ‘method’ (a long consulations examining diet, lifestyle etc and advice on changes which can be made to those) rather than the medicine and this has also been an excuse in the past for the lack of scientific trials. That said, some researchers are looking at homeopathic remedies and methods for testing them in a scientific way which may one day give this are of complementary medicine the evidence base it needs to be taken seriously (9).
ENOUGH EVIDENCE?
For us the biggest driver behind us using a particular therapy is that it has worked on similar patients before and been well tolerated. We never offer miracle cures and we take a truly holistic view of your pets health using modern diagnostic tools and medicines alongside diet, behavioural and lifestyle advice, acupuncture, physical therapies and herbal medicines to improve health. That makes pinpointing the cause of the improvement a bit tricky….but if it works we’re all happy!
REFERENCES:
We don’t normally reference or add links as we want you to stay and enjoy our website but if you want to know where we found our evidence here goes!
1) http://pubs.rsna.org/doi/abs/10.1148/radiology.212.1.r99jl04133
2)http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/3/384.full?referer=www.clickfind.com.au
3)http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-003-0825-3
4)http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-003-0825-3
5)http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354209003192
6)http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354209003192
7)http://www.eao.chups.jussieu.fr/polys/certifopt/saule_coxib/theme/1vane2003.pdf
8)http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1475491610000585
9)http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/7/1%20?iframe=true&width=100%&height=100%
ALABAMA ROT RAW FOOD LINK?
IS RAW FOOD THE CAUSE OF ‘ALABAMA ROT’?
Probably not.
A report in the Telegraph has an expert stating that feeding raw meat to dogs could be the cause of the UK outbreak of the cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy syndrome dubbed ‘Alabama Rot’. It is true that the original 1980’s Alabama Rot (AR) had the same symptoms and was linked to poor hygiene around raw meat but the outbreak differed from the UK one in several respects. The original AR outbreaks were confined to racing greyhounds; UK cases have been seen in all ages and breeds of dogs. The original AR cases were fed raw meat in kennels; some of the UK cases have never been fed raw meat. E. coli was isolated from dogs suffering from the original AR outbreak; despite looking E. coli has not been found in the UK cases. In addition the UK cases seem geographically linked to woodland and have occurred in the winter-spring period for the last two years, seeming to no occur in the summer or autumn. This pattern rather rules out a raw meat diet as the source of the disease in our opinion.
SO WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF UK ‘ALABAMA ROT’?
We still don’t know the cause despite extensive testing of affected dogs. Woodland seems key, and maybe damp conditions. The cause could be an E. coli strain which is hard to isolate but an environmental source (broken drains, flooded out animal dens, dead animals) seems more likely than the diet.
HOW TO AVOID UK ‘ALABAMA ROT’?
At the moment there is no sure fire way to avoid your dog becoming ill with this syndrome. Hopefully with warmer, drier weather the number of cases will decline, as happened in 2013. Check if there have been cases locally, or where you are holidaying and check your dog daily for the skin erosions on the legs and face which can be the early symptoms. If you see unusual skin lesions, especially if you have walked where cases have been reported, seek veterinary attention as soon as possible. Expect the vet to take blood samples and to repeat them in a week even if they are normal to begin with.
In one case a number of dogs belonging to the same owner died, but one survived. The surviving dog had been washed off after exercise. No-one knows if this made the difference or not, but hosing dogs off after woodland walks could be a sensible precaution.
If you raw feed we don’t think there is any reason to stop doing so at the moment, but we always recommend good food hygiene standards are observed. You shouldn’t feed your dog meat that you wouldn’t be happy to cook up and eat yourself (from a food safety point of view, we accept most people don’t want to eat tripe!). The same goes for prepared wet or dry diets; don’t feed mouldy, stale or off smelling foods.
WHAT IS A HOLISTIC VET?
WHAT IS A HOLISTIC VET?
This week someone on an internet forum expressed surprise that our vet Vicky Payne was a Holistic vet! Vicky thinks this is because she has written in support of vaccination and against untrained people giving advice on which homepoathic or herbal remedy to buy from the internet.
WHAT IS HOLISTIC VETERINARY CARE?
For us at Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care, “Holistic” means using detailed evaluation of a pet’s diet and lifestyle as well as hands on examination and conventional diagnostic tests (sometimes including blood tests or x-rays) to achieve a diagnosis, or in many cases multiple diagnoses.
We then choose from a full range of conventional and complementary therapies to help that pet back to wellness. Therapies we use or advise include dietary changes, behaviour and lifestyle modification, acupuncture, owner performed home physio, herbal medicines and conventional medicines and surgery. In some circumstances we will also refer your pet to local physiotherapists, massage therapists or hydrotherapists for supportive care.
“Holistic” to us also means caring for a pet’s well-being from the planning of a mating, right through to the planning of end of life care and euthanasia. We are happy to advise on health testing for breeding dogs and cats, tools which can help accurately time mating for dogs, rearing and socialisation of puppies and kittens both with the breeder and after sale, as well as advising on appropriate vaccination, worming and flea treatment schedules based on sound science and a consideration of an individual pet’s risk. Many of our patients are in their Autumn years so inevitably we have to help owners with decisions surrounding palliative care, quality of life, the end of life and planning for the future.
Our passion for life-long care is why Vicky chose the name ‘Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care’.
WHAT ISN’T HOLISTIC VETERINARY CARE?
We can’t speak for other ‘Holistic’ practices but for us “Holistic” does not mean alternative (diagnosis and treatment must always be done by a vet or under veterinary supervision), homeopathic (though many practices also add this to their treatments offered), anti-vaccination, anti-conventional medicine or assisting in self diagnosis and recommending buying unregulated products.