By: Kimberly Schmidt, DVM, CVA, CVCH, CVFT (Veterinarian, animal acupuncturist, herbalist and food therapist)

Throughout history herbal medicine has been practiced in many regions of the world, in almost every culture.  Western Herbal Medicine is a title recently used to differentiate herbalism based on Anglo-American traditional herbal medicine from other systems of herbal medicine such as Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine (originating from India).  Western Herbal Medicine is practiced in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, The United Kingdom, The United States and Western Europe.

Western Herbal Medicine focuses on restoring the body to a state of wellness by using a combination of herbs (herbal “prescription”), generally given by mixing in your pet’s food.  Herbs can be used for virtually any ailment.  Unlike pharmaceutical drugs which often mask the symptoms of disease, herbal medicine aims to bring the body into a state of health and vitality.  Herbal medicine looks at the whole patient, taking into account their mental state, environment and family unit rather than just focusing on a particular disease process.  This concept is known as “holism”.  It also acknowledges that there is a vital force, or energy, present in a living being, and when the body is sick this force is not at its strongest.  The body can often heal a great many ailments when given the opportunity with proper food, herbal medicine and emotional care.

Although herbs have been used for centuries, modern day research now allows us to understand how many of them work on a molecular level.  Echinacea purpurea, for example, is an herb traditionally used to treat colds and flu.  Through scientific studies we now know that it activates different components of the innate immune system, such as neutrophils, macrophages, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and natural killer (NK) cells.2

In veterinary medicine herbs can be used alone or in combination with medications.  Sometimes using herbs and drugs together can give a better outcome than if either are used alone (such as in cancer treatment).  Herbs can also protect from the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs when they are used together!  Milk thistle, for example, when used in combination with Metronidazole to treat the intestinal parasite Giardia in dogs,  helps dogs to have a better appetite and lose less weight during treatment vs. when Metronidazole is used alone.1

Although using herbs in animals is very safe, there are potential interactions between herbs and certain medications.  Saint John’s Wort, for example, is known to interact with certain medications used for behavioral modification in dogs such as Prozac (fluoxetine).  Using the herb and drug together can increase serotonin to dangerous levels in the brain causing serious side effects.3  This is why it's always very important to work with a trained veterinary herbalist when using herbs for your pet.  Herbalists know which herbs and drugs shouldn’t be used together and they also know the appropriate doses of herbs to use or what combinations of herbs to use together to make sure the the chances for any side effects in your pet is very low.

I hope this has helped you to understand the concept of Western Herbal Medicine and how it can be safely and effectively used to treat your pet!

References:

1. Chon SK1, Kim NS. Evaluation of silymarin in the treatment on asymptomatic Giardia infections in dogs. Parasitol Res. 2005 Dec;97(6):445-51. Epub 2005 Sep 9.

2. Azadeh Manayi,1 Mahdi Vazirian,2 and Soodabeh Saeidnia1,3 Echinacea purpurea: Pharmacology, phytochemistry and analysis methods. Pharmacogn Rev. 2015 Jan-Jun; 9(17): 63–72.

3. Francesca Borrelli  and Angelo A. Izzo. Herb–Drug Interactions with St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum): an Update on Clinical Observations. AAPS J. 2009 Dec; 11(4): 710.