Discovering Canine Herbalism

Discovering Canine Herbalism

(Please note, all @ tags below are Instagram handles.  Website links will be added soon.)


Do you have a dog with allergies?  Medical issues?  Pain?

 

We do.  We knew Roxy was likely to experience chronic issues, especially in her hips/joints, when she first came home at 7 weeks old from @Proverbs1210animalrescue and we watched her walk.  We have used @embarkvet DNA tests on all 3 of our rescues, but she is the only one with genetic variants that concerned us enough to research pet insurance.  I am so glad we did.  If you have a fur baby, and not a huge life savings set aside, I encourage you to look into the options.  We use @gohealthypaws though there are several good ones out there.

 

Only 1 month after enrolling in insurance, Roxy had her first ear infection.  Then it was her eyes.  After that, it was itching around her muzzle.  She was allergic to grass and pollen, but loved being outside. 🤦🏼‍♀️ We tried the Cytopoint injection (I now regret) which she had a reaction to.  Then, when she began itching over her entire body, we tried Apoquel.  It was incredible!  She bounced back so quickly, playing like she hadn’t since a young puppy!  Unfortunately, it caused bladder infections, and we also knew it was a bandaid for symptoms only.  She also had joint pain from a young age, and then suffered a hock injury this past autumn.  My heart hurt for her.  I have chronic illnesses and chronic pain, so I understand.  I wished I could take it all away.

 

We learned she had a chicken allergy from another dog owner, due to her recurring ear infections (caused by yeast), so we cut that out and they stopped.  After reintroducing, and by trial and error, we confirmed it was not only chicken but Turkey as well.  So no poultry.

 

I should mention our home is already gluten free (I have Celiac and the dogs can’t eat it or put me at risk), fish free (daughter’s anaphylactic allergy), hemp free (my anaphylactic allergy), and now poultry free for the dogs.  We are already limited with options (one reason we started making TripMutts treats).

 

In desperation, and with my extensive knowledge on human nutrition, I began researching canine nutrition.  I know how to manage my own auto-immune diseases, allergies, and chronic pain naturally, so there should be some options for our dogs too, right?  (Fun fact: we use 100% grass-fed & finished beef due to the nutrient quality, fat/lipid profile, and balanced omega ratios, first for me to help treat my own illnesses).

 

I found their bodies and nutritional needs, while similar to humans, did have some important differences.  I came across holistic vets, and canine nutritionists, such as @nashvilleholisticvet (Dr. Neely North), @thefarmatnatcheztrace @_tiffanywalker_ (canine nutritionist), and @canineherbalist (Rita Hogan).  I listened to some great guest segments on the @dogspeak101 podcast, which somehow led me even further.

 

How my brain compiled all the information to get to the decisions we made is a little chaotic (ADHD in there), but we made some changes to include Colostrum powder, Green lipped muscle joint supplement powder, and algae oil, with a safe probiotic.  (Please note: NOT all supplements are bioavailable, ethical, or created equal, so do your due diligence on research or consult the experts above.  The supplement industry is unfortunately unregulated in the United States.)

 

WOW!  I can tell you that over the last 2 months, and through some experiments with dosages and skipping certain ones, we know which ones are helping which issues.

 

First, the colostrum.  It has been INCREDIBLE to watch Roxy’s raw ears and eyes, with sores around her eyelids, begin to heal and regrow hair within DAYS!  I stopped just that one for several days, it started itching her again, restarted, cleared up agato know that the colostrum is KEY to helping with her allergies.  I am excited to see how it does this spring with high pollen levels.

 

The green lipped muscle helped to HEAL her hock injury!  She was continuing to re-injure it over and over again, but not with this.  It seemed to help strengthen her ligaments, heal the injury, and reduce pain within only 1-2 weeks.  As a trial, I stopped it, and within 2 days she was sore and achy.  Started it again, back to being active.  I tried it a few times just to make sure, but this is one we will be continuing, most likely indefinitely.

 

Wow.  Just wow!  Head over and check out these incredible resources I tagged above.  Learn what you can.  Just like all humans are different and there are no one-size-fits all solutions, the same is true for our dogs.  Schedule a consultation if you need to, and let them help you and your baby.  They have such a short life with us, let’s work together to make it the most fulfilling quality of life we can. ❤️

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