What Is Veterinary Herbal Medicine?

For decades,  humans used plants as a medicine to treat diseases, an activity that became known as herbal medicine. Veterinary phytotherapy is precisely to put into practice the treatment of diseases in animals with herbal medications.

Herbs are famous for their countless health benefits. And since prehistory, we discover in them the power they had to heal their wounds, as well as using their properties for the treatment of common ailments.

Even animals, following their instincts, use plants to achieve effects on their bodies. A common and simple case, which, of course, you have already noticed, if you have a house with a garden, is that dogs eat some grass to clean their intestines.

Even though it is not yet common, veterinary medicine is opening up to the use of herbal medicine, especially in the case of animals, whose form of nutrition is through natural food .

The area of ​​specialists in the animal world uses herbal medicine to treat diseases. In some cases, it is used to treat simple wounds, but it is also starting to be used for more complex ailments, replacing conventional remedies.

It cannot be ignored that specialists in this area define veterinary herbal medicine as a natural medicine that serves everything.

Origin of veterinary herbal medicine

In Eastern culture, above all, the use of healing herbs is very common, unlike Western culture, which is more likely to perform invasive medical treatments.

Aware of its benefits, human beings studied the  plants for years, therefore, some active ingredients of Western medicine come from herbs. This is the case of salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin (from the willow), atropine and scopolamine (derived from Belladonna), as well as silymarin (obtained from milk thistle).

Another key factor discovered by researchers is that the whole plant has different healing properties. And its benefits are not only concentrated in its leaves or branches, because some roots can also be used.

Likewise, in homeopathic medicine it is common to use the entire plant. For example, aloe vera (aloe) is used as a healing agent, while the popular cat’s claw root helps with anti-inflammatory processes.

It is worth mentioning that veterinary herbal medicine is a relatively new practice. The hard work began by raising awareness about the power of plants, the benefits they provide to the animal’s body.

What are the advantages of veterinary herbal medicine

1. It ends up being less invasive. When we use veterinary herbal medicine, the animal’s body is not exposed to so many chemical components, which reduces the toxicity of the treatment.

In addition, side effects caused by drugs or treatments , because drug risks are discarded.

2. Offers several ways to administer the remedy. The herb can be given to the animal in several ways: infusions, syrups and maceration are the most common.

Depending on the animal and its condition, the specialist is able to find the most suitable way. The medicine can also be given in the form of inhalations or tinctures.

3. Management of doses. Veterinary Phytotherapy allows the medication to be dosed according to the animal’s characteristics, but it also reviews the number of times the animal needs to take the medication as the treatment progresses.

Another benefit is that, because they are herbs, they can be combined to achieve the best effects. This can be achieved without any risk of overdose or intoxication , which does not happen with these medications.

It is necessary to point out that, many times, the combination of medications can bring irreversible side effects to the body.

4. Low cost and high availability. Veterinary phytotherapy ends up being more economical and, in addition, it is possible to have access to it instantly, without having to go through the medical protocol.

In this sense, one cannot forget that, in order  to have a good use, it is important to know the properties of each herb, as well as its benefits.

Likewise, it is recommended to find out about the most effective application of the plant. Some herbs are best used if they have been previously dehydrated, while for others it is preferable that they are fresh.

Everywhere there are different plants with common medicinal benefits. Thus, knowing the similarity between species helps to find more options for medicinal treatments.

For best results, experts in the field suggest that animals eat natural food. This means replacing processed food with food prepared at home.

To conclude, it is necessary to make clear that the benefits of both practices together favor the animal’s physical and emotional performance. Furthermore, its effects are noticed immediately.