Herbs and the Athletic Animal
It might seem at odds with the current landscape of lockdown but maybe, with more time on our hands than we might ordinarily have, now is the time to give our health and the health of our pets a much-needed MOT.
Holistic vet Nick Thompson, MRCVS, walks us through the herbs that will help your pet thrive. Herbs to facilitate fat, glycogen and glucose metabolism to help your pet move out of lockdown like a sprinter off the blocks:
Herbs to energise
All of the following are very supportive of general energy metabolism. Not as extracts, but as an essence of the herb in its entirely. Bought as a tincture and to be given, as availability allows:
Milk Thistle
Echinacea
Tumeric
Siberian Ginseng
Camomile
Valerian Root
Antioxidants and why they’re important
Camomile is hugely beneficial to the gut and the absorption of nutrients and is a great antioxidant. Ageing is a process of oxidation; the getting stiff, not being able to exercise as you once did when you were 21. Antioxidants will help to stem tissue damage and the general effects of ageing.
Berries, of any sort, added to the diet are similarly fantastic, especially pomegranate, which is very good for heart health as well. A burst of goodness for both pets and humans, and hopefully an easier to come by seasonal addition to the shopping basket in the Summer months.
Antioxidants also help to mop up free radicals. The equivalent of exhaust fumes that are produced when your tissues get to work. Just as you don’t want to inhale exhaust fumes, you similarly don’t want to have free radicals floating about. With antioxidants in your system, they’ll mop up the exhaust fumes of the combustion engine of cellular activity, shielding you in effect and acting as scavengers for any free radicals.
Omega 3
Omega 3 – either from fish, flax or krill oil is a very potent anti-inflammatory.
Ideally, you would rotate these in blocks, and do a month of fish, a month of flax and a month of krill.
Why the variation? Because together, they’ve all got their own super-powers, and collectively will be food for the joints, the hormones and good for the skin.
The B’s and C’s
A vitamin B complex is also good for energy metabolism. It’s also great for liver health, for concentration and will help to deter fleas. It’s used by horse owners to help repel midges, which cause sweet itch (an allergy to midges).
Vitamin C 100 or 200 milligrams per 10 kilos of body weight per day for dogs. For B complex, we would be dosing a half human dose to a 30 kilo Labrador sized dog and one would divide down from there.
Vitamin C maintains collagen in your connective tissues, and is an antioxidant. It’s good for the immune system, and also helps muscles to get rid of lactic acid.
Even if your daily walk with your pet is more limited than normal, hopefully some helpful herbal homework for what comes next. For more energised and free-ranging wanders.
Interested to learn more?
Digestive health and pickupable poos - read the article.
Why we need to rethink our approach to fleas, ticks and worms - read the article.
Taking care of animal health, naturally - browse the range.
