Well, I thought that I'd better post something here, as I see that this blog is still getting quite a few hits!
I had been trying to get some sponsorship for the radio show, and, obviously, I didn't.
I thought that I'd let the blog sit for a while and see what happened, and, as I said, it seems to be getting quite a few hits, so here is what I've decided to do...
Forget the corporate sponsorship! The whole idea of it is counter to everything I believe in anyways, I guess that's probably why it didn't work! The last thing that I am interested in is being tied down by someone else's rules - rules I 'm sure won't have the best interest of you or your animals at heart, but instead their own bottom lines.
Who needs it in this, the age of the internet, anyways? I am going to start posting again, and I may record some shows on my own and post them as well. The technology exists in almost all of our homes - and I think this way I'll be more vocal - I won't be worried about the disapproval of the radio station, either. Plus, I spent so much time trying to figure out how to podcast everything, I can't let that go to waste. I am going to see if I still have access to the previously recorded shows and try and get them up as well.
So, that's what I've been up to, I'll be back soon with some more informative stuf about how to live happier, healthier lives with your beloved furried and feathered companions!
Love your pet!
-Lisa
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Using herbs for you and your pet
Hi there, and welcome to the Everything Pets Show here on AM980. Sundays from 5-6pm
Tonight we are going to talk about plants, and some common plants and how you can use them to help both you, and your companion animals. There are lots of plants, that a lot of us have growing in our gardens that we KNOW can be useful, but we're not really quite sure HOW to use them, or if they are safe, or if they are really effective - or not!
What part of the plant do you use? When do you pick it? How do you prepare it, and how do you actually "use" it?
So, before I go any further, I want to re-iterate that I am not a vet, the show is not meant to diagnose, or treat any ailments, and anything we discuss here is meant to supplement, not replace the advice of your vet. Any thing you give to your pet, just as with anything you take yourself, should be discussed with their, and your health care provider.
The main focus of the show is to help educate pet guardians to help them make more informed decisions regarding their companion animals."
Dandelions - the plant everybody loves to hate. We have most of us heard that you can eat dandelion, or make wine from it, or that it is good for you in some way, but most of us would have no idea how you go about getting something good out of the pesky weed.
Personally, I quite like dandelions - from the lets see if you like butter test as a kid to now, when I think they add lovely character and colour to grass. I will admit that I do pull them sometimes, though, as they do multiply like well, weeds!
Did you know that the definition for weed is any undesirable or troublesome plant, esp. one that grows profusely where it is not wanted
So, in other words, if a former weed now becomes valuable or useful to you, it would no longer be considered a "weed"!
What kind of things are dandelion useful for?
It is one of nature's most useful and medicinal plants.
It is known as a tonic herb for the digestive tract, a blood cleanser, a diuretic, it stimulates the liver and salivation, it is a nutritive, a laxative, and an anti-inflammatory.
Dandelions are quite often confused with other plants in the daisy family - the way to tell (again, this is all on the blog) is that true dandelions are non - branching. They grow in a rosette fashion off a single taproot.
The other ones wont hurt you, but you won't get all the medicinal benefits either!
To harvest dandelion, pick the young leaves for eating in early spring (as the plant gets older, it gets more bitter) and harvest the roots in the fall - this is when they have the highest concentration of beneficial constituents.
If you are using leaves for teas or medicines, you can gather them any time when they are dry. The leaves tend to develop mold if they are picked wet - so don't wash them after you pick them. Dry completely, and don't store them until they are crispy - dry. Chop up roots then spread them on newspaper and dry thoroughly.
The entire plant is medicinal - leaves stems blossoms and roots. Any of these can be fed fresh to rabbits, birds, dogs and cats. Chop, puree mince before adding to food as necessary.
To make tea, soak the leaves and flowers as for the bee balm, when using roots, make a decoction - explanations of these various methods will be in the next 1/2 hour
Since Dandelion is a tonic herb -
hold on, what do I mean by "tonic herb"
Tonic herbs are ones that you can give safely, daily for a long time.
Def of tonic -Restores and strengthens the entire system, producing and restoring normal tone. Most tonics have general effects on the entire body and specific effects on certain organs.
another def is a general term for a nourishing substance that invigorates and increases the tone and strength of tissues and improves the function of one or more body systems.
Dandelion is also one of the most complete plant foods on earth. A 1 cup serving of fresh dandelion greens provides as much as 2000 IU of Vitamin a (1 1/2 x RDA adult human)
20 % protein (double spinach)
Vit C, K, D, and B complex, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and many other trace minerals. And it is an especially rich source of potassium.
All of these nutrients happen to be conveniently contained within a single plant that the body can fully absorb. This means that you can use dandelion to gently supplement your own or your pets diets without overworking the kidneys and liver with excess vitamins and minerals
What are some specific uses?
As I mentioned, you can use the fresh plant on your animals food, If your animal won't eat it fresh or dried, and you need to get it into them quickly to provide needed nutrients, you can make a tea using organic, unsalted veggie or meat broth instead of water.
Feed about 1tsp pf dried herb for each 20 lbs of body weight daily.
Dandelions also have a bitter tonic effect - warms up the body's metabolism before the digestive system has to work - when even a small amount of a bitter herb is placed in the mouth, salivation begins immediately, and as it reaches the stomach, bile and other digestive juices start being produced. The end result of these actions is more efficient digestion, reduced indigestion, better absorption of nutrients, and increased appetite.
We've talked about using the greens as a supplement to your pets diet, what about the root?
The root is most often used as a safe, reliable liver tonic.
The liver, as you may or may not know is the primary filtering organ of the body. It is responsible for removing toxins from the blood for elimination by the kidneys. The liver is also crucial for digestion - it produces bile and various enzymes necessary to the body. If bile ducts in the liver or gallbladder become blocked or congested, the body will suffer some type of toxicity related imbalance. These can manifest as symptoms like jaundice, rheumatoid conditions, eczema, dandruff, or chronic constipation. So, while dandelion leaf tincture or tea will help relieve these symptoms, the root will have more of an effect on the underlying causes, and when we are talking about holistic, or as I prefer, complimentary modalities of healing, getting to the cause of the problem is imperative.
Again, if your animal has any of these symptoms, don't assume that you know what the problem is, or try and make a diagnosis yourself, that is what your vet is there for!
Dandelion root has a well documented ability to stimulate bile production through out the liver. In one study involving dogs, researchers observed a 3 - 4 times increase in bile production after administering dandelion root.
(E. Chariot and R Charonat, "Therapeutic Agents in Blie Secretion" Ann. Med 97 (1935)
The gall bladder (stores bile from the liver) is also stimulated, causing this small, hollow organ to pump bile into the digestive tract, aiding digestion and acting as a gentle laxative to promote the elimination of solid waste.
One of the best things about dandelion when using it to support liver and gallbladder, is the gentleness of the plant. Unlike many herbs that have the same action, Dandelion will not irritate an already inflamed condition.
The analgesic properties of dandelion come from the flowers. They are weak but useful, and do NOT contain any of the compounds that are found in aspirin that are harmful to cats, and which may also be irritating to the lining of the stomach.
To use the flowers, infuse a generous handful on a cup of near boiling water. When the water is darkened as much as possible, it can be cooled and administered with an eye dropper.
30-40 drops per 20lbs
If this is a little trying (administering by dropper), try drying the flowers and sprinkling them on your pets food. Don't expect dramatic results, but it is a mild pain killing option that is gentle and non irritating, and in my opinion well worth considering.
One more thing about dandelions that needs to be mentioned is to be sure of where you are collecting them. DO NOT collect them near a busy road way - they'll have absorbed lots of car exhaust, we don't want to feed that to out pets, and also make sure that there has been no pesticide sprayed on the area. Although we o have a pesticide ban, the only way to know for sure that there are no pesticides been sprayed is to use them from your own yard, or the middle of a field where no one goes!
One other use for dandelions is as a diuretic. To help the body relieve itself of excess fluid, again use a tea made from the leaves.
The only cautions regarding the use of dandelion are that it may lower blood sugar -do not use in pets receiving hypoglycemic therapy without veterinary supervision. Do not combine with vet. diuretics.
The other one I've mentioned, but it's worth stating again - the cleanliness of your plants! Make sure they have not been sprayed - find another patch - it shouldn't be very hard!!
And, when drying, make sure that they are dry 0- put them on newspaper, stir often, and don't put away until completely crispy dry. I like to store herbs in mason jars - they are easy to sterilize, label, open and close, and you can see what your supply looks like.
We were just talking about herbs that most of us have in our gardens, ans some of the ways we can use these herbs to improve the health of our companion animals. While we were talking, I used some terms that I know you weren't familiar with, so I'll cover them now.
The terms included words like decoction, fomentation, poultice (little more common)
What do these things mean?
They are different ways of describing how to use medicinal herbs. Herbs have different constituents or active ingredients, and there are a variety of ways to "access" their medicinal value. These terms are ways of describing some of them.
Decoction is an infusion that requires a gentle simmering to make a preparation strong enough to use therapeutically. roots and seeds are usually prepared this way. But, some roots that have volatile oils need a gentler method, and some leaves need to be prepared as a decoction. Always check descriptions in herbal books to find out how to make your herbal product!
To make a decoction, use a stainless steel, glass or enameled pan with a tight fitting cover. Roots - fresh r dried, should always be cut into small pieces.
1.Stir the herbs into cold water, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 15-20min
Make sure lid is tight to keep steam in.
Remove from heat, let steep an additional 5-10 min, strain and serve
2.Alternatively, bring the water to a boil by itself, then add the herbs, lower the heat simmer 15-20 min
Remove from heat, let sit 5-10min, strain
Unlike leaves and blossoms, roots can be re-used usually 3-4 times.
As flavour and colour decrease with use, you can either extend the brewing time, or you can replenish herbs by adding small amounts of new material.
Infusion or Tisanes
This is the simplest method of prep., although you would probably use this one the least often, as many animals won't "drink tea", and it can be quite hard to get an animal to drink enough of it for it to be effective! Use this method more for making skin and coat rinses, for tonic teas (ones that are vitamin and mineral rich - such as with the dandelions - or for yourself!
They are made from fresh or dried herbs and hot water,
Chamomile, peppermint and most other leaves and blossoms are prepared this way.
Infusions extract mucilage, volatile oils, some vitamins and other nutrients.
Water quality is a top priority. Optimally, use distilled, filtered, or spring water, not chlorinated tap water.
The water should be heated to just below boiling point.
Proportions of herbs to water for most beverage teas are
1tsp dried herb 1c. water
1-2 tbsp fresh 1c.water
4-6tsp dried 1q water
1/4- 1/2 fresh 1q water
These guidelines are not meant as hard and fast rules - use less of an herb if it is dense and heavy, more of an herb that is light and fluffy, less of one that is fragrant and in excellent condition, and more of an herb that is old and tired.
There are a few other ways of making these herbal teas, I've posted them on the blog for you to look at if you are interested.
Tinctures
This is a method of prep that is a little more involved - but this is the way to really get all of the goodness out of the plants that you are going to spending all that time and energy collecting!
Tinctures are liquid extracts, usually made with alcohol or vegetable glycerin. Alcohol is the most widely used tincture solvent because it extracts more constituents and preserves ;longer than anything else.
Unfortunately, alcohol has it's own side effects, especially when it is used with animals and small children. Many health food stores offer tinctures from which the alcohol has been removed, or you can get glycerin based tinctures. If the only available tincture is alcohol based, you can decrease the alcohol without losing any of the medicinal benefits by putting the recommended amount in a cup, and pouring boiling water over it. This will cause much of the alcohol to evaporate. Tinctures can also be diluted in food, juice or water and given in small amounts throughout the day.
There are many ways and methods that you can use yourself to make tinctures. I will post some of them on the blog during the coming week, and try and provide some links to some references on doing it yourself. If I talked about it on the show, we could spend the whole hour talking about various ways to do it.
A couple of easy, useful ways to use herbs that you are more likely to try are as poultices or fomentations
Fomentation - another way of saying a "hot herbal compress". It is used when a water or oil infusion of an herb needs to remain on a particular body part for a certain period of time. Gauze or another material is places over the area, and the infusion is pured onto the dressing until it is soaked. This works well for horses and dogs who will let you get away with it!
A poultice is a wet herbal pack applied directly to an inf lammed irritated, swollen infected or injured part of the body. Poultices are made of fresh, mashed herbs or the residue left over after making an herbal tea. They are usually applied cool rather than hot. Use whatever you can to hold the poultice in place as long as possible - bandages, plastic wrap, cheesecloth, muslin, you get the idea. A good idea is to use plastic wrap over top of the poultice to prevent it coming out and staining anything that your pet may come in contact with
If the affected area is difficult to treat in this way, because of it's location or your pets reaction to the poultice, put the plant material in some folded gauze, and keep it in place with your hand as long as your pet will let you.
What are some plants you would use in a poultice, and some reasons you'd need to?
Comfrey - good for cuts, burns, abrasions, other injuries
Bee balm - mouth and gum infections
Goldenseal - mixed with the bee balm in the mouth
Salves
making salves is another way to use the herbs and plants in your garden, and is actually much more simple than you'd think!
Salves are generally just thickened oil infusions
Beeswax is most often used as the thickening agent. Thinner preparations usually use coconut oil or butter.
The general rule of thumb when making a salve is to use 1 ounce of beeswax or cocoa butter to 8 ounces of oil. If it is too thick, or too thin, simply add more oil or more beeswax.
A great recipe for a general, multi purpose salve is to make one with fresh or dried comfrey, calendula blossoms, and st john's wort blossoms. Either infuse the plants separately, or pour olive oil over the combined plants (equal portions of the plants is ideal, but you can use whatever you've got!)
Heat until the oil absorbs the colour and fragrance of the plants.
More comfrey - more green
more calendula - more yellow -
more St John's, more red
Then, use this oil to make the following recipe
1c infused oil
1/2 tsp tea tree oil
1/4 tsp grapefruit seed extract
couple drops essential oil - lavender is nice
1oz beeswax
Combine in a double broiler over very low heat until beeswax is melted.
Test the salve by putting a tsp in the fridge
As soon as it hardens, check that it is soft, but not runny
Adjust as needed
Pour in clean mason jars or other clean, glass jars.
This is a great all purpose salve to speed the healing of cuts, burns, and other wounds.
Cats have a strong dislike for tea tree oil, and dogs often like the olive oil, but nothing in it will hurt them - it is even safe enough to use ion the teats of a nursing mother, and will not hurt the puppies or kittens. Even if it is only on the skin for a short time, it will still help speed healing.
I got this recipe from "The Encyclopedia of Natural Health Care" by CJ Puotinen.
Tonight we are going to talk about plants, and some common plants and how you can use them to help both you, and your companion animals. There are lots of plants, that a lot of us have growing in our gardens that we KNOW can be useful, but we're not really quite sure HOW to use them, or if they are safe, or if they are really effective - or not!
What part of the plant do you use? When do you pick it? How do you prepare it, and how do you actually "use" it?
So, before I go any further, I want to re-iterate that I am not a vet, the show is not meant to diagnose, or treat any ailments, and anything we discuss here is meant to supplement, not replace the advice of your vet. Any thing you give to your pet, just as with anything you take yourself, should be discussed with their, and your health care provider.
The main focus of the show is to help educate pet guardians to help them make more informed decisions regarding their companion animals."
I've chosen a few plants that I want to get through tonight - from identification to harvesting to preparation to using
OK first plant we'll talk about is Bee Balm. other common names for this plant are wild bergamont, horsemint, wild oregano, oswego tea and sweet leaf.
I have posted a picture and detailed description on the blog - I know it's pretty hard to describe the plant so you can see it in your mind on the radio - I'm sure some people could do it, but I'm not there yet!!
Bee balm can be found in many gardens, as it has beautiful flowers, and smells great, it can also be found wild in a lot of places. Bee balm is drought tolerant and prefers well drained soil.
Bee balm grows well and is adaptable to almost any soil. It seeds well, and also transplants well. It should adapt well , and looks great in almost any garden.
Parts used are leaves plucked from the plant, and/or the entire aerial part of the plant, - I'd just use the leaves, as bee balm is one of my favorite flowers!
Bee balm works primarily as a diaphoretic - induces sweating, it expels intestinal gas, it is an antiseptic, reduces pain and also acts as an anti fungal.
Preparation?
while most leafy herbs loose their potency after about 6 months, bee balm will stay nice and potent for you to use for up to 2 years!
You can use it fresh or dried, use the leaf, stem and flower material, and make into into an alcohol or glycerin tincture (more about this part of it later!), or you can infuse the dried plant in water, and use it in skin and eye washes.
The best time to harvest it is - from May - Sept, when the plant is in full bloom, and at it's most potent.
To preserve the plant, pluck some leaves from each stem, leaving the rest intact, or you can gather the stem and leaves after the plant has bloomed and gone to seed. If you do this, make sure to trim the plant about 1" from the ground to allow for perennial regrowth, and root protection. If you are gathering while it is in bloom, make sure to leave plenty of the leaves and flowers intact to ensure good pollination and allow for the seeds to develop so the plant will live on for use again and again!
Bee Balm has a long history of use in North American Indian tribes, and is safe for use in both humans and animals.
Like most mints, bee balm works especially well in the digestive tract. It doesn't taste very good, though, so for use as a digestive aid in animals, the best form to use is in gelatin capsules, or in a glycerin extract.
One of the best uses for bee balm is as an anti-bacterial, and it works exceptionally well for mouth and gum infections
To do this, you can either make a poultice from the dried or fresh herb, and apply directly to the affected area, or a strong infusion or tincture can be used the same way. The poultice or infusion can also be used as an anti fungal agent.
Animals like dogs, cats and horses often suffer from fungal type skin infections, and these animals would all benefit from a generous topical application of bee balm poultice or salve, or from twice daily skin rinses made with cooled bee balm tea.
Not to mention food change.
Good bee balm page http://bogs-marshes.suite101.com/article.cfm/bog_garden_spotlight_bee_balm I
To make the tea, cover a generous handful of the herb with hot water, and allow to steep until the water has cooled.Don't worry about straining, you can pour the whole thing over the affected areas of the animal. If the animal constantly licks, you can apply it as a fomentation, which I'll talk about in the next 1/2 hour
Bee balm rinses can also be helpful for itchy skin problems, like those caused by flea or insect stings, or by poison ivy or stinging nettle. I can see bee balm becoming an essential part of a cottage "first aid kit"!
It will also help sooth minor burns.
If your animal has eye or ear problems, you can use a diluted infusion of bee balm as a gentle antiseptic and anti inflammatory. Use it especially when any kind of bacterial or fungal overgrowth is suspected.
If using for eyes, dilute well - until it is just a pale yellow in colour, you can use it much stronger in the ears.
Dandelions - the plant everybody loves to hate. We have most of us heard that you can eat dandelion, or make wine from it, or that it is good for you in some way, but most of us would have no idea how you go about getting something good out of the pesky weed.
Personally, I quite like dandelions - from the lets see if you like butter test as a kid to now, when I think they add lovely character and colour to grass. I will admit that I do pull them sometimes, though, as they do multiply like well, weeds!
Did you know that the definition for weed is any undesirable or troublesome plant, esp. one that grows profusely where it is not wanted
So, in other words, if a former weed now becomes valuable or useful to you, it would no longer be considered a "weed"!
What kind of things are dandelion useful for?
It is one of nature's most useful and medicinal plants.
It is known as a tonic herb for the digestive tract, a blood cleanser, a diuretic, it stimulates the liver and salivation, it is a nutritive, a laxative, and an anti-inflammatory.
Dandelions are quite often confused with other plants in the daisy family - the way to tell (again, this is all on the blog) is that true dandelions are non - branching. They grow in a rosette fashion off a single taproot.
The other ones wont hurt you, but you won't get all the medicinal benefits either!
To harvest dandelion, pick the young leaves for eating in early spring (as the plant gets older, it gets more bitter) and harvest the roots in the fall - this is when they have the highest concentration of beneficial constituents.
If you are using leaves for teas or medicines, you can gather them any time when they are dry. The leaves tend to develop mold if they are picked wet - so don't wash them after you pick them. Dry completely, and don't store them until they are crispy - dry. Chop up roots then spread them on newspaper and dry thoroughly.
The entire plant is medicinal - leaves stems blossoms and roots. Any of these can be fed fresh to rabbits, birds, dogs and cats. Chop, puree mince before adding to food as necessary.
To make tea, soak the leaves and flowers as for the bee balm, when using roots, make a decoction - explanations of these various methods will be in the next 1/2 hour
Since Dandelion is a tonic herb -
hold on, what do I mean by "tonic herb"
Tonic herbs are ones that you can give safely, daily for a long time.
Def of tonic -Restores and strengthens the entire system, producing and restoring normal tone. Most tonics have general effects on the entire body and specific effects on certain organs.
another def is a general term for a nourishing substance that invigorates and increases the tone and strength of tissues and improves the function of one or more body systems.
Dandelion is also one of the most complete plant foods on earth. A 1 cup serving of fresh dandelion greens provides as much as 2000 IU of Vitamin a (1 1/2 x RDA adult human)
20 % protein (double spinach)
Vit C, K, D, and B complex, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and many other trace minerals. And it is an especially rich source of potassium.
All of these nutrients happen to be conveniently contained within a single plant that the body can fully absorb. This means that you can use dandelion to gently supplement your own or your pets diets without overworking the kidneys and liver with excess vitamins and minerals
Before I continue, I just want to remind everyone that I'm not a vet, the show is not meant to diagnose, or treat any ailments, and anything we discuss here is meant to supplement, not replace the advice of your vet. Any thing you give to your pet, just as with anything you take yourself, should be discussed with their, and your health care provider.
The main focus of the show is to help educate pet guardians to help them make more informed decisions regarding their companion animals."
I was talking about dandelions
What are some specific uses?
As I mentioned, you can use the fresh plant on your animals food, If your animal won't eat it fresh or dried, and you need to get it into them quickly to provide needed nutrients, you can make a tea using organic, unsalted veggie or meat broth instead of water.
Feed about 1tsp pf dried herb for each 20 lbs of body weight daily.
Dandelions also have a bitter tonic effect - warms up the body's metabolism before the digestive system has to work - when even a small amount of a bitter herb is placed in the mouth, salivation begins immediately, and as it reaches the stomach, bile and other digestive juices start being produced. The end result of these actions is more efficient digestion, reduced indigestion, better absorption of nutrients, and increased appetite.
We've talked about using the greens as a supplement to your pets diet, what about the root?
The root is most often used as a safe, reliable liver tonic.
The liver, as you may or may not know is the primary filtering organ of the body. It is responsible for removing toxins from the blood for elimination by the kidneys. The liver is also crucial for digestion - it produces bile and various enzymes necessary to the body. If bile ducts in the liver or gallbladder become blocked or congested, the body will suffer some type of toxicity related imbalance. These can manifest as symptoms like jaundice, rheumatoid conditions, eczema, dandruff, or chronic constipation. So, while dandelion leaf tincture or tea will help relieve these symptoms, the root will have more of an effect on the underlying causes, and when we are talking about holistic, or as I prefer, complimentary modalities of healing, getting to the cause of the problem is imperative.
Again, if your animal has any of these symptoms, don't assume that you know what the problem is, or try and make a diagnosis yourself, that is what your vet is there for!
Dandelion root has a well documented ability to stimulate bile production through out the liver. In one study involving dogs, researchers observed a 3 - 4 times increase in bile production after administering dandelion root.
(E. Chariot and R Charonat, "Therapeutic Agents in Blie Secretion" Ann. Med 97 (1935)
The gall bladder (stores bile from the liver) is also stimulated, causing this small, hollow organ to pump bile into the digestive tract, aiding digestion and acting as a gentle laxative to promote the elimination of solid waste.
One of the best things about dandelion when using it to support liver and gallbladder, is the gentleness of the plant. Unlike many herbs that have the same action, Dandelion will not irritate an already inflamed condition.
The analgesic properties of dandelion come from the flowers. They are weak but useful, and do NOT contain any of the compounds that are found in aspirin that are harmful to cats, and which may also be irritating to the lining of the stomach.
To use the flowers, infuse a generous handful on a cup of near boiling water. When the water is darkened as much as possible, it can be cooled and administered with an eye dropper.
30-40 drops per 20lbs
If this is a little trying (administering by dropper), try drying the flowers and sprinkling them on your pets food. Don't expect dramatic results, but it is a mild pain killing option that is gentle and non irritating, and in my opinion well worth considering.
One more thing about dandelions that needs to be mentioned is to be sure of where you are collecting them. DO NOT collect them near a busy road way - they'll have absorbed lots of car exhaust, we don't want to feed that to out pets, and also make sure that there has been no pesticide sprayed on the area. Although we o have a pesticide ban, the only way to know for sure that there are no pesticides been sprayed is to use them from your own yard, or the middle of a field where no one goes!
One other use for dandelions is as a diuretic. To help the body relieve itself of excess fluid, again use a tea made from the leaves.
The only cautions regarding the use of dandelion are that it may lower blood sugar -do not use in pets receiving hypoglycemic therapy without veterinary supervision. Do not combine with vet. diuretics.
The other one I've mentioned, but it's worth stating again - the cleanliness of your plants! Make sure they have not been sprayed - find another patch - it shouldn't be very hard!!
And, when drying, make sure that they are dry 0- put them on newspaper, stir often, and don't put away until completely crispy dry. I like to store herbs in mason jars - they are easy to sterilize, label, open and close, and you can see what your supply looks like.
We were just talking about herbs that most of us have in our gardens, ans some of the ways we can use these herbs to improve the health of our companion animals. While we were talking, I used some terms that I know you weren't familiar with, so I'll cover them now.
The terms included words like decoction, fomentation, poultice (little more common)
What do these things mean?
They are different ways of describing how to use medicinal herbs. Herbs have different constituents or active ingredients, and there are a variety of ways to "access" their medicinal value. These terms are ways of describing some of them.
Decoction is an infusion that requires a gentle simmering to make a preparation strong enough to use therapeutically. roots and seeds are usually prepared this way. But, some roots that have volatile oils need a gentler method, and some leaves need to be prepared as a decoction. Always check descriptions in herbal books to find out how to make your herbal product!
To make a decoction, use a stainless steel, glass or enameled pan with a tight fitting cover. Roots - fresh r dried, should always be cut into small pieces.
1.Stir the herbs into cold water, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 15-20min
Make sure lid is tight to keep steam in.
Remove from heat, let steep an additional 5-10 min, strain and serve
2.Alternatively, bring the water to a boil by itself, then add the herbs, lower the heat simmer 15-20 min
Remove from heat, let sit 5-10min, strain
Unlike leaves and blossoms, roots can be re-used usually 3-4 times.
As flavour and colour decrease with use, you can either extend the brewing time, or you can replenish herbs by adding small amounts of new material.
Infusion or Tisanes
This is the simplest method of prep., although you would probably use this one the least often, as many animals won't "drink tea", and it can be quite hard to get an animal to drink enough of it for it to be effective! Use this method more for making skin and coat rinses, for tonic teas (ones that are vitamin and mineral rich - such as with the dandelions - or for yourself!
They are made from fresh or dried herbs and hot water,
Chamomile, peppermint and most other leaves and blossoms are prepared this way.
Infusions extract mucilage, volatile oils, some vitamins and other nutrients.
Water quality is a top priority. Optimally, use distilled, filtered, or spring water, not chlorinated tap water.
The water should be heated to just below boiling point.
Proportions of herbs to water for most beverage teas are
1tsp dried herb 1c. water
1-2 tbsp fresh 1c.water
4-6tsp dried 1q water
1/4- 1/2 fresh 1q water
These guidelines are not meant as hard and fast rules - use less of an herb if it is dense and heavy, more of an herb that is light and fluffy, less of one that is fragrant and in excellent condition, and more of an herb that is old and tired.
There are a few other ways of making these herbal teas, I've posted them on the blog for you to look at if you are interested.
Tinctures
This is a method of prep that is a little more involved - but this is the way to really get all of the goodness out of the plants that you are going to spending all that time and energy collecting!
Tinctures are liquid extracts, usually made with alcohol or vegetable glycerin. Alcohol is the most widely used tincture solvent because it extracts more constituents and preserves ;longer than anything else.
Unfortunately, alcohol has it's own side effects, especially when it is used with animals and small children. Many health food stores offer tinctures from which the alcohol has been removed, or you can get glycerin based tinctures. If the only available tincture is alcohol based, you can decrease the alcohol without losing any of the medicinal benefits by putting the recommended amount in a cup, and pouring boiling water over it. This will cause much of the alcohol to evaporate. Tinctures can also be diluted in food, juice or water and given in small amounts throughout the day.
There are many ways and methods that you can use yourself to make tinctures. I will post some of them on the blog during the coming week, and try and provide some links to some references on doing it yourself. If I talked about it on the show, we could spend the whole hour talking about various ways to do it.
A couple of easy, useful ways to use herbs that you are more likely to try are as poultices or fomentations
Fomentation - another way of saying a "hot herbal compress". It is used when a water or oil infusion of an herb needs to remain on a particular body part for a certain period of time. Gauze or another material is places over the area, and the infusion is pured onto the dressing until it is soaked. This works well for horses and dogs who will let you get away with it!
A poultice is a wet herbal pack applied directly to an inf lammed irritated, swollen infected or injured part of the body. Poultices are made of fresh, mashed herbs or the residue left over after making an herbal tea. They are usually applied cool rather than hot. Use whatever you can to hold the poultice in place as long as possible - bandages, plastic wrap, cheesecloth, muslin, you get the idea. A good idea is to use plastic wrap over top of the poultice to prevent it coming out and staining anything that your pet may come in contact with
If the affected area is difficult to treat in this way, because of it's location or your pets reaction to the poultice, put the plant material in some folded gauze, and keep it in place with your hand as long as your pet will let you.
What are some plants you would use in a poultice, and some reasons you'd need to?
Comfrey - good for cuts, burns, abrasions, other injuries
Bee balm - mouth and gum infections
Goldenseal - mixed with the bee balm in the mouth
Salves
making salves is another way to use the herbs and plants in your garden, and is actually much more simple than you'd think!
Salves are generally just thickened oil infusions
Beeswax is most often used as the thickening agent. Thinner preparations usually use coconut oil or butter.
The general rule of thumb when making a salve is to use 1 ounce of beeswax or cocoa butter to 8 ounces of oil. If it is too thick, or too thin, simply add more oil or more beeswax.
A great recipe for a general, multi purpose salve is to make one with fresh or dried comfrey, calendula blossoms, and st john's wort blossoms. Either infuse the plants separately, or pour olive oil over the combined plants (equal portions of the plants is ideal, but you can use whatever you've got!)
Heat until the oil absorbs the colour and fragrance of the plants.
More comfrey - more green
more calendula - more yellow -
more St John's, more red
Then, use this oil to make the following recipe
1c infused oil
1/2 tsp tea tree oil
1/4 tsp grapefruit seed extract
couple drops essential oil - lavender is nice
1oz beeswax
Combine in a double broiler over very low heat until beeswax is melted.
Test the salve by putting a tsp in the fridge
As soon as it hardens, check that it is soft, but not runny
Adjust as needed
Pour in clean mason jars or other clean, glass jars.
This is a great all purpose salve to speed the healing of cuts, burns, and other wounds.
Cats have a strong dislike for tea tree oil, and dogs often like the olive oil, but nothing in it will hurt them - it is even safe enough to use ion the teats of a nursing mother, and will not hurt the puppies or kittens. Even if it is only on the skin for a short time, it will still help speed healing.
I got this recipe from "The Encyclopedia of Natural Health Care" by CJ Puotinen.
Hi and welcome back - I'm Lisa Birtch, and you are listening to the everything pets show. Sundays from 5-6pm on AM980
I was just talking about various methods of preparation, of which there really do seem to be an awful lot. Don't forget to check out the blog - am980.ca, shows. I have put tonight's content o there, and will out more recipes and such up in the coming week.
Please, remember, that if your animal is experiencing any type of distress or injury, take them to you vet. Don't try and diagnose or treat the problem yourself - that is why your vet spent so many years in university. they are the experts in your animals care, and any home remedy that you use should be done with the full knowledge of your vet.
So, I thought in this last segment Id try and cover some more common herbs and their uses. All the plants that I am talking about tonight have proven safe to use with your animals, and if there are any cautions or warnings that I've been able to find concerning their use, I will let you know!
So, what is something else you may have in your garden?
How about catnip? Many people know about catnip, but in my experience, there is a lot of misconception surrounding this plant. Every one knows that cats love catnip
did you know that there is actually quite a large portion of cats that don't react to it at all? (approx 20%) Hard to believe if your are a cat companion, and your cat loves it, but it's true. The "active constiuent" that cats react to in catnip is called nepetalactone. And is an intoxicant if it is inhaled. This is when you give your cat a catnip toy, and they drool all over it, and zoom around the room for 15 min, then go have a nap!
But, catnip, when it is ingested actually works very well for a variety of things - it is a gentle gas reliever, and helps ease spasms associated with flatulence and stomach upsets. It acts as a mild sedative and helps calm the nerves and promote a restful sleep in most animals - including humans.
This herb would be my first choice in treating animals with a sensitive stomach - the ones that tend to vomit due to stress or anxiety - the cat who can't handle the neighbours kids coming over, or the dog that throws up every time it goes for a car ride!
You can buy catnip tinctures, and The dosage is as follows - 12-20 drops (get Glycerin based) for every 20 lbs of weight, 10-20 min before being subjected to the stressful event. If you are travelling, or the stressful period will be prolonged, use the tincture in the animal's drinking water. 12 drops per 8oz water is a good dose to start. If the animal doesn't respond, you can gradually give more (6 drops at a time) until you see the desired calming effect.
You can also add dried catnip to your animals food.
To dry your own catnip, gather the leaves, stems and flowers before the plant seeds. Spread on a clean sheet of paper (away from your cats!), and turn often to prevent it going moldy.
Chamomile
There are many varieties of chamomile -they will all work
It can be used as a skin rinse for allergies or dermatitis, internally it helps anxiety, arthritis, asthma, diarrhea, and intestinal parasites.
Tinctures of chamomile is commonly used to relieve arthritis pain. In Germany, one of the most common uses of this plant is to treat asthma, and other respiratory problems - the stem from the flowers boiled in water is inhaled.
It is often recommended as a wormer - especially for round and whipworms, as it is effective, and safer than other deworming herbs like wormwood and black walnut.
Use the tincture or tea for pets with nervous anxiety, and is also a great skin rinse for animals with skin infections, due to it's antimicrobial qualities, and it's ability to heal wounds.
Goldenrod
Woah - come on, isn't it a noxious weed? To those of us who are allergic to it, it sure is, but it also has a great deal of usefulness, given a chance!
This is a great time to slip in some reasoning about why we don;t know these things about plants - why it isn't common knowledge. The long and short of it is that there is no money to be made by any large pharmaceutical or other corporate powers by spreading the knowledge of just how useful these common plants can be. When companies do try and extract the usefulness from plants, they usually focus on one or two active constituents, and leave out the rest of the plant. They then find that the plant separated into it's individual parts isn't nearly as effective, or that it is dangerous, and disregard it. there is little or no thought given to the fact that perhaps it is the plant in it's entirety that is useful - and if that's the case it's no good to them, because they can't patent and sell a whole plant.
That being said - what could be useful about goldenrod?
It is an excellent herb for getting rid of excess mucous, and can help relieve swollen membranes when the body has come into contact with some infection or other that has caused the body to overproduce this substance!
To use for dogs and cats, a teaspoon or two of the dried flower tea (made with a tsp of flowers to 8oz water, boiled and cooled to lukewarm), will often bring quick relief from a wet, persistant cough.
The dried flowers also make a great styptic powder, and also a wound packing powder. It inhibits bacterial infection of minor cuts and scrapes.
Goldenrod, itself can be used to help lessen allergies. When you take a little bit into the body, before allergies start, the body begins building it's antiallergen defenses before the real onslaught begins!
I was just talking about various methods of preparation, of which there really do seem to be an awful lot. Don't forget to check out the blog - am980.ca, shows. I have put tonight's content o there, and will out more recipes and such up in the coming week.
Please, remember, that if your animal is experiencing any type of distress or injury, take them to you vet. Don't try and diagnose or treat the problem yourself - that is why your vet spent so many years in university. they are the experts in your animals care, and any home remedy that you use should be done with the full knowledge of your vet.
So, I thought in this last segment Id try and cover some more common herbs and their uses. All the plants that I am talking about tonight have proven safe to use with your animals, and if there are any cautions or warnings that I've been able to find concerning their use, I will let you know!
So, what is something else you may have in your garden?
How about catnip? Many people know about catnip, but in my experience, there is a lot of misconception surrounding this plant. Every one knows that cats love catnip
did you know that there is actually quite a large portion of cats that don't react to it at all? (approx 20%) Hard to believe if your are a cat companion, and your cat loves it, but it's true. The "active constiuent" that cats react to in catnip is called nepetalactone. And is an intoxicant if it is inhaled. This is when you give your cat a catnip toy, and they drool all over it, and zoom around the room for 15 min, then go have a nap!
But, catnip, when it is ingested actually works very well for a variety of things - it is a gentle gas reliever, and helps ease spasms associated with flatulence and stomach upsets. It acts as a mild sedative and helps calm the nerves and promote a restful sleep in most animals - including humans.
This herb would be my first choice in treating animals with a sensitive stomach - the ones that tend to vomit due to stress or anxiety - the cat who can't handle the neighbours kids coming over, or the dog that throws up every time it goes for a car ride!
You can buy catnip tinctures, and The dosage is as follows - 12-20 drops (get Glycerin based) for every 20 lbs of weight, 10-20 min before being subjected to the stressful event. If you are travelling, or the stressful period will be prolonged, use the tincture in the animal's drinking water. 12 drops per 8oz water is a good dose to start. If the animal doesn't respond, you can gradually give more (6 drops at a time) until you see the desired calming effect.
You can also add dried catnip to your animals food.
To dry your own catnip, gather the leaves, stems and flowers before the plant seeds. Spread on a clean sheet of paper (away from your cats!), and turn often to prevent it going moldy.
Chamomile
There are many varieties of chamomile -they will all work
It can be used as a skin rinse for allergies or dermatitis, internally it helps anxiety, arthritis, asthma, diarrhea, and intestinal parasites.
Tinctures of chamomile is commonly used to relieve arthritis pain. In Germany, one of the most common uses of this plant is to treat asthma, and other respiratory problems - the stem from the flowers boiled in water is inhaled.
It is often recommended as a wormer - especially for round and whipworms, as it is effective, and safer than other deworming herbs like wormwood and black walnut.
Use the tincture or tea for pets with nervous anxiety, and is also a great skin rinse for animals with skin infections, due to it's antimicrobial qualities, and it's ability to heal wounds.
Goldenrod
Woah - come on, isn't it a noxious weed? To those of us who are allergic to it, it sure is, but it also has a great deal of usefulness, given a chance!
This is a great time to slip in some reasoning about why we don;t know these things about plants - why it isn't common knowledge. The long and short of it is that there is no money to be made by any large pharmaceutical or other corporate powers by spreading the knowledge of just how useful these common plants can be. When companies do try and extract the usefulness from plants, they usually focus on one or two active constituents, and leave out the rest of the plant. They then find that the plant separated into it's individual parts isn't nearly as effective, or that it is dangerous, and disregard it. there is little or no thought given to the fact that perhaps it is the plant in it's entirety that is useful - and if that's the case it's no good to them, because they can't patent and sell a whole plant.
That being said - what could be useful about goldenrod?
It is an excellent herb for getting rid of excess mucous, and can help relieve swollen membranes when the body has come into contact with some infection or other that has caused the body to overproduce this substance!
To use for dogs and cats, a teaspoon or two of the dried flower tea (made with a tsp of flowers to 8oz water, boiled and cooled to lukewarm), will often bring quick relief from a wet, persistant cough.
The dried flowers also make a great styptic powder, and also a wound packing powder. It inhibits bacterial infection of minor cuts and scrapes.
Goldenrod, itself can be used to help lessen allergies. When you take a little bit into the body, before allergies start, the body begins building it's antiallergen defenses before the real onslaught begins!
Hi there, welcome back to the final segment of the show. I hope you've enjoyed listening tonight, I have tried to really pack the info in for you tonight, and I hope you'll think about some of the uses that I've told you about for some of the plants in your garden, your lawn, and on the side of the road!
Please visit the blog - AM980.ca
Leave your comments or suggestions, I'm always more that happy to heat what you have to say. I've put the stuff I discussed tonight up there, and I'll try to get some more up this week about making tinctures, and maybe a few recipes for you.
Please remember to also check out Salthaven's website
FOCA
Zoocheck
City of London - initiatives re animals
Some other plants I want to cover in coming shows include thyme and sage, oregano and parsley - not just for flavour, but for all the good things they can do for you and you pets. Garlic Lavender, Raspberry, flax, feverfew. The list could go on and on!
Let me know if there are any plants that you would like to learn more about
Thanks for listening, happy mothers day
Spay and neuter,
and most of all, love your pet!
Lisa
Please visit the blog - AM980.ca
Leave your comments or suggestions, I'm always more that happy to heat what you have to say. I've put the stuff I discussed tonight up there, and I'll try to get some more up this week about making tinctures, and maybe a few recipes for you.
Please remember to also check out Salthaven's website
FOCA
Zoocheck
City of London - initiatives re animals
Some other plants I want to cover in coming shows include thyme and sage, oregano and parsley - not just for flavour, but for all the good things they can do for you and you pets. Garlic Lavender, Raspberry, flax, feverfew. The list could go on and on!
Let me know if there are any plants that you would like to learn more about
Thanks for listening, happy mothers day
Spay and neuter,
and most of all, love your pet!
Lisa
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday May 3rd
I am posting this before the show tonight as I've noticed the blog gets a lot of hits when the show is on, and just after it airs, so I hope this way if you are looking for info on anything you heard on the show tonight, you'll be able to find it easier!
The post is separated into segments that correspond to what I plan to talk about on the show. I've tried to get all the breaks and intro stuff out, but I may miss some, and I've tried to make the topics stand out, so if you are looking for anything in particular it'll be easier to find!
Obviously if we have some callers, I won't cover all the topics, but this is what I have planned!
Enjoy - thanks for stopping by, and please leave comments1
Hi and welcome to the everything pets show - here on am980 Sundays from 5-6pm.The post is separated into segments that correspond to what I plan to talk about on the show. I've tried to get all the breaks and intro stuff out, but I may miss some, and I've tried to make the topics stand out, so if you are looking for anything in particular it'll be easier to find!
Obviously if we have some callers, I won't cover all the topics, but this is what I have planned!
Enjoy - thanks for stopping by, and please leave comments1
This evening I want to talk about a bunch of different things - some things that I had planned for last week that I didn't get a chance to cover - and some other things as well
Games to play with your pets
Spay and Neuter
Animal cruelty
factory farming
Options regarding traveling - do you leave your pet at home, or have a neighbour come in - do you board your animal someplace -
I want to remind everyone that is interested in the deer issue that although the deer supporters have helped the deer in sifton bog get a temporary reprieve, there is still work to be done, and a campaign to win to permanently put an end to this issue. I will post links on the blog that you can have a look at if you are so inclined, and still want to help.
Lucy the elephant - that we have discussed previously is still at the Edmonton Zoo - and is still in need of health care, and being moved to a new location. If you are interested in learning more about her,you can either go to zocheck.com, or have a look at the blog where I've posted all the relevant links and an interview I did with friends of captive animals all about Lucy and her plight.
Also, I've finally managed to figure out how to post old shows on the blog, so that now you can go on and listen to the show at your leisure! The links to the podcasts are on the right hand side of the page, they are listed by show topic.
Board Games for Everyone!!
I found a website that has a bunch of board and card games that you can play together with your dog or your cat- it is here
It is pretty cool - there is one game that is called DO YOU MIND is the DICE GAME people and their dogs play together. Roll the paw print dice, pick a matching paw print card, get your dog to do the activity, enter your score on the score pad. You and your dog will have SO MUCH FUN!
You've just found a new way to have fun with your friends, family, DOGS and CATS!! No skills are needed to play these pet games. You'll be amazed at what you can get your dog or cat to do with a small amount of encouragement, instruction and treats. You, your friends, family and dogs or cats will have lots of fun. PLUS, your pet will gain self-confidence, pay more attention to you and learn new tricks!
There is another one called doggone crazy -
Doggone Crazy! is the first ever board game to empower kids with the knowledge they need to make safe choices around dogs. Kids can be doggy detectives, trying to figure out what the dogs are saying with their body language in the more than 100 photo cards. Created by dog experts, this unique game is loads of fun for kids and families. Parents and grandparents are choosing Doggone Crazy! for family play and educational value. Doggone Crazy! is for families with dogs and families who encounter other people's dogs. Even dog savvy parents have said "I didn't know that!" after learning about subtle and little-known dog communication signals from the photo cards in the game. Kids just say "We all have fun!!".
This game makes it fun for children to learn how to behave toward dogs, and how to understand what dog expressions and actions mean. It's a positive and reinforcing tool for enhancing child safety, reducing bite risk, and improving the human-animal bond. Karen Pryor, author of Don't Shoot the Dog and CEO of Karen Pryor Clicker Training (clickertraining.com)
Spay and Neuter
I will not let this one rest
There are many myths about canine reproductive needs. Chiefly among these are the suspicion that neutering turns a male into a sissy and spaying causes a female to get fat and to lament her lost capacity.
The primary thing that makes your pet fat and lazy is YOU
The truth is that male dogs, especially those with a submissive personality, are usually better pets if they are neutered. They may have less desire to roam, to mark territory (including furniture), and, if neutered before sexual maturity, they may be less likely to exert dominance over family members. They may also be healthier pets: no testicles means no testicular cancer.
A word of caution, however. Neutering a dog reduces production of testosterone but does not eliminate this hormone. Thus a neutered dog, especially if he has a dominant character, may also retain his desire to roam and an assertive or even aggressive personality. Owners who depend on neutering to resolve behavior problems run a high risk of being disappointed unless they also train the pet to have good manners at home and in public. So, Neutering does not take the place of properly training your dog
Females also tend to be better pets if they do not experience oestrus every six-to-nine months. Heat cycles bring hormonal changes that can lead to personality changes, and oestrus females must be confined to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Repeated heat cycles may subject the reproductive system to uterine and mammary cancers as they age. Some bitches experience false pregnancies that can be a bother to deal with and uterine infections that can be fatal.
As far as we know, dogs do not lament their lost capability to reproduce. This is a different species than ours; they reproduce to ensure survival of their kind, not to nurture a pup for 18 years, watch it go off to college, marry, establish a career, and produce grandchildren. Bitches nurse their pups for a few weeks, teach them to behave like dogs, and go on. Males know nothing of fatherhood; they do not recognize pups as their own.
So, please please be responsible and spay and neuter your pet
Animal Cruelty
Bill 50
Factory Farming
I would like to talk now a little bit about animal cruelty - I know that this is not something that people enjoy hearing about - and don't worry I'm not going to go into a bunch of unpleasant details - we've all heard enough stories to not need to hear them in graphic detail on a Sunday evening. But I also think that it's something that we should not ignore, because it does exist, it does happen, and it is all a part of the same problem - not only how our species treats animals - it does have an affect on how we treat each other. If we cannot be compassionate to a helpless animal, how in the world are we supposed to care for each other?
Parliament passed a new bill - 50. It is the first piece of legislation since the 1919 that addresses animal welfare in any way. Previously, animals had no more rights than a piece of property. If you abused an animal that belonged to someone else - it was treated as a property crime - not in any way as a crime against another living being. In my mind, this is such a basic, fundamental part of my being, that I have trouble imagining that it is not simply a part of everyone's basic makeup already. I have trouble even fathoming why it is an issue that people spend any time on at all - but them again look at the uphill battles being fought all over the world for basic HUMAN rights - what should be more fundamentally basic than that? We are all here together, and keeping ourselves tidied away behind little lines drawn on a map doesn't make us any more or any less a member of the human race than a person on the other side of that line. So, I guess when I encourage people to fight and make noise in regards to the basic rights as living beings that all animals should be afforded, maybe I'm including humans in that statement!
What is bill 50? And why should you care? It is, as I said the first piece of legislation in almost 100 years that deals with animal cruelty issues. It makes important changes to the Ontario SPCA Act
Some important changes that Bill 50 will make are:
-
Causing or permitting distress to an animal will be a provincial offense (including neglect and abuse);
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Failing to provide adequate Standards of Care will be a provincial offense; Standards of Care are particularly important to captive wild animals, as they define how much space, activity and quality of habitat must be provided to animals. Social needs also need to be protected – you can read about some Standards of Care that were included in Alberta’s legislation on this site at: ‘What Captive Animals Need’.)
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The granting of inspection rights to the OSPCA at exhibition facilities and facilities where animals are sold; (It is probable that these inspection powers could help animals like Tyson, the Kangaroo who lived alone in a pen so small that he could not engage in hopping, his natural movement.)
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Tougher penalties on those who cause animals distress, including higher fines (up to $60, 000), jail sentences, and lifetimes bans on animal ownership; and,
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The banning of animal fighting.
The intro to the bill states
The people of Ontario and their government:
Believe that how we treat animals in Ontario helps define our humanity, morality and compassion as a society;
Recognize our responsibility to protect animals in Ontario;
Acknowledge the work of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and its commitment and dedication to animal protection;
Appreciate that an effective and progressive approach is required to continue to provide the best possible protection of animals in Ontario.
Sounds pretty good, and
So, you say, we have a new bill, shouldn't we just be glad and move on? Well, while the bill is a good start, it does not go far enough, as far as most people are concerned. There are a lot of things still open to interpretation, and there are changes that people are still campaigning to be made to it such as
Unfortunately, this legislation does not include Mandatory Licensing of those who keep wild animals captive in zoos, exhibits, private collections or as pets. That is quite an omission, and I personally suspect that it was omitted, because it is a large, and complicated issue. I was surprised to learn on a previous show, while interviewing Vicki and Elizabeth from friends of captive animals that there are no rules or laws surrounding the keeping of exotic wildlife. Nothing to prevent your neighbour from keeping a tiger in the backyard if he feels so inclined. Also nothing that requires him to have appropriate housing, caging, room, food, stimulation, etc, etc., for that tiger. I was actually shocked to learn about that. So, there is still work to be done in that area.
Another area of animal cruelty that I have strong feelings about is factory farming. This, to me, again, fundamentally messed up. Oh - I can see how it began - feeding humans, and helping to make it easier for people to eat - lot easier than having to go out and hunt for your meat - gee, and then we wouldn't be able to have all our oh so important jobs, keeping the world running. The problem with it is that these animals, again are kept in deplorable conditions - treated as though they aren't living, breathing beings. They are only regarded in terms of dollars and cents.
Factory farming also has severe effects on the health of humans and the planet - the greatest majority of grain grown on the planet does not go to feed humans - but rather to feed animals in factory farms - and the amount of land that is required to produce the feed for them is growing everyday. Natural environments are being converted to arable land to grow more grain to feed them, and we all loose when that happens.
Meanwhile, the quantity of waste produced by farm animals in the U.S. is more than 130 times greater than that produced by humans. Agricultural runoff has killed millions of fish, and is the main reason why 60% of America's rivers and streams are "impaired".
The meat, poultry, dairy and egg industries employ technological short cuts— as drugs, hormones, and other chemicals — to maximize production. Under these conditions, virulent pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics are emerging. These new ‘supergerms,’ whose evolution is traceable directly to the overuse of antibiotics in factory farming, have the potential to cause yet unknown human suffering and deaths.
Have you heard of the swine flu? Did you know that is why you are now hearing it referred to as h1n1 because Ari business has made media outlets agree to do that so it doesn't affect their business?
I am not asking that everyone become vegetarians - I think that is unrealistic, and I am not a vegetarian myself. I would ask that people eat more meatless meals in a week than they do now, and find a local, organically certified butcher as well. Do not be fooled by people with signs selling "drug free" meat. This can be very misleading, and all meat, in Canada, by law, must be "drug free" at the time of slaughter. While our meat here in Canada does not contain a lot of the things that they are allowed or in some cases required to use in the US, it is still full of things like antibiotics that do no good for anyone or anything.
I was very proud of my father recently, when he told me that "that's it - I can't do it anymore. No more meat from the grocery store" He said that he just could not bring himself to do it anymore because all he could think about even looking at grocery store meat was the deplorable conditions these animals are "grown" in, and that he couldn't, in good conscience add to that suffering anymore!
Summer Holidays!
Now I want to talk about what to do with your pet when the inevitable summer vacation happens.
When we were kids, we camped everywhere we went - and that is one of the best things to do as a family, and camping means that you can take your dog with you!
Keep pets tied up.
I have even known quite a few people who take their cats with them as well - but they are usually in a trailer - not a a tent. We have a parrot, and we've taken her tent camping with us before. She has grown a little more jumpy now that she was when she was a baby, so I don't think we'd do that again, but we have!
If you are going away, and you are not camping, or going to the cottage where you can take your pet with you, there are a lot of different options. If you have a trusted neighbour, they can come in. Cats are easier than dogs - I wouldn't recommend that a dog stay home alone for any length of time. And cats do tend to be a little more social than we give them credit for. The best cat sitters a re people like a woman I know named Gertie. If she is watching your cats, you know she'll be there for at least a couple of hours - feeding, brushing, playing, cuddling and spending real time. This type of person can be harder to find, and if you do find them - treat them right - they are worth their weight in gold!
There are services that will come in and do it for you. If I were going that route, I would make sure that my pet got a chance to meet them a couple of times first, so that they are used to them, and so I'd know if my animals seemed to like the person or not.
Dogs - ideally, you would have a great friend who has their own dog that is friends with yours, and your dog could go stay with them for a week or so. This is pretty hard to find. There are lots of great and lots of not so great kennels and boarding facilities where they can stay. Prices and care varies, so you should really shop around well ahead of time. I would never leave my dog in a place that wouldn't let me bring my dog for a visit first, and I would also want a tour, and someone that will answer my questions openly, and is willing to give me 5 or 10 minutes of their time. Please be sensitive if you are considering boarding your dog, and the person who's business it is doesn't seem to have a lot of time. These people are extremely busy too, but they should be willing to set aside a few minutes to answer your questions.
There are a lot of options, and there are also options when taking your pet on vacation with you. Make it easier in the car by de-sensitizing - especially cats - often their only car rides end up at the vets!
So, consider and investigate your options before you decide what your holiday will include. I generally think that a holiday is better if you have your whole family with you, but there are times when you'd also like to have a break. So, remember that there are choices, and there is also help out there for you to decide what is best for you and your family. Remember, too, that there are hotels that are pet friendly, and to investigate that as well!
Final Segment
Salthaven wildlife rescue and rehab center in Mt Brydges - wish list
High Priority Items
- Raw salmon or trout for the eagle
- Scotchbrite Sponges
- Baby receiving blankets
- IV Fluids
- Digital timers (Dollar Store) for feeding baby birds
- Heavy duty scrub brushes
- 3-inch scrapers / putty knives
- ZipLoc storage bags
- Unopened cans of Esbilac & KMR
- Feather dusters
- postage stamps
- Canadian Tire Money
- Autoclave
- Examination gloves, size small
- Toilet paper to make baby bird nests
- Heavy duty plastic or metal shelving
- Heavy duty scissors or kitchen shears
- Batteries (AAA, AA)
- Dry erase white board markers
- Food: Meal worms & Crickets
- Label Maker
I'd like to know from you guys what you'd like to hear shows about. Having a problem, have a success story to share. Do you know somebody that is an expert at someting animal related that you'd like to hear interviewed on the show?
I'm not promising that I'll do whatever you suggest, but I will consider and read whatever you think might be a good idea!
Thanks for listening and reading,
Love your pet and each other,
Lisa
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Podcasts!!
Finally,
Podcasts are available for the show!
I have posted them on the main page of the blog - over to the right. Stay tuned for more!
Love your pet!
-Lisa
Podcasts are available for the show!
I have posted them on the main page of the blog - over to the right. Stay tuned for more!
Love your pet!
-Lisa
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