Herbal medicine was the first form of medication humans used for all their ailments. In fact, it was the animals in the wild that humans would observe and mimic what they would do for self-treating. From rubbing citrus peels for bug repelling to whole leaf swallowing for expelling parasites, nature is the basis of our healing. It is hard to argue this since we have survived for centuries without allopathic medicine, including all our other fellow species of the wild. Not only that, there is an extensive amount of evidence to support the safety and effectiveness in using herbal medicine. If you were to ask me, “Is herbal medicine safe for animals?” My answer would direct you to the animals in nature, our animal’s ancestors use nature’s pharmacy to treat, heal, rebalance and prevent disease. Animal herbal medicine is effective, safe and what nature intended.
Animals in the wild have utilized medicinal plants that grow in their habitat to heal themselves much longer than humans have, as mentioned above, we learned through observing them. This is called zoopharmacognosy also known as animals that self medicate through their inner knowing, past down to them from their ancestors. Animals have been seen selecting plants, clays and minerals in their surroundings and will even trek distances if needed. It is amazing that they know how to manage careful dosing, knowing that you can’t have too much of a good thing! Researchers have been able to determine that they were in fact medicating themselves rather than eating for nourishment.
What they observed was:
- The chosen plant wasn’t part of their regular diet.
- Very little nutritional value.
- Chosen only when they fell ill.
- Other members of their group were not consuming the selected plant.
Not only do animals self-select for illness, but also for mood enhancement. They will visit certain trees and bushes once their fruits have fermented, enjoying their alcohol-rich goodness. Animals have been observed after consuming these delightful fruits, would become playful and elated, a happy side effect for them! Also, alcohol is a very rich source of calories for animals in the wild.
Now we can see that herbal medicine for animals is not only absolutely safe and effective in healing and treating, but it is what nature intended, even for our domesticated animals. Just observe your domesticated animal chewing up some grasses outside or even eating some earth, it is hard wired in them to self-medicate.
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