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Medicinal Plants, Health Topics

Phytotherapy or the art of healing with plants is ideal for treating ailments in humans and animals. Among the various disorders, we find skin lesions, respiratory difficulties or behavioral problems.

It is a 100% natural medicine that can provide plants in the form of powder, hydrolate and essential oil for external use.

Veterinary products also use the molecules of medicinal plants, thus offering an alternative to so-called conventional drugs. Today, their use is increasingly finding its place in the therapeutic sphere.

What is herbal medicine?

Phytotherapy is a medicine that allows to treat some diseases thanks to the therapeutic virtues of plants. The whole plant or only certain parts such as the stem, leaves, flowers, roots, buds or seeds can be used.

Similarly, animal phytotherapy has very ancient origins. For centuries, humans have been treating their animals with medicinal plants. The interest of such an application lies in its short and long term efficiency.

Depending on the pathology, phytotherapy can replace conventional veterinary medicine or supplement basic treatments. The chemical constituents of many medicinal plants are used in the manufacture of products for the pharmaceutical industry.

The use of medicinal plants in the veterinary field comes from theobservation of the behavior of animals in their natural environment. Who has never seen a cat grazing on grass from the garden to clean its stomach of ingested hair? This grass allows to reject gastric juices as well as the agglutinated hairs in order to free the stomach.

When should medicinal plants be used in animals?

Before starting to implement phytotherapy, it is essential to diagnose the health problem that your animal is experiencing. For this, you will need to call upon the expertise of your veterinarian.

This natural medicine for animals allows the treatment of disorders ranging from a simple cold to more serious illnesses such as heart problems. The veterinarian can propose such a follow-up for chronic, articular, respiratory, digestive or dermatological pathologies.

However, it is essential touse medicinal plants in a proper way to benefit from their maximum efficiency and to guarantee the animal welfare.

In what form should medicinal plants be used?

In the context of veterinary phytotherapy, medicinal plants are used in different ways to make their ingestion easier. So how to use medicinal plants to preserve all their therapeutic virtues?

1 Plant powder

In view of its practicality, dried medicinal plant powder is the most suitable for veterinary use. It is very often found in different treatments for animals since it is compatible with other molecules.

For example, it can be vitamins or nutrients that facilitate the absorption of active agents. For the horseFor the horse, powdered plants can be used for coat maintenance. Brewer's yeast is ideal for promoting the growth of a soft, silky coat.

As for the sometimes bitter taste of the powder, the animals have no difficulty adapting.

2 Essential oils for external use

In reference to aromatherapy, an essential oil results from the steam distillation of a medicinal plant. Its application will depend on the weight of the animal but also on the chosen route of administration.

In external application, they represent a very good alternative to the products anti-ticks and anti-fleas in the dog provided that they are used under veterinary control.

Similarly, lemongrass is an excellent natural repellent for horses that face flies and mosquitoes during the summer. It can be used on the brush when brushing or as a spray.

However, the essential oil is toxic for cats since the concentration of active principles is very high. Its use is strongly discouraged in felines who rarely tolerate them.

Unlike many mammals, cats do not have a specific enzyme in their liver. cats do not have the specific enzyme in their liver. This prevents them from eliminating the elements that make up the essential oil, particularly the phenols.

Thus, an incorrect duration of administration or the use of an inappropriate essential oil could cause hypersensitivity reactions and behavioral disorders in the cat.

3 Hydrolats or floral waters

In the same way, the obtaining of the hydrolat passes by the steam distillation. It is the aqueous part that is recovered following the separation of the essential oil. We also speak about floral water when the raw material is a flower.

Hydrolats are less concentrated in active substance and highly diluted compared to an essential oil. Their application is ideal for animals and especially for cats that do not tolerate essential oils.

The fields of use are numerous. To look after the wounds and the cuts which bleed, we advise to use the hydrosol of ciste. It will come to regenerate the skin and will support the microcirculation of the wound for a better cicatrization.

Chamomile and cornflower are fabulous for treating eye irritations sometimes caused by pollen allergies. Lavender and cedar hydrosols will help repel insects that invade horses.

One of the advantages of hydrolats is their low concentration in aromatic molecules. The percentage of dosage errors is therefore particularly low.

Do you treat your animals with plants, share your experience with us in the comments ↓

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