Applied Herbal Choices
Animal Herbal Choices is a behaviour-led method focussing on Animal Pharmacognosy
This is the process by which animals in the wild have been using their innate ability to self-medicate for their health for millions of years by naturally foraging and selecting plants and minerals
Pharmacognosy is closely related to botany and plant chemistry. In allopathic (mainstream) medicine, a plant chemical is isolated and synthetically replicated into a drug, often with side-effects. In Herbalism, the whole plant is offered containing all of the phytochemicals of the plant, thus supporting the system often resulting in few, if any, side effects. However, your vet should always be consulted before the use of any herbs or essential oils.
Your first point of call is always your Vet. Holistic Therapies or behaviour-led consultations are not a substitute for Vetinerary Care, and are complementary. We do not diagnose or treat. We require you to inform your vet before we can begin our Herbal Choices Applied Zoopharmacognosy session.
In an Herbal Choices behaviour session, I show you how to offer plant extracts to the dog - an opportunity to instinctively choose / self-select what its body needes to heal itself, either emotionally or physically. Please note that a Canine Herbal Choices session does not diagnose, treat or prescribe - your first port of call for any illness is always your vet.
I bring my herbal choices kit of over 100 essential oils, hydrosols, minerals, herbs an herbal oils to your home and show you how to re-create the 'wild' environment for animals by offering them many of the herbs they would have had access to in the wild.
The aroma molecules in essential oils can cross the blood-brain barrier and go straight to the limbic area of the brain which deals with emotion and memory, and can have powerful and sometimes surprising results. Dogs will select by inhaling, taking it orally or rubbing against it. Dogs with the same symptoms will often select different herbs as they each have different root causes. I make many of the herbal extracts from my Canine Herb Garden.
Case studies have shown that animals with a wide variety of issues have responded well to Applied Zoopharmacognosy, including behavioural issues, emotional problems, physical problems, poor digestion, poor coat, skin problems and low immune system.
Case studies have shown that it has been beneficial to animals that have been abused and those who are, or have been, in rescue centres.
I am trained to recognise, and teach you, the behavioural signs of self-selection and how to offer them to your dog.
Safety: A dog should ALWAYS be allowed to choose/self-select an essential oil or herb. NEVER put an oil or scent directly on a dog, in its food, or in an area where it cannot escape as it can be very stressful for a dog and may cause stomach upset, headaches or behaviour problems. Always learn from a trained professional if you are going to offer essential oils, hydrosols or herbs to you dog to recognose the behavioural signs of self-selection
