EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

The following are some interesting herbal remedies for dogs that you might be interested in. But please.... always check with your vet first before administering anything to your individual dog.

Arnica Montana:

For any injuries or limping. Speeds up healing time. Arnica Montana(Leopard’s bane) is one of the best-known homeopathic remedies. It is primarily used for any kind of trauma, emotional or physical. Therefore it is good for muscle aches, sprains, strains, and injuries. It is also useful for injuries to the brain and spinal cord. The only tricky thing about arnica is that as a homeopathic remedy, it's very fragile energetically, so you can't touch it withyour fingers―you have to get it into your dog's mouth via the lid of the container or a spoon. Homeopathic remedies are supposed to dissolve in your mouth, so unless you have arnica in a granular form, you'll need to crush the small tablets between two spoons and then just dump the powder into your dog'smouth, holding it shut for a second so that the remedy gets moistened and sticks to your dog's tongue.

It is safe to give Arnica 30C or 200C taken every four to twelve hours for a few days. Stop the Arnica when you see improvement.This can occur after one dose or after several. But usually after a few days the animal should be better if the remedy is going to work at all. Once you notice the action of the remedy working (seeing improvement in the condition being treated for), it is time to stop. This is so the remedy can continue working and not be interrupted with another dose of remedy.

The most common ways these remedies are available in the United Statesare in small blue tubes made by a company called Boiron. (They are also available by order from homeopathic pharmacies by veterinarians and homeopaths in smaller, pretzel-salt sized pills). When you twist the cap of the Boiron tube, the pills fall into the cap. You then give the dose directly from the cap into the animal’s mouth without touching the pills yourself. I suggest giving two to three (peppercorn-sized) pills at a time. Here again, more is not better. One to three pills are the same dose. You are not tripling the dose bytaking three. I suggest three, so that at least one will go into the animal’s mouth.

These pills do not have to be swallowed. They just have to touch the mucous membranes (gums). If you find it difficult to give the pills in this way, you can put them in a tablespoon of vanilla ice cream, heavy cream, or milk for your animal to lick. This is because they are on sugar-based pills and this will dissolve into the substance. You can also put the pills between the folds of a napkin, crush them, and then put the powder into the animal’s mouth. Or put the powder into a tablespoon of spring or distilled water and put 1teaspoon full into your dog’s mouth only one time.

Arcana is something a holistic vet would prescribe for an injury whereas a traditional vet would prescribe Rimadyl for the same injury.

Calendula: This gentle herb is great for any type of skin rash or irritation. You can get it in liquid form or as an ointment.

Coconut Oil: Luscious coconut oil can be eaten as food orused topically―either way, its secret ingredient, caprylic acid, is going to do battle with yeast. This would be a good thing to feed to dogs with yeasty ears or a yeast overgrowth on their skin. The dosage is 1 teaspoonful per 10 pounds of body weight per day.

Colloidal Silver: An old saying is that colloidal silver can actually purify sewage. It kills bacteria,so it's great to put on small cuts and wounds. Just make sure that you get a reputable brand.

Eyebright (aka Euphrasia): This aptly named herb is great for irritated, red eyes. You can give it to your dogs orally in capsule form and also topically as a popular form of homeopathic eye drops known as Similasan. This double whammy will clear up most garden-variety cases of red eyes without having to resort to antibiotics.

Hydrogen Peroxide: If you see your dog eat something that you know is going to be harmful, such as chewing gum containing xylitol or a hunk of plastic, you want to induce vomiting ASAP. One way to induce vomiting is to administer hydrogen peroxide. A tablespoonful for a large dog, less for a smaller dog. It will take up to 10 minutes before your dog actually vomits―just wait for it.

Melatonin: For dogs with thunderstorm anxiety, nothing beats melatonin, which is a synthetic version of a natural hormone that regulates sleep. It can really take the edge off the fear of thunderstorms and calm dogs right down. The dosage is 6 mg for 100+-lb. dogs; 3 mg for 50-lb. dogs; 1.5 mgfor 30-lb. dogs; and 0.5 mg for 10-lb. dogs. A very small percentage of dogs might have the opposite reaction (excitement) when given melatonin, so test it out when there is no sign of a thunderstorm in sight.

Milk Thistle: Milk thistle is well known as a "liver herb" both for humans and pets.

Milk thistle contains a flavonoid compound called "silymarin" which itself is a combination of several other active compounds. Specifically, they strengthen the liver cell resistance to harmful toxins and stimulate new cell reproduction. As such, milk thistle is very effective in treating dogs with liver problems and related diseases, such as:

Chronic inflammatory liver disorders (e.g. hepatitis) Liver tumors or cancer, skin problems secondary to liver disease, Leptospirosis, Pancreatitis, Fatty liver.

Because of the powerful antioxidant properties of the silymarin compounds, milk thistle is an ideal herb for detoxification. In particular, dogs who have been on allopathic medications (like heavy doses ofantibiotics such as Doxycycline for tick disease, Rimadyl or Tramadol for arthritis), dewormers, chemotherapy, vaccinations, and heart worm medications can benefit from milk thistle supplementation. It can also be given to dogs who are recovering from parvovirus.m

The standard dosage of milk thistle extract is based on a silymarin content of around 80 percent. Most supplements of milk thistle contain about 100 to 200 mg of the herb.

As mentioned above, milk thistle is very safe on dogs. For dogs with advanced liver disease, a dosage as high as 200 mg per 10 pounds of body weight is possible. For other liver problems or health conditions, 75 to100 mg per 10 pounds of body weight per day is sufficient to see results.

For me personally, I worked with my vet and we give a much lower dose:

Since the Milk Thistle i purchase usually is 175mg to 180mg which translates into 80% Silymarin. My vet suggested that  i just give 1/3 of a capsule to my 50lb dog as a mantenance program. .....to cleanse the liver while on medications (possible liver toxins) . In our particular case we were dealing with large doses of Doxycycline for Tick Disease,  Lysodren for A-Typical Cushing Disease, and Rimadyl for arthritis. His liver is checked bi-annually and has not accumulated any toxins since being on Milk Thistle.

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(another piece on Milk Thistle from Julie, an EPI member)

Although this web page doesn't pertain to epi dogs; it does talk about Milk Thistle use with dogs and pups:
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/liverdiseasesymptoms.htm

The dosage info was taken from the above link:

As regards dosages, here is information on Milk Thistle Dosage from the newsletter "Healthy Pets - Naturally":

Dog's size Dose as % of adult human dose

5 lbs 10%

5-10 lbs 15%

11-20 lbs 20%

21-40 lbs 30%

41-70 lbs 50%

71-100 lbs 75%

100 lbs 100%

Adult human dose

Researchers have not yet identified the optimal dose of silymarin [This is Milk Thistle - just that Silymarin is a componant of Milk Thistle]

The typical adult dosage for silymarin is 240 to 800 mg/day in two or three divided doses. It's noted that a supplement containing at least 240 mg per day of silymarin would be helpful for most people. Doses of 150 to 300 mg per day are considered sufficient to increase the liver's production of the protective antioxidant glutathione. Higher doses are needed for chronic liver disease: 140 to 210 mg of silymarin, three times daily in a standardized extract form (total 420 to 630 mg/day). Simultaneous dosing with a lecithin supplement has been recommended to increase absorption. For Siliphos, 240 mg, three times daily is recommended. Older patients require a higher dose due to age related decrease in absorption abilities.

Reviewing the doses that were used in milk thistle human research, the dose varied from 240 to 800 milligrams per day. A few studies used Siliphos at 240 mg.

Toxicity

Human studies have shown silymarin to be generally without side effects. The typical adult dosage for silymarin is 240 to 900 mg/day in two or three divided doses. At higher doses (>1500 mg/day) silymarin may produce a laxative effect due to increased bile flow and secretion. Mild allergic reactions have also been noted. [as a precautionary measure to this warning, once worked out percentage dog dose from the human dose, I would half that and then increase gradually]

If milk thistle causes upset stomach, gas, or milddiarrhea in your dogs, simply reduce the dosage.

Slippery Elm: The herb to reach for at the onset of intestinal distress, such as diarrhea, slippery elm soothes and coats the intestinal walls. Many use it for inflammatory bowel disease.

Stinging Nettles: For dogs with that summertime itch,stinging nettles are just the ticket. They have a natural anti-histamine effect, similar to Benedryl but without the drowsiness. Large dogs can be given a capsule, small dogs, just open capsule and sprinkle half contents on food. Stinging nettles are also a very nutritious plant loaded with calcium.

Aloe vera, tea tree oil, and chamomile also soothes the skin with an anti-itch effect; and smells great.

Yellow Dock: This herb will kill ear mites while having a gentler effect on the ear tissue than the standard ear ointment administered by veterinarians, which can sting inflamed ear canals. Before applying the yellowdock, fill a small dropper bottle with olive oil and the contents of one 400I.U. capsule of vitamin E, and apply a half-dropper full of this mixture into the ears every other day for three treatments. This will smother the adult mites and soothe the ear tissue. Then, as the remaining eggs hatch, apply a tincture of yellow dock into the ear canals every three days for four weeks to kill the "newborn" mites.

Olesia - Thanks for tips!  Good info to keep on file!

Thanks Becky... today i had some time on my hands so I have been working on informational FILES for the FORUM resource section... my next FILE that I am almost ready to upload is all about dog poop.... http://macmcrae.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/dog.jpg" /> ... gee....i bet you can't wait to see THAT file!!!!