A Sharing from Kwang Mae...
I recently attended the Midsouth Women’s Herbal Conference in Nauvoo, AL. I had such a blast! It was a wonderfully nourishing and enriching experience to not only delve deeper into specific topics within herbalism but also to be in community and fellowship with other herbalists. I am so inspired by the generous and authentic ways that everyone at the conference shared their wisdom and love for plant medicine, and connected with each other. I also feel affirmed about the work that I am doing and the community that I am building—I am so excited to be a part of bringing more of this stuff into the world!
In light of my exuberance and inspiration, I would like to share a little of what I learned. I am a huge animal lover, so one of my favorite workshops I participated in at the conference was about herbalism for pets! Here are a few of my takeaways:
1. Herbalism is a complex holistic system for healing and well-being that included not only working with particular medicinal herbs and spices, but also other foods and elements of lifestyle and energetics (or a being’s constitution). Many allergy-prone dogs are energetically “hot” and eating warming foods, such as beef, chicken, and oats, which are commonly found in pet food, can increase the heat in your pet’s body and therefore worsen allergy symptoms or sensitivity. Alternatively, cooling foods can help balance your pet’s system, alleviating symptoms and decreasing sensitivity. Cooling foods often found in pet food include duck, rabbit, whitefish, broccoli, barley, and buckwheat. You can also supplement your pet’s diet with cooling foods like cucumber, leafy greens, and yogurt. Balancing your pet’s diet requires trial and error. For the most effective results, modify one thing at a time and take time to observe the effects before introducing more changes. Pay attention to what does and doesn’t work for your unique animal, and adjust accordingly.
2. Herbs can help our furry friends with much of the same things that they help us with, such as arthritis, anxiety, sleep, or injuries. However, their systems are different than ours, and there are herbs that are known to make some animals sick. Furthermore, they often require different dosages than the average human, and there are additives like alcohol and xylitol added to human-grade herbal supplements that are not good for pets. Before you show your pet some love with natural remedies, do some research! Learn about what herbs certain animals can and can’t have, and shop herbal products made with pets in mind. Some brands are exclusively made for pets, and others, like our friends at Red Mood Herbs, label any of their products that can be shared with your fur babies.
3. There are herbal vets! In fact, the woman who facilitated the workshop is an herbal vet. She and others like her are fully qualified and medically trained veterinarians with an interest and focus in herbal remedies. This herbal vet mentioned that many people come to her as a last-ditch effort to their pets from ailments like cancer when nothing else has worked and they don’t know what else to do. But herbal vets are there for all your pet’s health needs! Many people interested in herbalism strive to tend to their health and well-being through more natural means, and align our bodies more harmoniously with nature. How wonderful to know we have options to extend the value and power of herbal living to our furry loved ones!
