Alternative Medicines for Animals: Herbs and Acupuncture

In recent years, the exposure of pill-peddling pharmaceutical companies and the dangers- such as the various toxins and the risk of dependence- that their manufactured drugs pose on the body has turned more and more people of the western world back to basics for their health care. Richard L. Nahin from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that according to the institute’s latest research, "It's clear that millions of Americans every year are turning to complementary and alternative medicine."

With greener cures for themselves on the mind, many pet owners and farmers have been considering the benefits of alternative medicines on animals- two of the most popular forms being herbal medicine and acupuncture.

From working animals to house pets, all animals can benefit from using herbal remedies- notably equines such as horse and ponies. It is nature’s way of healing, evident by the fact that animals have been instinctively ingesting plants to their benefit long before man domesticated them. Herbal treatment is the oldest form of healing. Modern medical science and world history confirm that herbs are a valid and healthy way both prevent and cure disease and infection while improving the overall vitality of animals. Most all modern drugs have been developed from medicinal herbs that have been in the earliest societies’ medical practices. In fact, it wasn’t until the late nineteenth century that veterinary medicine began to use today’s common pharmaceuticals.

Traditional herbal medicine comes from many different areas of the world (Indian, Chinese, African, Western, Native American herbs, Ayurvedic and other indigenous medicines) and in most all of them they are still b...

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...ggested further independent experimentations for better analysis.

Acupuncture should be prescribed by a veterinarian who is trained in TCVM (traditional Chinese veterinary medicine). Most acupuncture has been performed on domestic animals, mainly pets and animals used for competition. Unlike prescription medication that’s ingested, acupuncture doesn’t have the risk of damaging an animal’s internal organs. However, acupuncture can still be safely integrated with conventional medicine to heal an assortment of ailments.

In addition to functional issues, veterinary acupuncture has also been used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory problems, reproductive, endocrine, and metabolic disorders, immunosuppressive and allergic disorders, dermatologic disorders, and urinary disorders. During medical emergencies it’s been used during cardiac and respiratory arrest.