Garlic for animals, Tea Tree Oil, Pennyroyal

June 22, 2003

" victoria_dragon " <victoria_dragon

> I was told garlic was ok for dogs but not for cats. If the garlic

> could hurt dogs, I need to know about it.

I hope this isn't a repeat of what might already have been posted.

(It's hard to keep current when receiving the digest.)

Please correct me if I " m wrong, but garlic would be contraindicated,

from the TCM perspective, for anyone with deficient Yin, fluid and

blood conditions, and in full Yang conditions presenting dryness or heat.

(Garlic is hot and dry, and stimulating.) Garlic would be used for those with

damp and cold conditions.

It is also contraindicated for anyone with a tendency to spontaneous bleeding,

(and should be discontinued prior to any surgery.)

Regarding Heinz bodies, here is one study:

#####

Hematologic changes associated with the appearance of eccentrocytes after

intragastric administration of garlic extract to dogs.

Lee KW, Yamato O, Tajima M, Kuraoka M, Omae S, Maede Y.

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary

Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether dogs given garlic extract developed

hemolytic anemia and to establish the hematologic characteristics induced

experimentally by intragastric administration of garlic extract.

ANIMALS: 8 healthy adult mixed-breed dogs.

PROCEDURE: 4 dogs were given 1.25 ml of garlic extract/kg

of body weight (5 g of whole garlic/kg) intragastrically once a

day for 7 days. The remaining 4 control dogs received water instead

of garlic extract. Complete blood counts were performed, and

methemoglobin and erythrocyte-reduced glutathione concentrations,

percentage of erythrocytes with Heinz bodies, and

percentage of eccentrocytes were determined before and for 30 days after

administration of the first dose of garlic extract. Ultrastructural analysis

of eccentrocytes was performed.

RESULTS: Compared with initial values, erythrocyte

count, Hct, and hemoglobin concentration decreased to a minimum value on

days 9 to 11 in dogs given garlic extract. Heinz body formation, an increase in

erythrocyte-reduced glutathione concentration, and eccentrocytes were also

detected in these dogs. However, no dog developed hemolytic anemia.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE:

The constituents of garlic have the potential to oxidize erythrocyte membranes

and hemoglobin, inducing hemolysis associated with the

appearance of eccentrocytes in dogs. Thus, foods containing garlic should

not be fed to dogs. Eccentrocytosis appears to be a major diagnostic feature of

garlic-induced hemolysis in dogs.

PMID: 11108195

#############

Regarding Tea Tree Oil: it can cause allergic reactions, and, as someone who had

a

dog with epilepsy, it can trigger seizures for individuals prone to seizures.

Small dogs,

(mine are giant breed), seem to be more prone to problems from tea tree oil,

from

what I've heard and read.

Pennyroyal, as mentioned, can be toxic to cats. It can also be toxic for

dogs, depending on the dose used, and the size of the dog.

As little as 4 ml of oil has caused convulsions in adult human subjects.

(Several essential oils are known to cause seizures.)

Brewers yeast, mentioned elsewhere, can be a problem for many dogs with

allergies.

As was already mentioned by someone, it's a good idea to research things, even

if " natural " substances, before using them. There may be contraindications for

those with certain health problems, and/or it might be risky in general. (And,

of course, many options have little risk, as well.)

Jeri

June 23, 2003

> Please correct me if I " m wrong, but garlic would be contraindicated,

> from the TCM perspective, for anyone with deficient Yin, fluid and

> blood conditions, and in full Yang conditions presenting dryness or

heat.

> (Garlic is hot and dry, and stimulating.) Garlic would be used for

those with

> damp and cold conditions.

>

> It is also contraindicated for anyone with a tendency to

spontaneous bleeding,

> (and should be discontinued prior to any surgery.)

Thanks, Jeri, for the reminder of when garlic is contraindicated in

TCM. If the dog (or person) has signs and symptoms of heat and

dryness, garlic definitely is contraindicated.

For the list members new to TCM, a knowledge of TCM often results in

healers being able to use common treatments in Western medicine and

herbalism more effectively and avoid problems that some individuals

would have.

Another example of the fine-tuning of treatment is ginger for

nausea. Dried ginger is a great herb for treating nausea IF the

person suffers from Cold or is even normal temperature-wise. But for

people who already are too hot, giving them ginger will worsen their

imbalance and could even make the nausea worse (as well as a lot of

other Heat symptoms and signs). Each healing substance has a thermal

energy. In TCM these are Hot, Warm, Neutral, Cool, or Cold. The

thermal energy of dried ginger is Hot. (Raw ginger has Warm thermal

energy.) Dried ginger can work wonders for a person who is too Cold

internally. It's classified as an herb that warms the Interior. But

give an herb with Hot thermal energy to a person who already is too

Hot, and the person becomes hotter. Their Heat symptoms and signs

will get even worse.

Herbs (and foods) with Cold thermal energy are contraindicated in

people who are too Cold because herbs and foods with Cold thermal

energy will cool them even more, resulting in a worsening of Cold

symptoms and signs.

In general, you avoid herbs with Hot or Cold thermal energy when

treating a Hot or Cold condition. (There are exceptions.) You want

to treat with the opposite. Use herbs and foods that are cooling for

conditions that are too Hot, and use herbs that are warming for

conditions that are too Cold. Balance them out.

What about herbs with Warm or Cool thermal energy in cases where

people are suffering from Hot or Cold imbalances? If there is no

substitute with an opposite or neutral thermal energy available,

include some herbs in the formula that will cause the average of the

formula as a whole to be Warm or Cool as is needed. For example,

supposed that a person who is too Cold needs a particular herb with

Cool energy. You want to avoid making the person colder so you add

herbs with Warm or even Hot thermal energy to the formula so the

overall thermal energy will be warming.

Victoria

June 24, 2003

Hi Victoria,

Here is a number to call it is a lady who raises cats and she uses all things

herbal for hers. Maybe she can enlighten you as she did me on cats and their

diets. 1-800-887-4372. Dogs and horses I know but cats not so much. I have been

studying them more since entering this conversation.

Thanks

Ray

victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon wrote: