Veterinary Herbal Medicine »

This full-color reference offers practical, evidence-based guidance on using more than 120 medicinal plants, including how to formulate herbal remedies to treat common disease conditions. A body-systems based review explores herbal medicine in context, offering information on toxicology, drug interactions, quality control, and other key topics.

• More than 120 herbal monographs provide quick access to information on the historical use of the herb in humans and animals, supporting studies, and dosing information.
  
• Includes special dosing, pharmacokinetics, and regulatory considerations when using herbs for horses and farm animals.
  
• Expanded pharmacology and toxicology chapters provide thorough information on the chemical basis of herbal medicine.
  
• Explores the evolutionary relationship between plants and mammals, which is the basis for understanding the unique physiologic effects of herbs.
  
• Includes a body systems review of herbal remedies for common disease conditions in both large and small animals.
  
• Discusses special considerations for the scientific research of herbs, including complex and individualized interventions that may require special design and nontraditional outcome goals.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Karen L Campbell, DVM, MS, DACVIM, DACVD(University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine)
Description:This book provides veterinarians with the information needed to respond to clients' questions or concerns regarding the medical use of herbs.
Purpose:The authors' goals are to contribute to the re-emergence of the art of veterinary herbal medicine. As they note, "people want herbal medicine." Because of this, it is worthwhile for veterinarians to be familiar with the concepts, rationale, and controversies surrounding the use of herbs in animals.
Audience:This book is written for practitioners, but it could also be useful for students. It includes information which is generally applicable for all species on the use of herbs, with one chapter dedicated to the use of herbs in horses and another for use in dairy cattle.
Features:After an introduction to the use of herbs in animals, five chapters provide historical information on the relationship between plants and animals and the medical use of herbs in various cultures. The second section of the book includes three chapters on controversies surrounding the use of herbal medicine. The third and longest section of the book includes nine chapters focused on plants and the industries associated with herbal medicine. Of particular interest are the chapters on the interactions between herbs and drugs and the need to be concerned with plant conservation. The fourth section includes a systems-based approach to herbal medicine and chapters on the use of herbs in horses and dairy cows. Appendixes include a list of providers, herbal terminology, and other useful information and tips on the administration of herbs to animals. It is somewhat surprising to see individual chapters devoted to the use of herbs in horses and in dairy cows, but no chapters on the use of herbs in dogs, cats, birds, or other small animals.
Assessment:The primary competition for this book would be other books by the senior author, including Emerging Therapies: Using Herbs and Nutraceutical Supplements for Small Animals (AAHA Press, 1999) and Manual of Natural Veterinary Medicine: Science and Tradition (Mosby, 2002). These are softcover books which are less expensive, but are also less complete.

Introduction: Why Use Herbs?     1
Historical Relationship Between Plants and Animals     5
Zoopharmacognosy     7
Ethnoveterinary Medicine: Potential Solutions for Large-Scale Problems     17
The Roots of Veterinary Botanical Medicine     33
Overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine: The Cooking Pot Analogy     51
Ayurvedic Veterinary Medicine: Principles and Practices     59
Herbal Medicine Controversies     85
Evaluating, Designing, and Accessing Herbal Medicine Research     87
Regulation and Quality Control     99
A Skeptical View of Herbal Medicine     121
The Plants     137
Medical Botany     139
Plant Chemistry in Veterinary Medicine: Medicinal Constituents and Their Mechanisms of Action     159
Herbal Medicine: Potential for Intoxication and Interactions With Conventional Drugs     183
Herbal Energetics: A Key to Efficacy in Herbal Medicine     209
Herb Manufacture, Pharmacy, and Dosing     221
Designing the Medicinal Herb Garden     237
Commercial Production of Organic Herbs for Veterinary Medicine     249
Conserving Medicinal Plant Biodiversity     257
Safe Substitutes for Endangered Herbs: Plant Conservation and Loss of OurMedicines     265
Veterinary Clinical Uses of Medicinal Plants     273
Approaches in Veterinary Herbal Medicine Prescribing     275
Veterinary Herbal Medicine: A Systems-Based Approach     291
Herbal Medicine in Equine Practice     411
Phytotherapy for Dairy Cows     441
Clinical Practice: Getting Started     453
Materia Medica     459
Appendices
Weights and Measures Conversions     673
Suppliers     675
Training in Herbal Medicine     679
Herbal Terminology     681
Client Handout: Hints on Administering Herbs to Animals     683
Index     685