All Pet Naturals Blog

by William  Greenbaum, aka love ya woof

Licorice & Marshmallow

Our Healing Candy Herbs of the Week

courtesy of Jessica Jane (creative commons)

FERNDALE, WA – I thought it might be fun this week to showcase two herbs that always come at us in candy form yet they have wonderful medicinal properties when extracted and included in products for pets that help either to detox the liver or to help as a digestive aid or as a potent and all natural  anti-inflammatory.

I think  this  is rather cool, I had no idea, none whatsoever that Marshmallow (which I grew up  with at camp) is very good at helping to pass fur balls and minor intestinal blockages.

Anyway, so first up this week is candy herb Licorice. Or in science terms – Glycyrrhiza glabra. This very versatile herb is used as a mild laxative and anti-inflammatory agent and appears in all our Animal Essentials’ products that help detox the liver and also in our Alfalfa Yucca Blend.

This product is another big  seller in our line and is available in a 2 oz  tincture  bottle ($21.95). The formulation is excellent for  senior animals in that it helps your pet’s body cope with the pain of arthritis or rheumatism, and it does this by helping to tonify the liver and the kidneys to eliminate excess waste materials and water from the joints. Finally,  Licorice is used to help support hypoglycemia, coughs and Addison’s disease. Quite the candy right? Okay onto the next herb in this week’s roundup.

Courtesy of Nina Hail (Creative Commons from Flikr)

Marshmallow - better know as Althea officinalis – as its official Latin name – is a root, and upon extraction is soothing and excellent at protecting internal and external tissues. Marshmallow root is diuretic, nutritive, antimicrobial and very good at wound healing. Specifically, it is used to treat cystitis, diarrhea, urinary incontinence, FUS and bladder stones, and as I mentioned above it is great for pets that have swallowed fur balls because it works also as a mild laxative.

In our web store allpetnaturals.com, Marshmallow appears in our very popular Animals Apawthecary Phytomucil Powder product  (ON SALE for $11.95) and our tonic line which is available in 1 oz and 2 oz dropper bottles.

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by William Greenbaum, aka love ya woof!

Canine Cancer is disturbing. No question. When your beloved pet is diagnosed with cancer, this is probably the worst. What can be done? Well lots of things. First don’t panic, don’t give up and read everything you can. Talk to your vet, ask around for others that have gone through this before. There is a ton of information out there, probably way too much, but much can make you feel better by giving you the background you need for the decisions you will have to make. Have hope, have faith and don’t give up!

From the world of All Pet Naturals we’d  like to share a few tips on preventative care for your companion. We think we can help by giving you some product knowledge (as we are very proud) of the Animals Apawthecary line we carry and their signature herbal tincture Constitutional Blend — of which I fondly think of as our HERO product – the key attribute of which is a combo of  herbs fo pets that act like a SWAT team that boosts the immune system of the body so as to slow down the spread of anything that remotely looks like a cancer cell into the surrounding tissue and major body organs.

Bottom line? Herbs for pets that strengthen the immune system and support major waste-removing organs (the liver, kidneys and lymphatic systems) are especially useful in fighting cancer. “Now let me introduce you to the SWAT Team. Gentlemen, please take center stage and introduce yourself to these fine people.”

BURDOCK ROOT - supports and stimulates the liver, therefore facilitates waste and toxic removal from the body. It is also a very safe herb for pets for prolonged use.

DANDELION – is a diuretic herb for pets that helps waste removal via the kidneys and urinary tract. It also improves digestion and removal of waste by providing gentle stimulation to the liver.

SLIPPERY ELM – this herb is a jack of all trades. Slippery Elm is culled from the inner bark of the elm tree and works as a demulcent and astringent. It is the classic remedy for acute diarrhea, stomach ulcers, constipation, colitis, sore throat, coughs, wounds, abscesses.

TURKEY RHUBARB – this herb packs a huge cancer fighting punch. First of all, its antibiotic, antimicrobial and anti-tumor. Its used specifically in holistic herbal pet medicine for digestion, liver tonic and as an appetite stimulant.

The herbal ingredients found in our cancer fighting formulaton  Constitutional Blend — are safe and reliable and make a mighty contribution as a synergistic immune-boosting effect on dogs, who are weakened by chronic diseases such as cancer or allergies.

Finally, Constitutional Blend is built around the  famous ‘Esssiac’ formula – which is considered to be the numero uno herbal cancer therapy of all time; originally developed by Canadian nurse, R. Caisse. It is available in our web store at $22.95 USD per 2 oz remedy bottle.

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Please note other top cancer fighting herbs include:

ALFALFA – has been found to reduce the risk of cancerous growths and is therefore considered a good herb for cancer prevention.

MILKTHISTLE -  this herb can protect the liver against harmful by-products of the cancer. As well, milk thistle is effective in protecting the body from liver damage resulting from chemotherapy.

ASTRAGALUS – this herb is an immuno-stimulant; thus it can be used to boost your dog’s immune system. In addition, it has been found that astragalus contains an alkaloid that inhibits the spread of melanoma, a skin cancer.

ECHINACEA – this herb is well-known for its effectiveness in supporting and strenthening the immune system.

GARLIC - has a lot of sulphur-containing compounds (thus the strong smell!). These compounds are helpful in enhancing the immune system. It has also been shown that garlic stimulates the growth of beneficial cells.

RED CLOVER - this fine herb has been hailed as the “the” herb for cancer by many herbalists. The herb has tumor-inhibiting properties and strengthens lymphatic functions (crucial in cleansing cell tissues).

GREEN TEA – has been found to be effective in boosting and stimulating the immune system. It is also an antioxidant and astringent and has been shown to be an effective herb for cancer (especially for some kind of stomach and skin cancers).

MUSHROOMS – REISHI, SHIITAKE, MAITAKE – mushrooms, especially reishi, has been used for many years in China and Japan as herbs for cancer prevention and treatment in people. Recent research has found that these mushrooms can enhance the immune system, due to their high levels of polysaccharides and their effect on white blood cells. In addition, these mushrooms have been found to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antioxidant properties.

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by William Greenbaum, aka Love ya Woof!

What is Cushings Disease?

Canine Cushings Disease is a rather nasty and insidious disease known medically as hyperadrenocorticism, which is a condition of the adrenal glands in which they over-produce a hormone known as cortisol.

Adrenal glands are important. They are small and live beside each kidney (which explains why surgery is tricky) and their purpose  is to regulate systems and metabolism.

Under normal conditions, the adrenals secrete cortisol in balanced amounts which is important  for the regulation of protein, carbohydrate and fat; body weight, mineral balance, and skin health and this helps your dog fight illness and  remain healthy.

However when Cushing’s Disease occurs, the adrenal glands produce too much cortisol (corticosteroids) and this has adverse effects. The origins and causes of  the disease are not so well understood.

In the majority of cases, Cushings Disease is found in senior animals and small breed dogs and comes about as a result of a benign tumors in the pituitary gland. The tumor cells produce excessive amounts of ACTH, which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands to produce excessive amounts of cortisol.

The remaining 15% of the cases of Cushings disease are caused by either a tumor in one (or very rarely both) of the adrenal glands, resulting in overproduction of cortisol, or excessive use of corticosteroid drugs.

What are Cushings Disease Symptoms?

Symptoms of Cushings Disease include:

• Excessive Drinking and Urination
• Appetite gain
• Lethargy
• Excessive panting
• A sagging pot belly
• Diabetes Mellitus (more frequent in cats, but less frequent in Canine Cushings)
• Endocrine (hormone-related) skin diseases (hair loss and slow-healing wounds)
• You notice a general sense of your pet not feeling well

If you think about it the above conditions are consistent with what you would expect to see in older dogs and this explains why its sometimes quite tricky to diagnose Cushings Disease in its early stages.

So whats the end game with Cushings Disease? The answer is that left unchecked, an unfortunate raft of troubles may occur such as:

1. diabetes
2. urinary tract infections
3. pancreatitis
4. liver disease
5. kidney failure
6. skin infections
7. ear infections
8. congestive heart failure
9. hypothyroidism

Can Herbal Remedies Help?

At our company Allpetnaturls.com we have always said that classical veterinary medicine used in combination with alternative therapies is a reasonable way to proceed, so always, always work with an animal health care professional.

From a herbal perspective, and the answer to this important question, can herbal remedies fight Cushings Disease? The answer is that a holistic approach to the disease can help, particularly if you think of boosting the immune system — which is under pressure from the disease.

Allpetnaturals has a product called Constitutional Blend which is available for $21.95. This herbal tincture has two active ingredients -  dandelion and burdock root – among others which are key to flushing the body of toxins and effective in strengthening an overtaxed liver, kidneys, and digestive system.

Both herbs are also rich in minerals such as potassium and magnesium, which are good for the body because much is lost due to excessive urination.

What Other Ways is Cushings Disease Treated?

Conventional treatment of Cushings Disease  in dogs includes drug therapy and surgery. The good news is that drugs do work but the side effects can be rough stuff.

Surgery works as well but that depends where the tumor is located. If the tumor is on the pituitary gland then generally their is no cure because the gland sits right underneath the brain and its generally too risky a location for surgery. If the tumor is located on the adrenal glands, the tumor is then removed.

Conventional drugs used to treat cushings disease include: Lysodren and Ketaconazole. Side effects would be: nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, lethargy. A new drug entered onto the market about 10 years ago showing some promise. It is called Anipryl. Again, possible side effects include: lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea.

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Everybody’s talking about Univera these days, and for good reason. Some say its a wonderful herbal drink that promotes a better body balance and overall health. Others say its a multi-level marketing system with health benefits that are dubious.

I have friend who has asked to be a participant in Univera, and has given me some product to try, and because I’m a good guy I shelled out $260 CDN and bought the 24 3ml sample sizes and two 30 oz bottles of concentrate.

I have been using it and so far for about 15 days now and its hard to tell what’s happening inside my body. The thing is I already feel great and I am in good shape for a 54 year-old. I bike once per week, swim three times a week, and I go to a boot camp class, yoga and I run.  I think from a physical activity point of view I’m right up there so for me I can’t really see a difference. Am I missing something? At this stage I would welcome a call from the President of the company to solicit his views.

Be that as it may, I’m also big on herbs and alternative medicine and natural medicine so I’ve been looking at the label and so far so good. Univera has the right fuel. Let’s explore this a little more, and take a look at the herbal ingredients that make up the gas that accelerates Univera.

The first herb that shows up in the Univera tank is Aloe vera. This is undoubtedly good stuff. Aloe Vera is a kind of wunderkid herb. Its usually comes to us as a juice, and its healing properties are well known. It soothes and protects the body and speeds healing of injuries and is purported to have anti-tumor affects. It’s also a laxative that helps push things through the digestive track and urinary track. So in the Univera concentrate, Aloe Vera shows up as a derivative of the whole Aloe leaf in a measure of 51 mg per 30 fl ounces.

The next ingredient in the gas is Licorice. Now this is a cool herb. In our herbal tinctures at allpetnaturals.com Licorice shows up in our Spring Tonic, Phytomucil Tonic, our Liver Detox Blend and our Alfalfa / Yucca Blend and for good reason, the herb is excellent for hypoglycemia, liver detox, coughs and Addison’s disease. For pets its mostly used to fight or relieve constipation and gastrointestinal inflammation. In the Univera concentrate, Licorice root is present but the label doesn’t show how much is in the liquid mix. So I’m not sure what type of conclusion I can draw. However, since it is present I think we can safely say its a good thing.

The third herb used in the Univera concentrate is Ginkgo biloba. Everybody loves Ginkgo! Why? Because its one of natures’ best antioxidants. Its has anti-inflammatory properties, anti-clotting and prevents platelet aggregation that can lead to blockages of arteries. Its kind of right up there on the super list of herbs. In Univera it appears as an extract from the leaf (which is correct) in the amount of 10 mg.

That’s it for the herbs in the tank. I’m not sure what conclusions I can help draw from this mini review. What I think I can say with some authority is that Univera seems to have it right, herbaly speaking. If you could choose three herbs to round things out for a healthy diet supplement I would likely go with Ginkgo, Licorice root and Aloe vera myself. I will just have to keep drinking the concentrate and see what happens and report back in a few weeks time. One thing for us, I love this business so much I will never run out of gas! Namaste.

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by William Greenbaum, aka love ya woof!

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Ferndale, Washington, August 15, 2009. All Pet Naturals, the premier online web store for natural pet care remedies, products and supplies has won the exclusive online sales and distribution rights for Virafungal Fighter — the first all natural, organic anti-microbial support for cats, dogs and horses.

Virafungal Fighter  is a safe, organic anti-microbial that has had amazing sales success in health foods stores throughout California, and is now moving full steam into the  pet market.

William Greenbaum, president of All Pet Naturals‘ parent company Brilliant Health said, “we are thrilled and excited to be representing this amazing product online exclusively through our Webstore – www.allpetnaturals.com; which from the research and evidence we’ve read and studied, and testimonials from consumers that have used the product, Virafungal Fighter has proven to be a unique performer and we are pleased to be introducing it. The natural care companion animal market is growing and certainly we are all ready for an organic, effective pet anti-microbial.”

Virafungal Fighter has Grape Seed Extract and Grapefruit Seed Extracts, which contain bioflavoid complexes that are 20 times more potent than vitamin C and 50 times more potent than vitamin E as an antioxident. It has also been found to be anti-inflamatory, antiallergic, antihistamine, anticholesterol and antimutagenic. Virafungal fighter also provides powerful protection against 800 bacterial and viral organisms as well as 100 strains of fungus and a large number of single cell and multi-celled parasites.

The advantage of using organic natural Virafungal Fighter instead of prescription antibiotics is that ViraFungal Fighter doesn’t upset the natural balance of good bacteria in the intestines.

The product comes in a 2 oz spray bottle and normally sells for $22.95, but is on sale right now on the webstore at www.allpetnaturals.com for an introductory offer of only $19.95. Uses for Virafungal Fighter include -

• Skin problems caused by bacteria, even basic cuts and wounds.
• Helps fight tooth decay and gum disease, prevents free-radical damage to the lens and retina of the eye, and even treats glaucoma by protecting collagen structures in the eye.
• Helps relieve asthma and emphysema.
• Daily use helps to support brain function.

The ingredients in Virafungal Fighter are the most potent, antioxidant free radical deactivators ever discovered. They fight inflamation by binding to connective tissue of joints, preventing swelling, helping heal damaged tissue, and lessening pain.

Virafungal Fighter is manufactured in Irvine California by Danielle L’Don Natural Skin Care, Inc. All Pet Naturals is proud to represent this unique and exciting new product.

For more information: William Greenbaum\All Pet Naturals.com\ 778.238.7410 or via email at bill@allpetnaturals.com.

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