Play & Book Excerpts
The Herbal Dog
(Healing Arts Press)
© Rita Hogan
Strategies for a Healthy Nervous System
When devising a strategy for supporting your dog’s nervous system, first consider stressors, diet, and environment. Consider cofactors, too, and don’t forget about dryness, which can negatively affect the myelin sheath that covers nerves, facilitating and protecting the nervous system.
Flower Essences
Five-flower essence, known commercially as Rescue Remedy, is a synergistic blend of cherry plum, clematis, impatiens, rock rose, and star of Bethlehem flower essences. This blend is typically used to relieve panic and fright, and in my experience, it’s highly effective for moving dogs out of sympathetic excess. Give three drops three times per day in the mouth.
Flower essences prepared from bitter plants, such as burdock root, gentian, and skullcap, are a good solution for dogs with low vagal tone because they bring energy (and fluids) downward from the head toward the core and heart center. Other essences that support the nervous system include borage, comfrey, fireweed, marshmallow, Oregon grape, Scotch broom (especially for dogs who are aggressive), St. John’s wort, vervain violet, and yarrow.
Nervines, Relaxants, Sedatives, and Tonics
Nervines act on the nervous system, specifically by relieving tension. Relaxants act on the musculoskeletal system, relaxing your dog’s muscles while decreasing or preventing spasms. Some relaxants address physical tension, while others work on a dog’s emotional and spiritual centers. Sedatives help calm the nervous system and relieve anxiety and restlessness. Tonics strengthen and nourish the nervous system; most act slowly, over a period of months. Sedatives should be used only for short periods of time; tonics can be used long-term.
Make sure you consider the following herbs as individuals, looking at their energetics and your intention when choosing them or combining them in blends. Much like your dog, each herb has a range in each energetic category. Remember that dryness can be an issue with nerve dysregulation; your dog may need a demulcent, such as marshmallow root or licorice root, along with some of the herbs below to help moisten them.
Stimulating nervines: black currant (phytoembryonic), rosemary
Relaxants: agrimony, catnip, chamomile, lemon balm
Sedatives: California poppy, lemon balm, passionflower, valerian
Nerve tonics: alfalfa, ashwagandha, burdock root, fig (phytoembryonic), lion’s mane mushroom, milky oats, passionflower, reishi mushroom, rosemary, skullcap, wood betony
Tip! Catnip is indicated for dogs with a nervous stomach and a tendency toward vomiting, nervous pooping, and gagging. Prepare it as an infusion, steeped for less than five minutes.
Adaptogens
Adaptogens provide slow and nourishing support for tissues and systems, including the cardiac, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. Make sure to consider energetics when picking out adaptogens for your individual dog. Adaptogens for the nervous system: ashwagandha, gotu kola, holy basil, linden, lion’s mane mushroom, milky oats, nettle, reishi mushroom, rhodiola
Alteratives
Alteratives help your dog deal with stress but in a different way than adaptogens. They support the adrenals and elimination organs, including the kidneys, immune system, liver, and lymphatics. In addition, they help with overall body function (metabolism), which includes how nutrition and wastes are handled within the dog-as ecosystem.
Alteratives can have different affinities and energetics; look at each herb as an individual. For example, one of my favorite herbs, cleavers, is cooling and has an affinity toward the lymphatic system. In contrast, another cooling herb, dandelion root, is more geared toward the liver and intestines. Many alteratives can help your dog deal with stress but don’t fall into the nervine category.
Alteratives: burdock root, cleavers, dandelion, nettle, Oregon grape root, red clover, reishi mushroom, violet, yellow dock root
Bitters
Bitters can help regulate dogs in sympathetic excess by activating the vagus nerve and increasing digestive enzymes and other compounds, including gastrin, hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes (amylase, lipase, protease), and bile. In fact, dogs have bitter receptors in not only their digestive system but also their heart, lungs, and veins.
I learned this from herbalist Guido Masé, who wrote, “The entire GI tract is a sensory organ and not just a digestive one.”10 Brilliant. I love the concept of communicative nourishment and function—the blend of chemistry, emotion, mind, body, and spirit working together for metabolic balance. The gastrointestinal tract provides nourishment for all cellular activity. Perhaps that’s why Hippocrates believed that all disease starts in the gut.11 Caution: Bitters should be avoided in dogs with chronic acid reflux, kidney or gallbladder stones, ulcers, severe gastrointestinal inflammation, or pregnancy.
Bitters: angelica, artichoke, burdock root, chamomile, dandelion, ginger, milk thistle seed
Trophorestoratives
Trophorestoratives are herbs that help restore function to specific areas of the body. For example, milky oats, lion’s mane mushroom, and St. John’s wort help slowly restore nervous system function. The effectiveness of these types of herbs will depend on your dog’s condition.
Trophorestoratives can gently help restore function, but as you can see, the severity of the condition can determine the range of healing.
Trophorestoratives for the nervous system: burdock root, chickweed, dandelion, gotu kola, hawthorn, horsetail (phytoembryonic), licorice root, lion’s mane mushroom, meadowsweet, milk thistle seed, milky oats, mullein, nettle, St. John’s wort
Your stress is your dog’s stress. Breathe. Don’t obsess. You are doing the best with the knowledge you have. At the end of the day, all your dog needs is to know you love them.
Nature is all around us but also inside us. Make time daily to connect, seek answers, be still, and listen. You can’t hold your dog’s health in stasis any more than you can your own; a healthy dog is a way of life.
When devising a strategy for supporting your dog’s nervous system, first consider stressors, diet, and environment. Consider cofactors, too, and don’t forget about dryness, which can negatively affect the myelin sheath that covers nerves, facilitating and protecting the nervous system.
Flower Essences
Five-flower essence, known commercially as Rescue Remedy, is a synergistic blend of cherry plum, clematis, impatiens, rock rose, and star of Bethlehem flower essences. This blend is typically used to relieve panic and fright, and in my experience, it’s highly effective for moving dogs out of sympathetic excess. Give three drops three times per day in the mouth.
Flower essences prepared from bitter plants, such as burdock root, gentian, and skullcap, are a good solution for dogs with low vagal tone because they bring energy (and fluids) downward from the head toward the core and heart center. Other essences that support the nervous system include borage, comfrey, fireweed, marshmallow, Oregon grape, Scotch broom (especially for dogs who are aggressive), St. John’s wort, vervain violet, and yarrow.
Nervines, Relaxants, Sedatives, and Tonics
Nervines act on the nervous system, specifically by relieving tension. Relaxants act on the musculoskeletal system, relaxing your dog’s muscles while decreasing or preventing spasms. Some relaxants address physical tension, while others work on a dog’s emotional and spiritual centers. Sedatives help calm the nervous system and relieve anxiety and restlessness. Tonics strengthen and nourish the nervous system; most act slowly, over a period of months. Sedatives should be used only for short periods of time; tonics can be used long-term.
Make sure you consider the following herbs as individuals, looking at their energetics and your intention when choosing them or combining them in blends. Much like your dog, each herb has a range in each energetic category. Remember that dryness can be an issue with nerve dysregulation; your dog may need a demulcent, such as marshmallow root or licorice root, along with some of the herbs below to help moisten them.
Stimulating nervines: black currant (phytoembryonic), rosemary
Relaxants: agrimony, catnip, chamomile, lemon balm
Sedatives: California poppy, lemon balm, passionflower, valerian
Nerve tonics: alfalfa, ashwagandha, burdock root, fig (phytoembryonic), lion’s mane mushroom, milky oats, passionflower, reishi mushroom, rosemary, skullcap, wood betony
Tip! Catnip is indicated for dogs with a nervous stomach and a tendency toward vomiting, nervous pooping, and gagging. Prepare it as an infusion, steeped for less than five minutes.
Adaptogens
Adaptogens provide slow and nourishing support for tissues and systems, including the cardiac, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. Make sure to consider energetics when picking out adaptogens for your individual dog. Adaptogens for the nervous system: ashwagandha, gotu kola, holy basil, linden, lion’s mane mushroom, milky oats, nettle, reishi mushroom, rhodiola
Alteratives
Alteratives help your dog deal with stress but in a different way than adaptogens. They support the adrenals and elimination organs, including the kidneys, immune system, liver, and lymphatics. In addition, they help with overall body function (metabolism), which includes how nutrition and wastes are handled within the dog-as ecosystem.
Alteratives can have different affinities and energetics; look at each herb as an individual. For example, one of my favorite herbs, cleavers, is cooling and has an affinity toward the lymphatic system. In contrast, another cooling herb, dandelion root, is more geared toward the liver and intestines. Many alteratives can help your dog deal with stress but don’t fall into the nervine category.
Alteratives: burdock root, cleavers, dandelion, nettle, Oregon grape root, red clover, reishi mushroom, violet, yellow dock root
Bitters
Bitters can help regulate dogs in sympathetic excess by activating the vagus nerve and increasing digestive enzymes and other compounds, including gastrin, hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes (amylase, lipase, protease), and bile. In fact, dogs have bitter receptors in not only their digestive system but also their heart, lungs, and veins.
I learned this from herbalist Guido Masé, who wrote, “The entire GI tract is a sensory organ and not just a digestive one.”10 Brilliant. I love the concept of communicative nourishment and function—the blend of chemistry, emotion, mind, body, and spirit working together for metabolic balance. The gastrointestinal tract provides nourishment for all cellular activity. Perhaps that’s why Hippocrates believed that all disease starts in the gut.11 Caution: Bitters should be avoided in dogs with chronic acid reflux, kidney or gallbladder stones, ulcers, severe gastrointestinal inflammation, or pregnancy.
Bitters: angelica, artichoke, burdock root, chamomile, dandelion, ginger, milk thistle seed
Trophorestoratives
Trophorestoratives are herbs that help restore function to specific areas of the body. For example, milky oats, lion’s mane mushroom, and St. John’s wort help slowly restore nervous system function. The effectiveness of these types of herbs will depend on your dog’s condition.
Trophorestoratives can gently help restore function, but as you can see, the severity of the condition can determine the range of healing.
Trophorestoratives for the nervous system: burdock root, chickweed, dandelion, gotu kola, hawthorn, horsetail (phytoembryonic), licorice root, lion’s mane mushroom, meadowsweet, milk thistle seed, milky oats, mullein, nettle, St. John’s wort
Your stress is your dog’s stress. Breathe. Don’t obsess. You are doing the best with the knowledge you have. At the end of the day, all your dog needs is to know you love them.
Nature is all around us but also inside us. Make time daily to connect, seek answers, be still, and listen. You can’t hold your dog’s health in stasis any more than you can your own; a healthy dog is a way of life.
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Rita Hogan, C.H., is a clinical canine herbalist with more than twenty years of experience specializing in holistic canine herbalism. An educator, speaker, writer, and herbal medicine maker, she lives and practices in Olympia, Washington.
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Rita Hogan
Photo Courtesy: Rita Hogan |
