Alternative Treatment Seminar

Dr. Paul Dettloff, a highly acclaimed vet from Wisconsin, came to Oregon to teach a basic seminar on alternative medicine for large animals (sheep, goats, cows), and a friend and I decided to see what it was all about.

What a whirlwind event. Five hours of intensive discussion, lectures and information overload.

Overview: the most effective medicine is prevention. Healthy animals can only be cultivated by starting with the three pillars: 1. highly-mineralized soil, 2. full-stemmed forage, 3. high brix. Supplementation is essential, as well as culling to improve animal genetics. Beyond this starting point, well-made herbal medicines have the potential not only to equal conventional treatment, but exceed the current standards while caring for the whole health of the animal and not allowing harmful bacteria to mutate out of control.

Here are some of my notes for perusal...



Alternative Treatments

Aloe vera supports the immune system by suppressing cortisol, a stress hormone. Dosage is 1 oz. per hundredweight, 2x a day. Has 10 different uses, including: heals the epithelium, synovial joints, and is also anti-inflammatory.

Vit. C and other antioxidants scavenge debris and stimulate the Thymus gland, which is directly responsible for producing T-cells in the immune system. The tincture form lasts up to 18 hours in the bloodstream, as opposed to only 4 hours when taken in powder/capsule form.

Humates: think gut health. Cryptosporidem and coccidiosis prevention in calves, improved forage utilization in adult animals, etc. Dr. Paul's Calf Start contains humates: dosage is 1/2 oz. per day for four weeks after calving, and 3 days at weaning.

Arnica: use for hemhorrage, trauma, injury (best combination is arnica, comfrey and colloidal silver). Either herb or homeopathic form works.

Burdock root: use for fatty liver prevention in cattle.

Garlic: many uses, typically only off-flavors milk when wild onion tops (flowering) are eaten fresh. Dried garlic is not a problem in typical dosage.

Lavender essential oil for wounds/foot sores.

ACV is a precursor to carbonic acid... which in turn liberates calcium for absorbtion (aha!). One of the best forms of supplemental calcium is Oregonite calcium. ACV also helps alkalinize the system (the appropriate pH of a cow's rumen is 6.5... most animals feed a lot of grain becomes dangerously acidic: acidosis).

Supplements for dairy cattle should include (all free choice, loose minerals) kelp, Redmond sea salt, humates, and a 2-1 or 1-1 blend of calcium/phosphorus.



Animal Health

What to look for when purchasing an animal:

* Shiny coat (long-haired in winter)
* Thymic swirl (on neck above brisket) will reflect sunlight
* 'Happy lines' along body
* No red tinge (shows copper deficiency, parasites or stray voltage)
- Look at ear/tail of Jerseys
* Strong feet/legs.
* Wide (think heavy-set) body.
- Calves raised on milk replacer will be 'two-stories' (tall, all legs), often ears will be wider than the rest of the body, thin and anaemic.
* Eyes - alert but not jittery (indicates too much potassium in diet - i.e. NPK fertilized hay.
* Talk for a few minutes to the animal, rub along the cowlick and down the neck.
* Cows - test for Staph A and Johnnes
* Goats - test for Johnnes

Johnnes disease: many scary similarities to the human Chrohnes disease. Iron with a hydrogen atom added has an added positive charge (acidotic state), and has been linked with Johnnes. Cause: GMO corn and changes in gut flora. Johnnes is usually caught/transferred before the age of 6 months, adult cows rarely get it.

Assisting calving: In a breach birth, run hand up right side of calf and down left, check for cord caught around the left leg. Be patient and pull slowly. In uterine torsions, vulva looks more puckered. Don't be afraid to get in there and have a feel around, but know when you're beat and call for help.

Ketosis: treat with ACV, molasses, Dr. Paul's Wellness Tonic, and some grain.

Pressure points: at the insertion of the milk vein, towards the animal's head, put you finger in the little hollow and press to help with milk let-down. To stop bleeding (especially from the udder), pull back on the pin ligaments (towards the head) until stitching is in. There are also pressure points along the back/neck when meeting a new animal, to calm them.



Soil Health

Rather than thinking in terms of NPK fertilizer, the CEC (Cationic Exchange Capacity) of the soil should be about 60% Calcium, 15% Magnesium, and 5% Potassium.

Field amendments in a wet climate like NW Oregon are almost always deficient in Calcium, Sulphur and Boron. For soil improvement, use Gypsum and apply foliar sprays containing Solu-bor annually.

Foliar spray for your pastures/lawns:

In a 2-gallon container, mix:

3 oz. ACV (cationic activator)
4 oz. Liquid Fish (protein)
3 oz. molasses (energy)
3 oz. liquid kelp (trace minerals)
4 oz. humic/folic acid
1/4 C. Redmond salt
1 quart raw milk (beneficial bacteria)
2 oz. garlic (barrier)
optional: Solubor (boron) and Sulfur (1 oz.) as indicated by soil test

Winter Herbal Remedies

Do you know how to make some common herbal remedies?

Most people I talk to aren't sure where to start. It is incredibly easy and safe, however, so don't be afraid to try!

Winter cold and flu season is coming up, so I thought I'd post a couple cost-effective natural herbal medicines that you can make at home...

Elderberry Tincture

1. Put 1/2 C. of dried whole ripe Black Elderberries (sambucas nigras) in a glass pint canning jar. Fresh berries can be used, however you will need 190 proof alcohol.
2. Add enough 90-100 proof vodka to cover the dried berries. Alternatives to alcohol include vinegar or vegetable glycerine. Alcohol is the most effective menstruum for drawing out the medicinal properties of the herbs, however.
3. Screw on the jar lid and place in a dark cupboard.
4. The next day, if the berries have swelled above the liquid level, add more menstruum (alcohol) to cover.
5. Every day for four weeks, shake jar once a day.
6. After four weeks, strain liquid through a strainer or cheesecloth into a dark glass storage bottle (with dropper is best). Compost the marc (used berries).

Typical adult dosage is 1-2 droppers 1-3 times per day. This remedy is extremely effective for boosting your immune system in general, and preventing the flu virus.

Decongestant Tea

1 T. dried yarrow leaves/flowers
1 T. dried peppermint leaves
1 T. dried elder flowers
pinch of cayenne pepper, or as much as you can stand ;)

Place dried herbs in a glass bowl or glass quart measuring cup. Pour 4 C. boiling water over the herbs and decoct (steep), covered with a glass plate, for at least 10 minutes. Drink throughout the day (with a little honey if needed).

As a general rule, when taking herbal medicine, only administer 6 days out of 7, taking a break one day a week so that your body can work through any buildup of certain substances like alkaloids.

Start at the smallest dose recommended, and increase slowly as you watch how your body responds to the treatment - people whose liver is not functioning well should certainly be more careful when using herbs.

*Disclaimer: you try these remedies at your own risk, I am simply sharing from experience, not as a licensed medical practitioner ;)

Herbal Tincture Making

This post is specifically for you, Caitlyn - enjoy!

1. You begin with some 100 proof alcohol (I used Vodka) - this is called the menstruum.

2. Then you grab some fresh or dried herbs.
3. Put herbs in a glass canning jar and pour in the alcohol until the herbs are covered plus 1/4 inch headspace. I found that leafy herbs absorbed much more alcohol than did roots, berries and bark.

4. The best time to begin your tinctures is the day of the new moon, and after shaking each day for about 4 weeks, strain the herbs through cheesecloth and carefully pour the liquid that is left into dark glass bottles.

Mind you, I know there is a lot of quack stuff out there in the herbal community, but I thought this was interesting: Chinese herbal medicine teaches that "herbs gathered in the spring, in the morning, or at the waxing moon, made up of rapidly growing tissues, the leaves, green tips and other parts when green, will tend to encourage upward movement. Herbs gathered in midsommer, at noon and at the full moon, made up of the mature parts of the plant, the flowers, fruit and associated structures, would tend to encourage outward movement. One would use such remedies to disperse cold, to assist superficial defences against both cold and heat and to counteract symptoms of excessive sinking in the body or excessive penetration (i.e. disease conditions moving past primary defences to establish themselves as chronic pathologies). Rising remedies might include heating remedies, emetics and expectorants, the astringents and the peripheral vasodilators.

"Herbs gathered in the autumn, in late afternoon and during the waning moon, with drying plant tissues, stalks, fallen leaves, parts of the plant that have lost their full colour, the rhizomes and tubers that encourage downward movement while those associated with dormancy, latency, hidden potency, with the plant in winter, at night and at the new moon, with quiescent latent tissues, especially seeds, buds and rootstocks, will encourage inward movement. Both tendencies are encouraged by harvesting and storage. They would tend to be used to reduce excessive heat, encourage nourishing and eliminatory activities and counteract symptoms of excessive rising in the body, such as vomiting, coughing, headaches, convulsions, spastic conditions such as asthma and nervous dyspepsia, and neuromuscular tensions. These remedies might include the antispasmodics, sedatives, bitters, antitussives, purgatives and diuretics." - quoted from 'Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy'

Hm, I wonder what natural laws could be the reason for this thinking?

I thank God for these wonderful healing plants!

Yes! I am done with module 1 of the Naturally Healthy Community Herbalist course by Shonda Parker. What a fabulous overview of healing foods, how to avoid excessive toxic exposure, understand medical terms and lab tests, how to practice Christian hospitality and organize your pantry and kitchen.

P.S. My 'Immune Defense' and 'Winter Health' concoctions seem to be helpful along with the vitamin C, zinc, garlic and echinacea for keeping the immune system strong this winter. Since I'm around little kids from different families a lot because of my music teaching, I usually bring in the big guns (tincture of oregano and elderberry) if I feel slightly iffy. That, a positive outlook, friends, sleep, and eating well are all just as helpful for staying healthy!