Natural Treatments for Gallstones

What Causes Gallstones In Pets? 

Gallstones (choleliths) are hard, stone-like lumps of cholesterol, from excess bilirubin or bile salts in the bile. When there is too much cholesterol in gallbladder bile, the  stone that forms is called a cholesterol stone. When there is too much bilirubin in the gallbladder bile, the stone formed is called a pigment stone.

Eighty percent of gallstones are hardened lumps of cholesterol. These stones are generally yellowish-green in color. Pigment stones are darker in color. Their size can range from a tiny grain of sand to large as a marble.

Bile is made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, people and animals who have gallstones develop real problems when a stone tries to move through a duct and is too large pass. This obstruction can cause inflammation, infection and damage to the duct itself. Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting,  jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of eyes) and a persistent, sharp pain. Emergency surgical intervention may be emanate. Untreated or long lasting gallstone problems can be fatal.

In the long run prevention is the best bet! Enough can't be said for adjusting the diet to a better one. And early detection may allow you to nip it in the bud. By addressing the early symptoms, before they turn into chronic issues, you have a better chance of balancing the system and treating things while they are still manageable. This strategy more often than not can help you avoid the disease all together.

Vitamin E Treatment for Gallstones

When hamsters were given a diet deficient in vitamin E, all developed cholesterol gallstones. When the vitamin was given again, the stones dissolved. Animals given large amounts of cholesterol or saturated or unsaturated fats developed no gallstone as long as vitamin E was adequate.

Homeopathy for Gallstones in Pets

Homeopathy can be helpful in treating chronic gallstone problems. However, the remedies listed below are not recommendations for home or self-treatment, but as educational information about homeopathy and its use in potential gallstone treatments. It is important to remember that each patient presents unique symptoms and homeopathy is aimed at addressing the individual. So gallstone treatments may vary considerably between different animals or people.

Chionanthus (used for dissolving gallstones)

Calcarea carbonica (for the treatment of exhaustion and sensitivity/pains in upper abdomen)

Belladonna (dilates the cystic duct and alleviates pain)

Berberis vulgaris (for the treatment of pain, joint pain and constipation)

Bryonia (for the treatment of abdominal tenderness, nausea, pain)

Borax (used to dissolve gallstones)

Carbo Veg (for nausea and vomiting)

Cardus Marians (for treatment of an enlarged liver)

Chelidonium majus (for the treatment of nausea, pain and fatigue)

China (gastro-duodenal catarrh)

Cholestrinum, Fel tauri (increases duodenal secretions)

Hydrastis (reduces inflammation)

Lycopodium (for the treatment of bloating and digestive problems and cravings for sweets)

Nat Sulph (for indigestion)

Pulsatilla (anti-inflammatory and amoebia)

Mag phos (reduces spasms)

Colocynthis (for the treatment of cramping)

Dioscorea (for the treatment of flatulence and sudden, shifting pains)

Podophyllum (for treatment of constipation and diaherrea)

Nux vomica (for the treatment of nausea and digestive cramps)

Terebinthinum (distension of abdomen and diarrhea)
 
To learn more about holistic treatments and natural healing strategies for pets, be sure to visit Pet Remedy Charts the ultimate guide to using herbs, homeopathy, flower remedies and acupressure in home pet health care. Click Here learn more about homeopathic treatments for pets. 

Nutritional Therapies for Dogs and Cats

Guidelines to Giving Supplements

to Dogs and Cats

Can nutrients be used like medicine? Yes. They can play a major roll in the treatment of various disease conditions in dogs and cats. Nutrients are a natural part of the cellular environment. The use of nutrients as part of a therapeutic program for promoting healing and regeneration can help speed up and strengthen the healing response.

The nutrient and supplement list below is not necessarily complete for a given condition. The list is meant to be a general guideline and therefore should be changed or modified based on the assessment of individual cases. The actual dose range suggestions are presented only as a general guide. Actual daily dose depends on species variation, weight, age, physiologic state, and other dietary considerations. The doses given below are for educational purposes and are written in daily amounts. The amount used should be 'divided' and given in smaller portions, 2 or 3 times, as separate doses throughout the day.

Geriatric dog or cat

Supplement: B complex; B1, B2, B6 (5-30 mg), Folic acid, B12 (10-100) Vitamin C (25-4000 mg), Vitamin E (50-200 IU), Coenzyme Q10 (20-100 mg), Primrose oil (500-200 mg), Fish oil (250-1000), Digestive enzymes (4-160 mg), Dimethylglycine (24-100 mg), Zinc (1-15 mg).

Allergic dermatitis; atopy
Supplement: Vitamin C (500-600 mg), Digestive enzymes (4-160 mg), Primrose oil (1000-3000 mg), Fish oil (500-1500 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (10-200 mg), Vitamin E (50-400 IU), Dimethylglycine (50-250 mg), Vitamin A (500-10,000 IU).

Canine degenerative joint disease; disk and spinal disorders
Supplement: Perna mussel (300-1500 mg), Glucosamine sulfate (250-1500 mg), Bovine tracheal cartilage 500-2000 mg), Vitamin C (500-6000 mg), Sulfated minerals: Manganese (2-15 mg), Magnesium (24-300 mg), Zinc (5-30 mg). Silicon (2-10 mg), Vitamin B6 (5-60 mg).

Canine heartworm disease
Supplement: Coenzyme Q10 (20-150 mg), Vitamin C (500-6000 mg), Vitamin E (100-400 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (10-200 mg), L-Carnitine (200-2000 mg).

Canine seizures
Supplement: Betaine HCI (100-300 mg), Dimethylglycine (50-500 mg), Taurine (200-1000 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (10-200 mg).

Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disorders: Vitamin C (500-6000 mg)

Dilated cardiomyopathy: Vitamin E (50-400 IU)

Congestive heart failure: Coenzyme Q10 (20-100 mg)

Myocarditis: L-Carnitine (500-1000 mg)

In addition to the specific supplements: Taurine (100-1000 mg), Selenium (5-50), Fish oil (250-1000 mg), Dimethylglycine (50-250 mg).

Colitis - inflammatory bowel disease

Supplements: N-Acetyl glucosamine (250-1000 mg), Glutamine (250-3000 mg), Lactobacillus acidophilus (20-500 million microorganisms), Proanthocyanidin complex (10-200 mg), Dimethylglycine (50-200mg), Vitamin C (250-3000).

Chronic diarrhea

Supplements: N-Acetyl glucosamine (250-1500 mg), Digestive enzymes (4-200 mg), Lactobacillus acidophilus (20-500 million microorganisms), Glutamine (250-3000 mg).

Lingering illness
Supplements: Vitamin C (500-6000 mg), Vitamin E (100-400 IU), Proanthocyanidin complex (20-200 mg), Digestive enzymes (10-200).

Connective tissue disorders: Vitamin C (500-6000 mg).

Arthritis: Perna mussel (300-1500 mg).

Hip dysplasia: (Glucosamine sulfate (250-1500 mg).

Sprains: Proanthocyanidin complex (10-200 mg).

In addition to the specific supplements: Glycosaminoglycans (100-1000 mg), Primrose oil (250-1000 mg).

Canine Demodicosis (red mange or "demodex")

Supplements: Vitamin C (500-6000 mg), Digestive enzymes (4-160 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (10-200 mg), Primrose oil (250-1500 mg), Dimethylglycine (50-250 mg), Vitamin A (500-10,000 IU).

Diabetes mellitus

Supplements: Chromium (50-300), Vitamin C (500-6000 mg), Digestive enzymes (4-160 mg), N-Acetyl glucosamine (200-1500 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (20-200 mg).

Feline hyperthyroidism

Supplements: B complex vitamins; B1, B2, B6 (2-10 mg), Coenzyme Q10 (10-60 mg), Primrose oil (250-1000 mg).

Feline immunodeficiency virus

Supplements: Vitamin C (500-6000 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (5-30 mg), Coenzyme Q10 (20-100 mg), Dimethylglycine (50-200 mg).

Food intolerance

Supplements: Pantothenic acid (20-150 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (10-200 mg), B complex vitamins: B1, B2, B6 (4-40 mg), Folic acid (50-200 mg), Digestive enzymes (4-160 mg).

Lyme disease

Supplements: Vitamin C (500-6000 mg), Fish oil (250-1500 mg), Perna mussel (250-1500 mg), Vitamin E (50-400 IU), Vitamin A (500-10,000 IU).

Neoplasia The growth and development of benign or malignant tumors.): Shark cartilage (5-40 g).

Vascular tumors (a growth (benign or malignant) formed from blood vessels): Coenzyme Q10 (20-100 mg).

Melanoma (cancer of the pigment producing cells in the skin): Vitamin C (1000-10,000 mg).

In addition to the specific supplements: Dimethylglycine (50-500 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (10-200 mg).

Periodontal (gum) disease

Supplements: Coenzyme Q10 (10-100 mg), Vitamin C (500-6000 mg), Bioflavonoid complex (200-1500 mg).

Cataracts

Supplements: Glutathione (50-250 mg), Vitamin C (500-4000), Coenzyme Q10 (20-100 mg), Proanthocyanidin complex (20-200 mg), Vitamin E (50-400 IU), Dimethylglycine (100-400 mg).

To learn more about holistic treatments and natural healing strategies for pets, be sure to visit Pet Remedy Charts the ultimate guide to using herbs, homeopathy, flower remedies and acupressure in home pet health care.

Healing With Color

Chromotherapy for Pets

It may sound like hocus pocus to some but human hospitals have been practicing it for years, starting with green hospital gowns and painting the rooms in pale blues or green. Light therapy (phototherapy or conventional ultraviolet light phototherapy) is used in hospitals by doctors to treat high bilirubin blood levels in infants and in dermatology to treat skin disorders such as acne or psoriasis. Light therapy is also commonly used to treat patients who experience seasonal affective disorder (living in areas where there is less sun light can cause depression and emotional disorders in some people).

The marketing industry knows that color affects mood and uses it strategically in advertising and packaging to increase sales. The restaurant industry caught on long ago when they started decorating walls in vibrant colors and upholstering booths in bright reds and oranges. Festive colors stimulate people, which makes them want to eat more quickly and that means a higher turn over in customer seating.

Clinical Effectiveness

Every substance on earth contains color. Even the rays cast on earth by celestial bodies contain color in the form of white light. The rays of the sun contain seven different colors violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. These are natural colors which are highly beneficial to the maintenance of health and for healing disease.

Sunlight is the principal curative agent in nature’s laboratory and where light cannot enter, disease will. Anemia, cancer, emaciation, muscular debility, degeneration of heart and liver, edema, softening of bones, nervous excitability, physical deformity, stunted growth and respiratory problems can result from the lack of the beneficial effects of suns light.

Light and color therapy can also be used to enhance the healing capabilities of animals.

If animals cannot see all colors, how can we use colors to treat them?

We know that dogs see Violet, Indigo, Blue, Yellow and Red, including various shades of these colors. Green, Yellow and Orange are too similar to dogs for them to tell them apart. Cats see Purple, Blue, Green and Yellow. Red, Orange and Brown appear as shades of Grey or Purple. Still, color therapy has been successfully used in dogs, cats and horses, as well as pocket pets and birds.

What we need to remember is that each color has a specific wavelength and frequency. The body absorbs light in this energetic form, regardless of what the eyes see. So, Red at a wavelength of 780 to 622nm or a frequency of 384 to 483 THz (depending on the shade) has a different effect on the body than the color Blue at 492 to 455 nm or 610 to 659 THz (Tera hz). Color healing or light therapy works on all bodies due to their response to these differences in light frequencies.

The Energetic Color wheel
The Energetic Color wheel, it is divided into 12 colors in 4 sections. The Median Color Green; the Infra Green colors: lemon-green, yellow, orange and red; the Ultra Green Colors: Turquoise, Blue Indigo and Violet; the Circulatory/Reproductive/Emotional Colors of Scarlet, Magenta and Purple. Green brings the physical body into balance, Magenta the emotional body. Each color influences the body in it’s own way.

Calming colors such as greens and blues can be left in the cage of an animal in the form of colored blankets or towels. It can even help without special lighting.

The action and effect of various colors and their healing qualities:

Red: Symbolic of heat, fire and anger, it is a stimulating and energing color. It stimulates arterial blood and brings warmth to cool extremities. Used as a general tonic, it is very valuable in the treatment of disease like low blood pressure, rheumatism, paralysis, Anaemia and advanced cases of tuberculosis. Do not use this color if there is heat in the body such as inflammation or fever.

Orange: Symbolic of prosperity and pride, orange is useful for stimulating blood supply and energizing the nerves. It is beneficial in the treatment of kidney and gall stones, hernia and appendicitis. It is also used to stimulate milk production after giving birth. Do not use this color if there is heat in the body such as inflammation or fever.

Violet: Violet is beneficial in the treatment of nervous and emotional disturbances, arthritis, acute cases of consumption and insomnia.

Yellow: Associated with joy and happiness, yellow is laxative and diuretic. It is a stimulant to the brain, the liver and the spleen. It is also effective in the treatment of diabetes, indigestion, kidney and liver disorders, constipation, eye and throat infections, syphilis and impotence.

Purple: Purple or indigo combines the blood-warming red and the cooling antiseptic blue. It is an excellent stimulant without being an irritant. It is beneficial in the treatment of advanced stages of constipation, hydrocele, and leucorrhoea, many disorders of stomach and womb, cataract, migraine and skin disorders. It exerts a soothing effect on the eyes, ears and the nervous system.

Green: Made up of blue and yellow, green is regarded as a color of harmony. It is a mild sedative. It is useful in the treatment of nervous conditions, hay fever, ulcers, influenza, malaria, colds, sexual disorders and cancer. It preserves and strengthens eyesight. Being highly medicinal and depressive, it is of great help in the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

Blue: Cool, soothing and sedative, blue alleviates pain, reduces bleeding and heals burns. It is beneficial in the treatment of dysentery, colic, asthma, respiratory disorders, high blood pressure and skin aberrations. In a study at the New England state Hospital in the United States, 25 members of staff with normal blood pressure were bathed in blue light for half an hour. It resulted in universal fall in blood pressure. The blood pressure rose when the red light was applied.

Methods and Instructions

Charged Water Method

In this method, colored glass bottles are used. These bottles should be sterilized and filled to three-fourths full with distilled water. The bottles should be capped or corked and then placed in bright sunlight for three to four hours. After this exposure, the water is said to acquire medicinal properties and this color-charged water can be used in both internal and external applications. Externally, wounds and ulcers can be washed with the treated water and it can also be used to massage the affected parts or it can be applied as a compress.

Internal Dosage Suggestions for Pets, any animal can be given from 1 to 30 ml (depending on size). Tiny animals 1 ml., small cats or dogs, 5 ml, Medium dogs 10 ml, Large dogs 15 ml and Giant breeds or horses 30 ml. of colored-charged water as a single dose. The dose can be repeated as necessary. Human doses can be broken down the same way. The adult dose for a human would be 30 ml.

Direct Light Method

The easiest way to achieve the effect is by using naturally dyed silk cloth, colored pieces of glass, cellophane or translucent vellum (from an art supply store). Put the colored material of choice in front of a 25-40 Watt bulb or flashlight. For use in rehabilitation the animal can receive whole body tonation. Or the light may be focused directly on the affected parts (using the beam from a strong flash light). For therapeutic benefit, light therapy treatments should last 30 to 60 minutes.

Contraindications

There are some important contraindications to color treatment which should be kept in mind while using this method of healing. For instance, the red color would be injurious in inflammatory conditions, and in cases of fever and excitable temperament. If the red light is employed for too long and frequently, it may produce fevers. The danger can be eliminated by only using the red light for a few minutes at a time or by placing a wet compress over the head, neck or belly region.

Similarly, yellow should not be used when an animal is nervous or irritable. Yellow and orange or reddish tones should not be used during fevers, acute inflammations, diarrhea, neuralgia, palpitation of the heart and any condition of an over excited system.

In cases of paralysis, chronic rheumatism, respiratory disorders and in all cold, pale and dormant conditions of the system, blue, indigo and violet many prove to be too cooling and stagnating and should be avoided in these conditions.

Color Therapy also Plays a Roll In Diet

A balanced diet is essential during any treatment of disease. The patient should be given food items with analogous coloring.

The various colors contained in different food items are:

Red: Beets, tomatoes, watercress, most red-skinned, fruits, red berries and water melon.

Orange: Orange-skinned vegetables and fruits such as carrot, apricot, mango, peach and papaya.

Violet: Dark berries

Yellow: Yellow squash, pumpkin, melon, banana, mango, yellow apple.

Purple: Foods having both blue and violet coloring.

Green: Most of the green vegetables and fruits such as gourds, spinach, plantain, romaine lettuce, pea, green mango, gooseberry, pears, beans.

Blue: Blue plum, blue beans, berries.

Special Note: It is extremely important when treating any animal to maintain positive energy and a gentle approach. All beings, especially wild or injured animals or companion animals that are afraid and out of their element, sense their surroundings. Being mindful to be calm and quiet when tending to these patients, this will decrease their anxiety and encourage faster healing on their part. Make their habitat an area of safety where the animal does not constantly feel exposed and learn about the habits of individual species to further decrease stress and increase their comfort level as they heal.

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Herbs in Science - Chilli Peppers

Capsaicin Belly Rub

New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) shows that a common, over-the-counter pain ointment rubbed on the skin during a heart attack could serve as a cardiac-protectant, preventing or reducing damage to the heart while interventions are administered. These findings are published in the Sept. 14 edition of the journal Circulation.

Keith Jones, PhD, a researcher in the department of pharmacology and cell biophysics, and scientists in his lab have found that applying capsaicin (cap-SAY-isin) to specific skin locations in mice caused sensory nerves in the skin to trigger signals in the nervous system. These signals activate cellular "pro-survival" pathways in the heart which protect the muscle. Capsaicin is the main component of chili peppers and produces a hot sensation. It is also the active ingredient in several topical medications used for temporary pain relief. Capsaicin is approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Jones is working with Neal Weintraub, MD, a UC Health cardiologist and director of UC's cardiovascular diseases division, and other clinicians to construct a translational plan to test capsaicin in a human population.

"Topical capsaicin has no known serious adverse effects and could be easily applied in an ambulance or emergency room setting well in advance of coronary tissue death," Jones says. "If proven effective in humans, this therapy has the potential to reduce injury and/or death in the event of a coronary blockage, thereby reducing the extent and consequences of heart attack."

Researchers observed an 85 percent reduction in cardiac cell death when capsaicin was used.

They also found that a small incision made on the abdomen triggered an 81 percent reduction.

"Both this and the capsaicin effect are shown to work through similar neurological mechanisms," Jones says. "These are the most powerful cardioprotective effects recorded to date.

"This is a form of remote cardioprotection, using a skin stimulus that activates cardioprotection long before the blocked coronary artery is opened."

Weintraub adds that this finding offers an important distinction between existing therapies.

"All of the current interventions require the vessel to be opened before doctors can act, and since it takes time to elicit protection, tissue dies," he says. "This treatment will protect the heart before the vessel is opened while producing a strong protective effect that is already active when we open the vessel."

Jones and Weintraub think that skin—the main sensor and largest human body organ—has evolved to protect animals, including humans, in a variety of ways.

"By activating these sensors in the nervous system, via skin, we think that a response to preserve and protect the heart is triggered," Weintraub says.

"We think that this technique is fooling the body into sending out protective signals," Jones adds. "This may be similar to the way certain acupuncture treatments work; there may be a neurological basis. In a broad sense, this work may provide a 'Rosetta stone' for translating alternative medicine techniques—like acupuncture—to Western medicine. Perhaps we can understand the biological mechanisms of how alternative treatments may be successful for patients."

Now, researchers will further explore this concept by investigating which sensors are associated with certain aspects of organ protection—and how much of specific stimuli are needed to produce the desired responses.

"This could help create favorable outcomes for those who are experiencing stroke, shock or are in need of an organ transplant, and the best part is that it is done non-invasively and is relatively inexpensive," Jones says.

We warn against rubbing capsaicin on your belly if you feel like you are having a heart attack and we warn you against rubbing it on your pet's belly if you think they are in heart failure. But it might be handy to keep some in your first aid kit, to use in a crisis on the way to the hospital or the vet!

We don't know if it will work for all indications, for all patients, and we don't know if it will work over an extended amount of time. A major goal is testing this therapy in clinical trials, but we still need to study more about dosage and application—where we put it on the body for the best results. However, this has tremendous clinical potential and could eventually save lives.

To learn more about holistic treatments and natural healing strategies for pets, be sure to visit Pet Remedy Charts the ultimate guide to using herbs, homeopathy, flower remedies and acupressure in home pet health care.