 Ask the herbalist
Kidney stones
Dear Pat,
My eight-year-old GDS-cross has developed kidney stones. We have had him thoroughly checked out by the vet and there doesn't appear to be any specific reason for this happening. The vet said that if they get much larger they will have to operate on him. Before we take that option is there anything you can offer?
Susan
New York, USA
Dear Susan,
There are three things I would suggest. Firstly, a change of diet may be helpful so I suggest you email me with his current diet and I'll take a look at that. In the meantime it will be useful to add one teaspoon of organic apple cidar vinegar to his daily food. This will increase acidity and this helps to discourage stone formation. Also I recommend the use of a homeopathic Calc renalis which I have found very helpful in assisting the body to dissolve kidney stones.
Pat @ www.animalherbs.co.nz
Bloated chow chow
Dear Pat,
My little dog (a Chow Chow) quite often gets really bloated looking. Her belly gets really hard to the touch and she looks like a barrel. Do you know why that happens or what I can do about it?
Ellie
Rotorua, NZ
Dear Ellie,
Chow Chows are one of the breeds that are prone to bloating. Eating a large quantity of food, especially after lots of exercise, can be a cause. Also eating dried food, or cereal foods which can ferment, followed by a lot of water can cause it too. It is an idea to give her 2 or 3 small meals a day for a while and let her rest after her meal. Allow an hour between her meal and exercise.
I would also suggest giving her a herbal formula containing herbs such as Chamomile, St Mary's Thistle, Liquorice and Meadowsweet. This would be useful to improve her digestion. There are also homoeopathics which can be given to relieve her when she has one of these bouts. This would need to be chosen according to her specific symptoms. For example, Lycopodium would be the homoeopathic for when the bloating occurs after eating only a small amount of food.
Pat @ www.animalherbs.co.nz
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