• "A dog has lots of friends because he wags his tail and not his tongue" -Author Unknown
  • "Every boy should have two things: a dog and a mother willing to let him have one." - Anonymous
  • "Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies." - Gene Hill
  • A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same. - Elbert Hubbard
  • "A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away." -Bil Keane
  • "A meow massages the heart." - Stuart McMillan
  • "There is more to life than increasing speed." -Mahatma Ghandi
  • "Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it." - J. Petit Senn
  • "If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong." - Pat Parelli
  • "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." - Winston Churchill
  • "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." -Roger Caras
  • "No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle." - Winston Churchill
  • "Agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." - George Eliot
  • "To err is human - to forgive, canine."
  • "Money may buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail." -Kinky Friedman
  • "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France
  • "I hope to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am." - Unknown
  • "Horses - if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself." - Author unknown
  • "Are we really sure the purring is coming from the kitty and not from our very own hearts?" - Terri Guillemets
  • "There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." - Ben Williams

Western & Chinese Herbs

 

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What is the difference between Western and Chinese Herbs?

Western herbs are generally plants that are grown in the Western part of the world. Chinese herbs are from China and are generally put into formulations of 4-10 specific Chinese herbal ingredients to apply a complex theory of holistic treatment according to Traditional Chinese Medicine principles.

What are herbs?

Herbs are medicinal plants containing as active ingredients only plants, parts of plants or plant materials, or combinations thereof.

What is the difference between a drug and an herb?

An herb is a plant part in its entirety, while a drug is a synthesized copy of one chemical component. An herb's total effect is a result of the combination of the chemicals.

The beginning of the pharmaceutical world is derived from herbs. The Foxglove leaf was determined to help with the treatment of heart failure in 1785. Researchers isolated a component and isolated the drug digitoxin.

Herbalists believe that by using the entire herb versus extracting one chemical to make a drug makes an herb potentially more powerful for healing than a pharmaceutical compound. Also, herbs in general have fewer side effects than synthetic compounds.

What forms do herbs come in?

Herbal remedies come in various forms: dried/bulk, oils, tinctures, capsules, tablets, ointments/creams.

What are Herbs used for?

There are many different Herb(s) and they can be used therapeutically for any appropriate medical condition or to protect organs of the body. An example is the very popular Milk Thistle which has tremendous liver protectant ability with virtually no side effects or problems.

NATURAL does not equal SAFE

rocksIt is a common misconception for someone to think that because it is 'natural' it can do no harm. This is not true, herbs can interact with each other, can interact with medications and can cause toxicity problems. In order to decrease the chance of a problem, make sure that you

  1. Research the herbs carefully before using them.
  2. Discuss the herbs with your veterinarian.
  3. Use high quality herbs and suppliers.

For detailed information on specific herbs visit http://www.vbma.org/