British Association of Veterinary Herbalists

23/02/2022

27/01/2021

Name: Jordan Carnwath and Reagan Carnwath

Tell us a bit about yourself: Yes we are twin sisters! We both studied veterinary medicine at the University of Glasgow and now have a lovely holistic veterinary practice together just a stones throw from where we grew up, in the heart of Glasgow.

Reagan: After qualifying Reagan went into a busy mixed practice in rural Galloway before moving back to small animal practice in Glasgow. My journey into holistic veterinary education started when I was still at vet school when I undertook a course in western herbal medicine. After qualifying from vet school I moved to a rural practice in Galloway before returning to Glasgow to small animal practice. I went on to study for my acupuncture diploma, undertake a course in nutrition and I am currently studying for a certificate in veterinary Chinese herbal medicine.
I have a wonderful 2 year old son who keeps me busy when I am not at the practice. Two wonderful canine companions and a kitty cat.

Jordan: I was lucky to have spent my childhood and much of my young adult life in the company of horses, dogs, cats and wildlife. It was this time that kindled my passion for all four legged creatures and sparked my desire to help and support them in any way I could.
After graduating from the University of Glasgow I completed an equine internship at the Royal Veterinary College in London and then spent several years in first opinion practice, in the Forest of Dean. I went on to study TCVM acupuncture and undertook the graduate diploma in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine.
I grow many medicinal plants in my garden at home, combining my love for herbal medicine with that of gardening, often using the results to treat friends, family and of course my 3 dogs and 7 rescue chickens!

How did you become interested in herbal medicine?
Reagan: I first developed an interest in herbal medicine after trying it on myself. From a basic cup of gentle chamomile tea to help me get off to sleep to the famous Echinacea when I got the cold, my interests grew. As I read more I began to use plant medicine on my dogs, Patch and Scrap and even my young family! I am fascinated with plant medicine and can often be found growing and gathering plants and making my own medicine.

Jordan: During my time in first opinion practice, I found myself searching more and more for the root cause of my patients problems, evaluating their lifestyles and diets and looking for treatments to support them, rather than simply treating their symptoms.
When i discovered traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture a switch flicked, finally I felt able to treat my patients in a way I felt they deserved. From here my passion for holistic therapies has grown, I am currently studying towards a graduate diploma in veterinary herbal medicine as well as looking at food therapy and other adjunct treatments to allow me to support all my patients in the most holistic way I can.

What is your favourite herb?
Reagan: So hard to pick one. Elder Sambucus nigra.
A wealth of folklore, romance and superstition the Elder tree is believed to be sacred and the trees natural gifts (flowers, berries and wood) have long been descried as blessings.
From one tree we can gather medicine to treat an astounding range of ailments. Parts used are flowers, leaves, berries and bark. The bark, leaves and root contain sambunigrin, which is potentially toxic because it can release cyanide. Cooked berries do not carry this risk.
The flowers are used to treat upper resipratory tract issues, cold and flus, diabeted and constipation. It can also be used as a diuretic, diaphoretic and to stop bleeding.
The berries are rich in vitamins and antioxidants that boost your immune system. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and can help protect your heart.
The bark is a strong purgative to be used with care. It is also protective against seizures.

Jordan: Urtica dioica the humble stinging nettle!
Parts used: Left, seed, root
Leaf- for inflammatory disease
Root- for prostatic disease
Seed- for renal disease

Anti-inflammatory, diuretic, nutritive, homeostatic, antidiarrhoeal, kidney trophorestorative (seed)
Not only is nettle extremely good for you (it contains calcium, chromium, magnesium, zinc, cobalt, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, protein, riboflavin, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A and vitamin C!) it also tastes great- I love adding it to soups, stir fries, omelettes and bread. Don’t worry, the hairs are no longer ‘stingy’ after cooking.
I use nettle in lots of cases, particularly allergies, osteoarthritis, benign prostatic hypertrophy and chronic diarrhoea.
For me the best thing about nettle is that it is everywhere! So why not pick yourself some nettle’s (best to wear gloves, or pinch firmly to avoid the sting) and enjoy as a tea or part of a nutritious meal.

Where is your practice? Herbal Vet Scotland, 123 Allison Street, Glasgow, Scotland, G42 8NE.

Do you offer any other services? We are Scotland's only referral holistic veterinary practice. We offer herbal medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, raw and home cooked diet consults, microbiome analysis and restorative therapy and have a range of visiting practitioners offering additional therapies such as chiropractic treatment and massage. We have a shop at the practice that sells raw food and natural treats. We have a fully stocked dispensary and offer a dispensing service to other practitioners. We run talks and educational workshops both at our practice and throughout Scotland.
What are your contact details? www.herbalvetscotland.co.uk 0141 423 8633 [email protected]

17/11/2020

20/10/2020

For anyone who watched the cream tutorial and wanted to know the secret elephant cream ingredient. It was the mighty Centella Asiatica or Gotu Kola. Very good for scar tissue and helps healthy collagen production.

16/10/2020

We just wanted to thank everyone for their interest and participation in our first veterinary herbal medicine week! We hope you have had as much fun as we have had planning and delivering our FB chats!

16/10/2020

Creams or ointments can be custom made for our four legged patients and this is where the expertise of a herbal vet is really important. Watch this video made by Veerle for a tutorial on how to make creams.

16/10/2020

*CHANGE OF PLAN FOR TONIGHTS FB CHAT*
At 7pm we will post a pre-recorded video showing the process of making a cream and an ointment. We will be online from 7-7.45pm to answer any questions that you may have - just comment below the video.

15/10/2020

Join vets Susan Andresier and Vicky Simon as they guide you through a virtual herb walk, taking a look at medicinal herbs you might just have in your own garden!

14/10/2020

Join vet Chelsea Dawson for a discussion about the 'dos and don'ts' of treating your pets with herbal medicine.

13/10/2020

Join Susan Andresier and Amy Watson in a discussion about the TCVM approach to herbal medicine.

12/10/2020

Join vets Susan Andresier and Veerle Dejonckheere for an intro to the western approach to veterinary herbal medicine.

28/09/2020

Exciting news! Veterinary herbal medicine week (12th-18th October) is fast approaching! Please join us here every weekday at 7pm!

19/09/2020

One of our lovely vets Vicky talking about one of her patients.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=738288910051704&extid=LkS0lIQc1ediWxXh

04/08/2020

Herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years for both humans and animals. Unfortunately there is a lot of false advertising and dangerous advice out there when it comes to the use of these products in pets.
Join myself and Susan Andresier for a discussion on the safe use of herbal medicine in animals. Susan is the chair of the British Association of Veterinary Herbalists- so who better to ask about the use of herbs in the treatment of your pets?!

15/07/2020

02/07/2020

We found this on our way to school this morning.
Can you tell me which herb it is and one of it's many uses?

27/06/2020

And our next practitioner is:
Name: Vicky Simon

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Being a real nature lover, I spend a lot of time outside either exploring nature, foraging or growing my own vegetables. All in the company of my faithful dog friend!
Originally from Somerset I am thrilled to have just moved back to my home county to set up my own holistic practice. I have a collie, two cats and eight rescue chickens.
I graduated in 2012 and quickly signed onto a Veterinary Herbal Medicine course, having always had an interest in natural medicine.
My 1st job was at an integrated small animal veterinary practice in Yorkshire, where complementary medicines and natural feeding were used alongside conventional medicine, surgery and diagnostics. I brought herbal medicine to the team, and started learning and using other complementary medical techniques in practice, including homeopathy and acupuncture.
My 2nd job was also in an integrated veterinary practice, where my holistic medical knowledge continued to grow and integrated medicine became the normal way to treat all cases. It was here I qualified as a Veterinary Homeopath.
Now I am lucky enough to be able to focus on my passion for holistic medicine alone, with my own clinic & it’s very exciting! My favourite cases to manage are geriatrics, cancer, behaviour problems and chronic disease.

How did you become interested in herbal medicine?

I have always been interested in natural medicines and always intended to use herbal medicine, hence starting a course the Winter after I graduated!
The thing that appeals to me most about herbal medicine is that it is all around you and available to use, straight from nature if you have the no-how. Herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years so we have evolved with plants and they have evolved with us. I feel that this form of medicine really connects you with the environment around you and links you in with the seasons as you watch your medicines grow and change as the year progresses. This is something I have always done, as my family are veg growers, bird watchers and hedgerow foragers, amongst other nature-based activities, so herbal medicine seemed a natural progression.
Once I started learning about herbal medicine in more detail my interest and passion for it grew & grew. The possibilities with this form of medicine seem almost endless, and it never fails to amaze me as I discover more & more uses for different herbs.

What is your favourite herb?

There is a bit of an ongoing joke about my love of Withania somnifera (Ashwaganda) – it has such a plethora of uses and is an adaptogen, possibly my favourite herbal action! However, others have already spoken about it so I will branch out ;-)
A growing favourite that keeps surprising me with its diversity is Scutellaria Baicalensis, or Chinese Skullcap. I have used it in a huge range of cases, but most commonly in allergies, and cancer. A lot of research has been done on this herb in the last 10 years and it has some amazing uses.
It is an anti-inflammatory herb, known to act through various routes including inhibiting PGE2, which is a known contributor to the inflammatory micro-environment that allows cancer to grow and spread. It has also been found to selectively inhibit cancer cell growth through induction of apoptosis (cell death).
It’s inhibition of IL-1b gives it joint protective effects in osteoarthritis, and it inhibits COX-2 overproduction in haemorrhagic cystitis.
It has antioxidant (free radical scavenging) activity, as well as inhibiting Lipoxygenase, involved in inflammation and allergic responses. It regulates Th1/Th2 imbalances and histamine release in allergic disease.
Its various flavonoids have shown anti-anxiety, smooth muscle relaxation, liver protective and nerve protective actions.
It is also a great herbal anti-viral discussed in detail by Stephen Harrod Buhner in his book on Herbal Anti-Virals, as it protects ACE-2 and reduces IL-1b, so decreasing the impact of an infection and the mortality in severe cases, as well as protecting the lymph system and spleen. It has been found to reduce inflammatory cell infiltration to the lungs and reduce lung injury. It’s in my cold/flu/coronavirus prevention and treatment mix for my family and friends!
The more I learn/research about it, the more interesting it becomes!

Where is your practice?

In Wiveliscombe, Somerset, near the Devon border.

Do you offer any other services?

I take referrals for herbal medicine, homeopathy, and acupuncture, as well as offering consultations for general nutritional advice and holistic healthcare for small animals of all kinds, including small furries. I also offer referrals for herbal medicine and homeopathy for horses, and see the occasional chicken too.

What are your contact details?

[email protected]
www.holisticvetvicky.co.uk

22/06/2020

Here's a little quiz! I went around my garden and picked a few edible herbs and flowers which all have medicinal properties (except for one - the odd one out). How many can you identify?

20/06/2020

Our next practitioner is:

Name: Anna Mas

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I qualified as a vet in 1995 in Barcelona, I have been practicing as a small animal vet all over England since 1998. In 2014 I had what I like to call a brief encounter with cancer which was a huge catalyst for a fundamental change in my beliefs specially in regards to healing disease, life and also getting reconnected to nature and its force. Working on regaining inner balance has been my main focus since.

I changed my diet to plant based which started me on a path to looking deeper into healing and looked for more natural ways to support my body so I would not have a similar experience again. I organically started to look for ways in which I could do the same for my patients. I came across chiropractic for me and shortly after I had the opportunity to train as a veterinary chiropractic with IAVC. Even though veterinary chiropractic has amazing results, as a vet I wanted to get a more rounded skill set to provide balance and more support to my patients to heal from within to the extent possible in each case. Herbs were the obvious next choice as I was also using herbs myself so I took the Essentials of Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine with the CIVT last year, the certificate will be next as I want to learn as much as possible about the huge array of powerful solutions that nature provides us with.

Herbs have this incredible combination of numerous natural compounds that work in synergy, even compounds that are present in smaller amounts play an important role in how each herb supports the healing process. Some of those smaller components do counteract possible adverse effects that other main compounds could cause unlike man made drugs that have refined a main compound and therefore they have more of a chance to cause side effects.

We evolved with plants, so did our pets. Our bodies recognize those compounds and can draw all their power more naturally. I also like the fact that they work on stress, anxiety and emotional issues much better than many of the drugs available in veterinary medicine.

How did you get interested in herbal medicine?

I used to buy Licorice root by the piece and chew on it as a child and now it’s my evening tea. I love the taste. I used to go hiking in Catalonia and pick thyme herb and make a soup with it. I also used to chew rosemary or fennel if I come across them which I still do. We had several herbs at home for various ailments and as I mentioned earlier I have used them more recently to support my body heal. I have added green tea and Ashwaganda since.

Which is your favourite herb?

Personally I love Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera ), I really feel the difference in my stress levels and overall feeling of balance when I take it. It’s a great herb with many properties and it's taste is not very strong which helps with my patients. I like the fact that is an anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and antioxidant which is the main reason I use it for. I use it in many of my patients.

Where is your practice?

At the moment I locum in the Midlands, and I use herbs alongside conventional medication to treat many of my patients. I have recently started a house visit referral service around the same area but I am open to treat patients where they are in England, (if I am able ) within about a 2h radius from Warwick.

ANNIMAS, Natural Healing Vet,
annimas.co.uk,
[email protected]

Do you offer any other services?

Yes, I use a combination of veterinary chiropractic, herbs, craniosacral and emotional release therapies and also look into diets to provide an all rounded support to patients that have chronic disease, pain, stress, anxiety and emotional issues as disease is multifactorial.

13/06/2020

Practitioner profile:
Name: Amy Watson
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born and bred in the Black Country so I’m a Brummie at heart, despite now being based on
the Dorset-Wiltshire-Hampshire border. I qualified as a vet in 2005 and spent the next 8 years in a
large veterinary hospital in Wiltshire. I wanted to do acupuncture for a fair few years and finally
started training in acupuncture in 2013. I completely fell in love with it, and then gained my
international certificate in veterinary acupuncture. This is based in chinese medicine philosophy
and picking my points from a different philosophy and seeing my results improve really ignited my
interest in chinese medicine. The logical next step was to train in traditional chinese herbal
medicine and I am now working towards completing my advanced certificate in veterinary chinese
herbal medicine.
How did you become interested in herbal medicine?
Having seen the improved results that I was getting in my acupuncture by picking my points from
a chinese medicine perspective as opposed to a more western point selection, I wanted to see if I
could help my patients even more by using other tenets of chinese medicine. The natural choice
was herbs. With acupuncture, I can ‘move things around’ and help the organs do their jobs more
effectively (from a TCVM perspective) but I couldn’t put any ‘fundamental substances’ into the
body - for that you need to use herbs or food. I decided to start training in veterinary chinese
herbal medicines with the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies and I am now working my
way through my advanced certificate in veterinary chinese herbal medicine. There’s so much
detail that it’s taking me a little longer than I thought it would, but I adore the learning that I’m
doing! And the results that I’m seeing in my patients make it so rewarding.
What is your favourite herb?
This is tricky because in chinese herbal medicine we use formulas, which are a combination of
herbs, to support the body, as opposed to picking individual herbs. So I’m going to pick my
favourite formula instead! Even picking just one formula is a challenge! The formula that I’ve
picked is Xiao Yao San, also known as Rambling Ease or Happy Wanderer. This is a real
workhorse of a formula and it falls into the category of being a harmonising formula. It is often
used as a base formula with other herbs added to modify how it can be used, but it is also
regularly used without the addition of other herbs. It does a little bit of what many of our patients
need, it’s a little bit of a mover, a little bit of a ‘blood’ builder and a little bit of a ‘Qi’ builder - all of
this is metaphorical chinese medicine so please don’t extrapolate this to the concept of blood etc
in our usual medical lexicon. It contains Bupleurum, Angelica, White Peony, Mint, White
Atractylodes, a mushroom called Poria and Liquorice. Together these herbs can provide support
for of a variety of conditions, including IBD, irritability, depression (and studies in humans have
shown that this formula can be as beneficial as the antidepressant category known as selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors), some liver disorders (it’s lovely in the recovery stage of hepatopathy
or pancreatitis-if the patient fits the formula from a chinese pattern perspective), some micro
vascular shunts, anaemia (Angelica is a bone marrow stimulant). I love the formula is much that a
pot of it lives in my kitchen for when I am in need (which is often, with two small children). It
makes me sit back, relax and just go with the flow, making me a ‘happy wanderer’ in my life again!
Where is your practice?
I’m based in Cranborne in Dorset, between Salisbury and Bournemouth. http://www.pinpointvetcare.com/
Do you offer any other services?
I offer acupuncture, Canine Rehabilitation, laser therapy as a stand alone treatment or in
conjunction with other treatment options, diet audits and herbal medicine, with the emphasis on
integrating these into the current treatment regime that your pet may be on.

08/06/2020

Shinrin-yoku - or forest bathing is a Japanese therapy involving spending time in forests. It is thought that the volatile oils released from the trees and plants have a calming effect. I know that myself and the dogs feel much better after a good trip out to the forest.

05/06/2020

Practitioner profile:

Name: Veerle Dejonckheere

Tell us a bit about yourself:
I qualified as a vet in 2001 in Belgium. After a few years in France, I came to the UK. I started my herbal training around that time so now more than 15 years ago!!
I trained in acupuncture and chiropractic treatment in the next few years.
I work two days a week in a rehab centre but the rest of the time I work as an in house referral vet in a small animal conventional practice. I love being part of a team combining the best of two worlds, good conventional veterinary medicine with the unique opportunities that herbs offer.
My particular interests are geriatric care, cancer and chronic diseases.
I am always studying and love delving into the published research on herbal therapeutics.
I have two beautiful young sons who willingly take herbal tinctures. England has given me the love of gardening and outdoor life, even in the rain.
How did you become interested in herbal medicine?
My mother used to send me out to harvest wild herbs and I remember being obsessed with making herbariums as a kid. I discovered recently some old telephone books from the eighties with dried plants! My love for plants and the natural world, in general, started at a very young age.
My first boss in France was an osteopath and acupuncture vet. There was a huge phytotherapy pharmacy where they made herbal concoctions for farm animals and pets.
I am so proud to be part of a small group of British vets who are trying to make herbal medicine an integral part of everyday veterinary practice.
My biggest personal achievements so far have been to teach alongside Barbara Fougere and the fact that I have inspired some other young vets to look at herbal therapeutics. I love my job and find enormous joy in treating my furry patients.

What is your favourite herb?
My favourite herb changes almost monthly but if there is a king of Western herbs then it must be the humble Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).
Dandelion leaves and root have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat liver, gall bladder, kidney ailments, weak digestion and rheumatism. They are also considered mildly laxative and the leaves have traditionally been used as a diuretic. The French name pissenlit means wet the bed because of its diuretic qualities.
Dandelions are also used in the kitchen. The buds can be pickled like capers. We made this year dandelion jelly to go with our pancakes. The root can be used to make a coffee substitute and the young leaves can be used in salads.
It is a rich source of vitamins A, B, C and D and there are claims that there is more vitamin A in dandelion leaves than carrots.

Where is your practice?
Bristol and Bath area (www.chapel-farm.co.uk, www.ashmanjones.co.uk, www.vikingvets.com)
Currently restricted hours at Chapel farm only due to covid19)
www.integratedveterinarycare.co.uk
Do you offer any other services?
I also take referrals for Acupuncture, Chiropractic and rehabilitation.

What are your contact details?
All contact info is on my website: www.integratedveterinarycare.co.uk.
[email protected]

29/05/2020

Our next practitioner is:
Anna Rodriguez

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I live with my family on the Norfolk broads, and love being outside as much as possible! I graduated from London in 2003 and went into mixed practice and in 2007 I ended up in a mixed practice in near Norwich, where I’ve been ever since. The practice was taken over by a corporate in 2015 and the practice soon became small animal only. I started studying herbal medicine in 2009, and have been utilising herbs in my veterinary practice since.

How did you become interested in herbal medicine?

My grandmother was a big influence on me as a child. She was a great gardener and also knew a huge amount about all sorts of plants, including many considered weeds. From her I learnt about many historical plant uses including their medicinal properties, which fascinated me. As a vet, herbal medicine has continued to interest and intrigue me, as well as provide more options when treating my patients. Herbs can be especially useful for treating chronic conditions, where conventional medicine may not be completely effective, or have associated side effects, in many cases reducing the need for antibiotics.

What is your favourite herb?

One of my favourite herbs to use in first opinion practice is the humble Chamomile, Matricaria recutita, a herb known since ancient times, and still useful today. Chamomile is a potent anti-inflammatory, (studies suggest inhibition of cycloxygenase and lipoxygenase, reducing production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes) particularly effective on the gastrointestinal tract. The simple tea can be used for gut conditions ranging from acute vomiting and diarrhoea cases, to colic and bloating episodes to chronic conditions such as IBD and IBS. The spasmolytic activity of chamomile has been attributed to apigenin and alpha bisabolol, which have similar activity to papaverine (found in morphine).
Chamomile also has mild sedative properties - nothing compared to conventional sedatives, but effective at calming and reducing anxiety. This can be useful for animals that are restless, for example post operatively when their exercise levels are restricted, or for example in busy households when some pets can become over stimulated.
The tea can also be used topically to assist with wound healing, having mild antibacterial qualities, and can even be used as an eye wash for mild conjunctivitis cases.
Although practitioner grade dried herbs are preferable, good quality organic tea bags are readily available to owners (even out of hours!) and are effective. Most herbs in herbal medicine are used in combinations, and require good knowledge of safety, however Chamomile is generally considered a relatively safe herb that can be very useful on its own.
It is this huge versatility, accessibility and safety that makes this pretty little flower such a favourite of mine!

Where is your practice?

Acle, near Norwich in Norfolk

Do you offer any other services?

As a first opinion vet I offer all routine GP services, however I also see herbal, holistic and acupuncture patients as referral cases for other practices.

What are your contact details?

I can be contacted via the practice, Anchorage Vets, on 01493 752987, or [email protected]
https://anchoragevets.co.uk/

28/05/2020

For any vet students following this page, the VBMA has just posted their new student scholarship application. it would be great if we had a European entry this year!!

https://www.vbma.org/educational-scholarship.html

22/05/2020

Shelley Doxey

Tell us about yourself:

I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2002 and have worked in small animal general practice ever since, along the way I have also gained two children and many animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, chickens, ducks, donkeys, sheep and a tortoise.

I developed a special interest in managing chronic pain in animals after taking over the care of a 9 month old Labrador, Charlie, who sadly suffers from chronic joint problems. I studied the use of acupuncture, laser therapy and finally herbal medicine and started my own referral practice, Holistic Veterinary Care.

I currently run my practice alongside continuing to work in small animal general and emergency practice, you could say I still do a bit of everything!

How did you become interested in herbal medicine?

I love working with the ‘oldies’ and this commonly involves managing the chronic health issues of these geriatric patients. The holistic approach to helping these animals really appealed to me and using herbal medicine alongside our conventional ones gave me the most amazing tool in my armoury to do more to help these animals to feel better and be happier whenever I can.

To be able to use herbal medicine safely in my practice I completed a Diploma in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine and am now involved in teaching other vets to certificate and diploma level in this subject.

What is your favourite herb?

Such a difficult question, but one herb that I do love and use commonly is Milk Thistle. This is a great herb and one that you will find is even on the shelves in many veterinary practices as it is widely used by conventional vets for animals suffering from liver disease. It is an exceptionally versatile herb and I also use it where there is evidence of pancreatitis or where an animal is being given chronic medication or been exposed to toxins.

Where is your practice?

I work out of a converted stable block on a farm close to Andover, Hampshire. I can sometimes offer house visits depending on the circumstances.

Do you offer any other services?

I provide a referral service for not only western herbal medicine but also perform acupuncture and laser treatments, alongside general wellbeing and health advice.

What are your contact details

Shelley Doxey
[email protected]
07768228119
www.shelleydoxey.co.uk