8
Lessons
61
Topics
All
Skill Level
2
Quizzes
English
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Practical Herbalism
I am pleased to offer a unique course, focused on dogs, on herbs and on common canine conditions you as a home herbalist will almost certainly encounter
Have you ever felt confused trying to figure out which is the best herbal remedy for your dog, or how much to give?
Disappointed when something you tried didn’t seem to help?
Frustrated when the herbs you added just turned your dog off the food ? Uncertain about which “herbal expert” you find online an really be trusted with your precious dog’s health?
I completely understand how frustrating that can be, and how challenging it is to sort through the incredible amount of herbal information online, and find a resource you can trust. With over thirty years experience, training and practical clinical work under my belt , I’ve seen a need lately for dog lovers to advance their knowledge with a very hands-on, practical program of learning, and so this course was born. You will find an absolute wealth of information here, including recipes, practical exercises you can do long after the course is finished, as well as detailed information about addressing common ailments at home with commercial or better yet, your own home made tinctures, electuaries, poultices and salves. I’ve structured this course to cover everything a home herbalist working with dogs will need on an everyday basis, but presented it system-by-system, so those who wish to use this course as a foundation for deeper study will have a very solid grounding in not only herbal preparation and selection but the canine body systems and multiple common health issues and conditions.
What You Will Learn
Most critically, you will learn to think of about herbal actions, and energetics, and not just what condition it can be used for. Because we are going to learn about conditions system-by-system, you’ll come away with a much more sophisticated understanding of herbs than just “this-for-that” style (superficial) usage. Plant medicine is so much more than thinking of a herb as a natural, less toxic alternative to a drug. The art takes many years to master, but it goes much more easily if you know how to approach it. In other words – this course will not just teach you an amazing amount about the herbs we’re covering and the conditions everyone wants to know about – it teaches you how to go on learning.
What You Will Do in Part One
1
Build a Home Herbal Apothecary Geared Towards Your Dog’s Unique Needs
Build a home apothecary geared to the unique needs of your own dogs, filled with herbs you use most frequently, herbs that grow close by or that you grow yourself, and preparations you have made on your own
2
Select Herbs to Address a Wide Range of Common Canine Health Conditions
Select, prepare and dose herbs to address a wide range of canine health concerns, from hot spots and split pads to colitis, urinary tract infections and anxiety
3
Select & Use Herbs Daily Tailored to Your Dog’s Unique Needs and Constitution.
Select and use herbs on a daily basis for their tonic benefits, health-supportive properties – and best suited to your individual dog’s unique needs and constitution
4
Make Your Own Tinctures, Glycerites, Salves, Infusions, Decoctions & More
Make your own tinctures, glycerites, salves, infusions, decoctions, electuaries and “goo balls”, herbal honeys and vinegars, for use with your dogs (and yes, you can have some too)
5
Identify & Harvest Wild Plants That Are Safe and Effective Herbal Helpers.
Identify and harvest a number of wild plants that are safe and effective herbal helpers for use both internally and externally
6
Understand Basic “Filing System” of Herbalism. Support Future Herbalism Learning
Understand the basic “filing system” of herbalism – “chunk it down”, so to speak. Understand that herbalism moves beyond using a specific herb for a condition, like a replacement for a drug, but is grounded in really knowing the plants (actions, energetics, constituents, methods of preparation, safety) and the anatomy and physiology of the species you are working with. We will touch on the more academic aspects here, to make sure you are “thinking like a herbalist” and you will feel much less overwhelmed by the vastness of this area of study. In other words, this course will make future leaning much easier for you.
7
Develop Your Own Materia Medica of Useful Plants Based on Step Six
Select and use herbs on a daily basis for their tonic benefits, health-supportive properties – and best suited to your individual dog’s unique needs and constitution
8
Form a Solid Foundation in Herbal Studies- Preparing for Deeper Study & Knowledge
Make your own tinctures, glycerites, salves, infusions, decoctions, electuaries and “goo balls”, herbal honeys and vinegars, for use with your dogs (and yes, you can have some too)
What You Will Do in Part 1
Module One- Introduction to Herbalism
- How herbalism differs from the popular coverage – allopathic vs. holistic
- History of herbal medicine (Chinese, Ayurveda, Western)
- Using plant medicine – conditions vs systems, “quick fix” vs longterm support
- Actions – why you need to know them all…Actions describe what a herb does in the body (astringent, demulcent, alterative, cholagogue, nervine, stimulant etc ) and herbs have more than one action, so this is foundational knowledge. We’ll use the actions of a herb consistently throughout the course to help familiarize you with them all
- Constituents – an overview of the basic biochemistry of plants
- Energetics – a look at the spectrum of temperature (heat/neutral/cold) and moisture level /effect of herbs, and how these impact on our selection and formulation
- Constitution – what does the term really mean and how do we assess it?
- Special needs of the Dog – cautions and sensitivities
Module Two- Your Herbal Home Apothecary
- Getting set up – selecting and storing herbs
- Dry herbs – growing, ordering, storing
- Tinctures – alcohol, glycerites – what to purchase, when to use
- Jars and bottles, lids and labels,equipment for making and measuring
- The herbs from A – Z I use the most(and you will too)
- Other stuff you will need ( scales, funnels, gauze, infusers, sterilizing pans, and more)
Module Three- Preparation
Herbs can be prepared in a variety of ways, some methods are superior for extraction of some constituents, for example alkaloids tend to extract best in alcohol, mucilage extracts in water, and so on. Water preparations are often ideal, but your dog may not like the bitter taste of some herbs. This unit will cover basic methods of preparation, from cold infusions to electuaries (pills you can make by heating honey and stirring powdered herb into it, then rolling into balls).
- Water – Infusions and decoctions
- Alcohol and glycerin – Tinctures
- Sweet stuff – honey, electuaries, syrups
- Pills, powders and capsules
- What you will need – equipment list and resources
Module Four- The Skin
- Overview of the skin
- Nutrition and the skin
- Hot spots
- Fungal infections
- Atopy
- Yeast (Malessezia)
- Seborrhea
- Flea allergy
- Mange
- Abscesses
- Lick dermatitis
- Burns
- Bee and wasp stings, insect bites
- Canine acne
- Pyoderma: superficial, deep and skin-fold
Materia Medica for the Skin: Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Chamomile (Matricaria recutita ) Aloe Vera (Aloe spp), Rose (Rosa spp) Chickweed (Stellaria media) Plantain (Plantago major, lanceolata)
Module Five – The Cardiovascular System
- Overview of the cardiovascular system
- Nutrition and supplements for the cardiovascular system
- Common canine conditions
- Nutrition imbalances
- Chronic stress
Materia Medica for the cardiovascular system: Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), Hawthorn (Craetegus spp), Linden (Tilia cordata), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Hibiscus(Hibiscus), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna)
Module Six - The Urinary System
- Overview of the urinary system
- Nutrition and the nervous system
- Urinary tract infection
- Urolithiasis – types of stones, varying strategies
- Chronic kidney disease
- Incontinence
Materia Medica for the Urinary System: Uva ursi (Arctostaphylus uva-ursi)) Echinacea (Echinacea spp) Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Couch grass (Agropyron repens), Cornsilk (Zea mays) Yarrow (Achillea millefoilum) Horestail (Equisetum arvense) Gravel Root (Eupatorium purpurea) Parsley (Petrosolineum spp
Module Seven - The Respiratory System
- Overview of the Respiratory System
- Nutrition and the Respiratory System
- Kennel Cough
- Acute rhinitis
- Sinusitis
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- Allergic pneumonitis
Materia Medica for the Respiratory System: Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus) Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) Elecampane (Inula helenium) Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) Osha (Ligusticum porteri) Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) WildCherry bark (Prunus serotina) Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) Sage (Salvia officinalis) Goldenrod (Solidago Canadensis) Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
Module Eight - The Nervous System
- Overview of the nervous system
- Nutrition and the nervous system
- Anxiety
- Depression, grief
- Phobias
- Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
- Pain – types of(chronic, acute, mild, severe)
Materia Medica for the Nervous System: Skullcap (Scutalleria lateriflora), California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) , Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis) Crampbark (Viburnum opulus), Linden (Tilia cordata) Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Milky Oats (Avena sativa) St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
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