Natural Supplements

"Natural" does not automatically mean "safe"

Most supplements are safer than prescription drugs for long term control of medical issues
Examples: NSAIDS vs. joint supplements, choline vs. Anipryl or anticonvulsants, Fatty acids and antioxidants vs. corticosteroids, olive leaf extract vs. antibiotics.

Sometimes conventional medications are safer than supplements
Example:coventional deworming medicines vs. wormwood/ black walnut/ pennyroyal oil.
Ex.decongestants/bronchodilators vs. ephedra.

Sometimes species differences make natural therapies potentially poisonous:tea tree oil/volatile oils/white willow bark with felines and small canines.

Natural therapies may show interactions with conventional medications that could be poisonous.
Examples:White willow bark with NSAIDS, ephedra with cardiac drugs, decongestants, and asthma medications drugs, ginkgo biloba with high dose fish oil.


Fatty acids, oils from coldwater fish, have been recommended in people for lowering triglycerides, reducing secondary heart issues (and probably primary disease,) decreasing heart arrhythmias, decreasing blood pressure, and improving rheumatoid arthritis. They are also possibly helpful in stopping stroke and treating cancer, allergies, and mild depression. Since fish oil taken for plenty of months can lower vitamin E, most products contain added vitamin E.

In pets, fish oil may be beneficial for heart disease, cancer, allergies, arthritis,kidney disease, and autoimmune diseases. I use high doses (2-4 times the label dose) in my patients and most can have their conventional medications lowered.

Side effects of fatty acid supplementation are rare. Fish oil may decrease platelet aggregation and prolong bleeding time. Contamination of fish meat (not oil) with methylmercury can occur. The human literature reports that fish oil may slightly increase LDL (bad) cholesterol although this does not appear to be common or of any significance in most cases. The human literature also reports multiple cases of bleeding (in the brain) when high dose doses is combined with ginkgo. I have not seen any side effects in my patients except the rare case in a few canines that smelled fishy.

Milk Thistle Flower

Milk thistle is of my favourite supplements for any disease, as the liver is involved in all disease processes. Plenty of of my holistic clients like additional liver support in the coursework of treatment with any conventional medications, including when they administer every month heartworm and flea medications. Milk thistle is safe to make use of and I have never seen any side effects from its use. Based on general safety guidelines in people, it is probably best not to make use of it in pregnant animals without veterinary supervision. According to some herbalists, long term use can lead to depressed liver function unless chronic liver disease is present. Milk thistle is not recommended for use in normal pets but those that have diseases of the liver or affecting the liver.