Herbal Medicine is the use of botanical compounds, either as single components of a botanical medical remedy or as part of a multiple component botanical medical remedy. Herbs have been used successfully to treat animals for over 6000 years throughout the world, and are still in use in many ethnomedical systems.

Archeological evidence indicates that early hominids observed animals using plants for food and medicines, and by emulating their use of these plants, began the art and science of herbal medicine for humans. Our domestic animals have lost much of their herbal instinctual knowledge. Dr. Silver believes that it is very appropriate, in view of this historical perspective, that we humans give back to them the benefits that we have learned from their ancestors by practicing herbal medicine on animals.

For the most part, herbs are safe to use (much safer than the pharmaceuticals that we routinely accept as safe). Herbs work on many levels within an animal’s system, promoting the animals’ innate healing powers to come into play. Many herbs have almost drug-like effects, and can (more safely than pharmaceuticals) improve digestion, reduce inflammation, enhance healing, stop bleeding, fight infection, clear up urinary tract infections, unclogged stuffed nostrils and sinuses, and so on.