The following is from the John Hopkins Cancer Institute

• Every person has cancer cells in the body.
• These cancer  cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion.
• When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
• Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime
• When the person’s immune system is strong, the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours
• When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors
• To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times a day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system

Note from Linn

InfraRed Scanning is said to be the early detection method for cancer cells – it picks up abnormal heat patterns. This is often the first indication that cancer cells are clumping together. The heat produced from this process is evident before a tumour forms.

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Mange in dogs is caused by parasite infection from tiny (invisible to the naked eye) louse-like mites that bury benath the skin where they breed and cause intense skin irritation.

The affected area turns grey, fur is lost, the skin erupts, is wet in appearance and there is an unpleasant smell.

Common places for mange to occur include the back and the top of the neck.

Management of mange:

• Bathe your dog weekly with natural herbal shampoo – one containing natural essential oils for parasites
• Apply Yicche cream twice daily. Massage well into the entire affected area
• Groom your dog daily
• Soak all bedding, collars, leads and grooming equipment for several hours in a solution containing 2 drops of eucalytus or tea tree oil per 1 litre water. Also wash down the kennel. Do this weekly

Natural feeding also improves overall dog health and strengthens the skin, helping your dog to be more resistant to all skin vermin.

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Fungal infections are many and varied.

Fungus loves damp warm conditions, so will usually appear in parts of the body that provide this environment.

The following are all fungal infections:

• Thrush – in the genital and anal areas. Also called jock rash
• Paronychia – a fungal infection under the fingernail or toenail
• Ringworm – a fungal infection under the skin
• Athlete’s foot – also known as tinea, a fungal infection that affects the feet

An important part of any treatment is to keep the affected area dry and cool. Make sure you dry thoroughly every time the area becomes wet and, if appropriate, sprinkle with talc to help keep it dry.

FungReleaf can be applied to Ringworm, Paronychia and Athlete’s Foot.

Calendula Ointment can be applied to thrush.

From a dietary perspective, decrease sugar intake, as all fungus loves to feed on sugar, think of it as starving out a parasite rather than denying yourself sweets.

Probiotics are also recommended if you are suffering from thrush or candida.

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One of the good things about homeopathics is that they are very compact, light and portable. A homeopathic first aid kit is a must when you are travelling, camping or live remotely. It also comes in very handy in the stable or the kennel.

The homeopathic first aid kit contains homeopathic remedies that can assist in a crisis or first aid situation when  you are waiting for medical assistance or unable to immediately access it. The remedies are additional to, and enhance ,the rest of a normal first aid kit. They are not a substitute for proper medical care – please still see a qualified health practitioner as soon as possible.

Click the icon below to purchase a homeopathic first aid kit in Australia:

It contains:

Apis

Arnica

Arsenicum

Belladonna

Chamomilla

Euphrasia

Gelsemium

Ledum

Nux Vomica

Rhus Tox

You can also restock your homeopathic first aid kit with the same company by typing the name of the remedy into their search box.

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Laminitis is serious. You need to address it now. Thankfully if you treat it immediately, the devastating effects can be drastically reduced or even cured.

As a horse lover I know you want your horse to be happy, pain free and performing at their ultimate capacity.

When you have the right resources and are armed with the correct knowledge you can stop the problem from spiralling out of control and give your horse the much needed pain relief he deserves.

Founder is a complex issue, and I would like to recommend this e-book to you, written by my colleague Zoe Dodds, a long time horse owner who is also a qualified natural therapist specialising in horses.

Zoe’s book ‘Laminitis and Founder Exposed’ will teach you everything you need to know about Laminitis, specifically what it is and how to treat it in a natural, gentle way WITHOUT toxic chemicals, drugs or expensive procedures.

Prevention is always said to be better than cure and this book has information about both. It will show you everything you need to help your horse make a smooth recovery should your horse experience Laminitis. But it will also give you everything you need to know to prevent onset, so your horse does not need to experience the agony and pain of Founder.

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Greasy Heel is also known as Mud Fever and tends to occur on boggy ground or after extended periods of rain when the pasture becomes muddy and your horse has constantly wet feet.

Scabs appear around the heel and pasterns. Avoid pulling these off as it causes a lot of pain.

Instead:

• Wash down with a good natural horse shampoo, rinse well and gently pat dry
• Apply FungReleaf Cream
• Cover with plastic wrap and then bandage
• Leave 24 hours
• Remove bandage
• Wash away any scabs that come away easily
• Repeat this process daily until all the scabs are off.
• Then wash daily, pat dry gently and apply Fungraleaf, leaving unbandaged, until all the hair has grown back in.

CAUTION: Watch closely as Greasy Heel can progress into cellulitis, which is very serious, and requires urgent veterinary treatment.

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Like all herbal medicines, the sooner you start the remedy, the faster and better the result. If it was not possible to apply these healing herbs immediately after the injury, start as soon as possible – better late than never.

If you have a very old bruise or wound that still feels hard and / or a little tender even months or years later, apply calendula or comfrey cream topically at least once a day until the area feels normal once again. This may take many months, but is important to do so in order to obtain full healing.

Rosa Scarless Healer, containing comfrey, has been around for decades and is still one of the best on the market. You can buy it via the company below.



CAUTION: Do not use Comfrey on dirty wounds. Ensure there is absolutely no infection is present before using comfrey on any wound or you may end up with an absess.

Use Calendula Ointment or my Herbal Healing Cream, which is a combination of healing and antiseptic herbs in a natural base that can be used on bruises, cuts and scrapes. Switch to Comfrey when the infection risk has passed i.e. the wound looks clean, with no signs of pus or redness or heat.

Because the skin is open, use comfrey rather than Arnica if there is any bruising. Comfrey still helps to seal off broken capillaries and minimise bruising. Big knocks may still bruise slightly but they will heal much faster than expected with repeated applications of comfrey over the following days and weeks. Keep applying until the wound is completely healed.

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There are so many things going on emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually during the teen years, and Australian Bush Flower Essences can be of great assistance on the journey from child to adult. Bush Essences are safe and natural – anyone can use them. They are pleasant tasting, easy to take and have no side effects.

Puberty

The body is shifting from childhood to adulthood which, from a physical point of view, is huge. Hormones are extremely potent substances and during puberty they are circulating in large quantities. She Oak for girls, and Flannel Flower for boys can help enormously with this. Puberty is a natural process but hormones can take a while to settle into the new rhythm. These remedies really help ease the transition.

Anxiety benefits from Crowea, as do muscles which are sore from growing so fast or playing  a lot of sport. Moods can swing all over the place, which is as confusing for the child as it is for everyone around them; and the Essence Peach Flowered Tea Tree can be helpful.

Self Esteem

We all struggle with this one from time to time, but teenagers especially so. If self esteem or confidence are an issue, Five Corners is excellent. Low self esteem often manifests physically as acne – the face we are showing the world. Billy Goat Plum is also helpful for teens as they are ‘grossed out’ by any number of things, and this flower is good for feelings of repulsion or shame.

Sexuality

Teens can feel guilty over some of their activities, including sexual. Sturt Desert Rose is useful in these situations and is especially good for helping one to resist peer pressure and remain true to one’s own morals and values. Flannel Flower is very good for feeling comfortable with physical touch and for setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries within close personal relationships. This last is especially important for teens beginning to explore their sexuality. There are also Essences to help release any trauma from inappropriate sexual advances or incidents that may occur at this time (or have occurred in the past).

Rebellion

Until about the age of twelve parents are the major influence on their children. After that their peer group becomes much more influential. It is a natural psychological process for teenagers to begin to separate from their family as they begin to establish their own sense of separate identity. Bottlebrush is good to help parents let go. This means being comfortable with allowing them to begin to step out into the world. It can also help the child who is clinging too tightly to their mother and is appropriate at any age.

If the restrictions on them are too tight, teens will rebel. At the same time, they need firm guidelines of what is acceptable behaviour and what is not. Red Helmet Orchid is the remedy for knowing when to stop, and for whenever there is any issue with authority. It helps give a greater sense of responsibility and a sense of inner authority and respect. These qualities can  be less strongly developed if the child has had a father who was absent either emotionally or physically.

Depression

Unfortunately some teens sink into depression. This may be partly hormonal or due to poor self esteem. Tall Yellow Top is very good for depression and also for feeling lonely, isolated and as if you don’t fit in. If the depression has reached black despair, Waratah is more appropriate and is very fast acting.

If you would like to learn more about the healing qualities of Australian Bush Flower Essences, click here to see when Linn is teaching a workshop near you in the USA or Australia.

Or click here for the full workshop schedule of Australian Bush Flower Essences in Australia, the UK, North and South America, Asia and Europe.

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A clinical trial a few years ago concluded that stress plays a role in sickness. This idea is not new to natural therapists, who have always believed in treating “the whole person” – hence the term “wholistic” therapies. Natural therapists work on the premise that you as a person are more than just your body parts and need to be treated on more than just a physical level.

On the first evening of my herbal medicine training with renown Australian herbalist Dorothy Hall, we were drawn a triangle (pyramid) to represent any disease. The top apex represented the physical body. The bottom two apexes were “Emotions and Attitudes” & “Environment and Circumstances” respectively. This, we were told, was how we needed to view every single person who ever sought our help.

As time went by, we were taught that herbs treat the physical body, and that flower essences are the tool for treating emotions and attitudes. Dorothy Hall always maintained that once strengthened and balanced physically and emotionally, most people then feel strong enough to make the necessary decisions about and changes to their environment and circumstances. I have continued with this philosophy in my own clinical practice and find it extremely effective. Flower essences are literally medicine for the emotions.

Flower Essences are not therapeutic drugs but work on the mind, soul and spirit. They are obtained by extracting the healing vibrational quality from the highest evolved part of the plant – the flowers. They work on an emotional level and heal the negative emotions and belief patterns, held in the subconscious mind. Australian Aboriginals have used flowers to heal emotional imbalances and physical injuries for thousands of years. Flower Essences were also used in Ancient Egypt, as well as Asia, Europe and South America. This system of healing was rediscovered and popularised seventy years ago by Dr. Edward Bach with his use of English flowering plants. Naturopath, Ian White has further developed this method using plants from all over Australia for his Australian Bush Flower Essences. His grandmother and great grandmother were herbalists, among the first white people to research the medicinal qualities of Australian plants, and his grandmother taught him from an early age. Ian has taken their knowledge one step further and worked with the plants and their influence on emotions.

Flower Essences are completely natural, perfectly safe, free from side effects and adjust to the needs of the individual taking them. It is not possible to overdose or harm when prescribing. If an inappropriate remedy is chosen, it simply will not work. Adults and children as well as animals can use the Essences. We are all functioning on beliefs and emotions, which may not necessarily be helpful to us. By changing our thoughts and beliefs we can relieve stress, which can then ultimately assist in restoring our health. Flower Essences can improve the quality of our life and bring us clarity, courage, strength and commitment to follow and pursue our life goals and visions. As well as resolving upsets and distress in one’s life they also help us to develop a higher level of intuition, self esteem, spirituality, fun and creativity.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been associating certain emotions with specific body areas for over five thousand year, so this concept is not new. The notion that emotions affect our physical health has been explored in modern times by Louise Hay, and detailed in her classic book “You Can Heal Your Life”.  The beauty of the Australian Bush Flower Essences is that some also work energetically on specific organs and body systems. For example Dagger Hakea addresses the emotions of resentment, irritability and bitterness. These feelings have traditionally been thought by TCM to be held in the liver. Ancient wisdom held that clues to a plant’s healing qualities were clearly visible via a language and process known as the Doctrine of Signatures. When this system is applied to Dagger Hakea, it is found that this plant has a strong energetic resonance with the liver and gall bladder.

If you would like to learn more about the healing qualities of Australian Bush Flower Essences, click here to see when Linn is teaching a workshop near you in the USA or Australia.

Or click here for the full workshop schedule of Australian Bush Flower Essences in Australia, the UK, North and South America, Asia and Europe.

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Herbs have safely been used to treat illnesses in dogs for thousands of years, just as they have been used by humans.

In fact dogs, like most animals are wonderful herbalists. They instinctively seek out a wide variety of plants as they go about their day, and use these plants to self medicate. If you doubt this, watch your dog out in the yard actively eating grass or another plant. It is not always the same grass. Even domesticated dogs can identify dozens of plants, know how to use them medicinally, and will purposefully seek them out when needed.

Dogs are sensitive to some herbs, so never assume that a herb is safe for a dog just because you can use it yourself or on another animal. Dosage is also very important.

It takes years to train a herbalist about the safe use of herbs. A large amount of time also includes what is called “the fine print”. Which herbs should never be used. Which herbs need to be used with caution, especially in regards to dosage.

When it comes to herbal treatment of animals, what is safe in a horse can kill a dog.  A herb that can safely be used by dogs can kill a cat.

More harm is done by herbs out of ignorance from untrained lay people than by all the herbalists in the world combined.

At Herbal Dog we aim to raise awareness of how some common herbs can help maintain and improve you dog’s health and wellbeing.This is purely for informational purposes, please seek advice from a herbalist qualified in the herbal treatment of dogs before giving your dog any natural remedies.

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