Herbal Treatment For Cat

Herbal treatment for cat can be a very potent remedy with little to no side effects, and is often used in holistic, or alternative pet care. Many veterinarians prescribe herbs for their ailing pet patients instead of dangerous and toxic drugs.

Herbs are also easily accessible. Many can be found in your local health food store.
Herbs, while natural and organic, can have strong effects. Both healing and destructive.

Cats have very different metabolic pathways from humans, and other pets,even dogs. What that means is that an herbal remedy that is completely harmless to us or to dogs, can have dire, even deadly, effects on a cat.

Here are some herbs found to be safe for cats.

Slippery Elm Bark
Traditionally used to treat diarrhea, constipation, enteritis, colitis and irritations of the stomach. Used to soothe, protect & lubricate mucous membranes. Wonderful to soothe the urinary tract in the case of UTI’s.

Also, used to relieve discomforts of coughing and other types of respiratory issues. Slippery Elm is also extremely nutritious; can be fed to convalescing animals as a nutritional digestive tonic.
Slippery Elm is also a good addition to poultices, as it not only helps hold the poultice together but also helps heal wounds, ulcers, boils and abscesses.

Nettle.
Nutritive, antihistamine, anti viral, astringent, tonic, helps with blood cleaning
May helps lessen symptoms of seasonal allergies. Use for upper respiratory infections and sneezing.

Marsh Mallow
Similar uses to slippery elm root.

Cat Nip.
Catnip is not only the fun herb to use for the Saturday night cat parties, ingested it has
Effects without the intoxicating qualities:
It helps stomach upsets and gas, it calms the stomach and help to calm the nerves, acting as a mild sedative. It is generally antispasmodic.

Milk Thistle
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) a member of the sunflower family, is well-known for its use in liver disease.

The seeds of the milk thistle contain a compound called 'silymarin,' which is an antioxidant and is thought to help in protecting and regenerating the liver.

Milk thistle has been used in humans, and has been recommended as part of the therapy for a number of liver conditions in dogs and cats, including toxicity (poisoning) from insecticides, pesticides, mushrooms, and some drugs.

Milk thistle has not been shown to be a preventive for any condition, and it is not recommended to use it as a daily supplement. It is best to use it during times when the liver is actually under stress, for instance just before and after giving heart worm medication.

These herbs should never be used with a cat:
White Willow Bark, Wormwood, Pennyroyal, Feverfew, Lobelia are just a few examples.

Before deciding on a herbal treatment for your cat, do some research to make sure the herb is indeed safe for cats.