Americans, as most of us know, have been visiting chiropractors, naturopaths and massage therapists in droves in recent years. The alternative medicine phenomenon has landed on television news programs and the cover of national news magazines. But alternative healthcare isn’t just for people. These days, millions of Americans are taking Fido, Whiskers and other pets to acupuncturists, homeopaths and other… Read more →
On one of our plant identification walks at Sage Mountain, we ran across this little fella. Although it looks like a sapling that might have sprung up overnight, it’s actually taken five years just to grow this big. The plant is Sacred American Ginseng, and it is highly sought after for its properties to work as an “adaptogen” in the… Read more →
After the herbs are chopped and bruised, they are placed in oil and left to sit in the sun. These need to reach 90 degrees fahrenheit for a period of time to allow the oils to become fully infused. In part three of the process, the infused oils are mixed with beeswax to create a balm or salve. I combined… Read more →
Before I tell you what they are, take a look at the four plants above and see if you can identify them. Odds are you have seen some of in the wild or perhaps even have them growing in your yard or garden. Before I tell you what they are, take a look at the four plants above and see… Read more →
In honor of Native American tradition and Native American people’s use of medicinal plants in healing and tribal rituals, our session at Sage Mountain opened with a drumming circle and ceremony. Read more →
In June, I attended an herbal training with Rosemary Gladstar at Sage Mountain Herbal Learning Center in Vermont. As many of my patients know, I employ Chinese medicine in my practice, which often includes the administration of herbs to help open up energy pathways, decrease blood stagnation and control inflammation among other things. This workshop gave me the opportunity to… Read more →
One more post and I will get off my “horse kick”! Here are Tino and I working together in another video using the techniques I learned at Liberty Horse Training. At the end Tino gives Jeff, who was running the video camera, a little glance as if to say, “Not bad, eh?” In the next few days, I will be… Read more →
Here is a video of Tino and me working together using techniques I learned last June on a trip to Liberty Horse Training at Robin Gates’ beautiful Rising Moon Ranch in Sonoma, California, about an hour north of San Francisco. Liberty Horse Training provides a truly revolutionary, entirely positive approach to working with horses. (By the way, can you believe… Read more →
Looking at him today, it is hard for me to believe that my horse Tino was ever in this bad of shape. Tino was seized, along with a number of other badly neglected horses, by Skagit County animal control officers. After being in foster care for three weeks, I welcomed him into our family. The lesson I’ve learned from Tino… Read more →
Holistic vet Dr. Karen Mueller recently showed me how to adjust a horse’s sternum. This is particularly useful in a horse that pins his ears angrily when you tighten his girth. Here are three pictures of the same horse as he is standing with his legs in the same position (square under him). His legs did not move during time… Read more →
Here is Jeff posing in front of the grill. The only lesson in grills we got from beer commercials. Since we don’t have a television, they’re old commercials. To get in the spirit of grilling, Jeff is enjoying a Fish Ale, which he generally does not drink, and acting like he knows what he is doing. Ugh, vegetarians! By this… Read more →
Here are some of the thousands of oyster mushrooms we found on alder logs in the forest outside our home. I made oyster mushroom stew, put them in spagetti sauce, dehydrated them cooked and raw–and we still had enough for the grill! Read more →
I came home to find these morels growing wild in my garden. Luckily they did not go to waste: we had learned enough about them to make a morel tofu scramble! Read more →
Here is Paul Stamets teaching us about the cultivation of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. Paul’s books are considered by many as the bibles of mushroom growing. Read more →
Jeff and I recently attended a two-day seminar on mushroom cultivation presented by Fungi Perfecti, a grower of medicinal mushrooms near Olympia. Author and mushroom guru Paul Stamets along with Fungi Perfecti staff taught us tissue culture, spawn generation techniques, substrate preparation, inoculation techniques and strategies for maximizing yields. Mushrooms play a huge role in boosting our pets (and our… Read more →
Hannah lives with a less serious form of lymphoma but all forms are not good I guess. This is an update two plus years after her diagnosis. She has needed no chemotherapy, no radiation and no prednisone. I thought maybe her owner’s words would be better than mine. “In May 2008, my husband Will was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Two… Read more →
History: Mild hyperesthesia or skin twitching around his back end. When we touched his sacrum, he licked incessantly at his front foot. Conventional treatment: None. This condition is not readily treated using Western medicine. Usually, anti-inflammatories including steroids, or prednisone, are used. Current holistic therapies: Chiropractic and acupuncture and NAET to find that Kitty had a chicken allergy that accentuated… Read more →
History: Mild allergies manifesting as itchy skin, hip dysplasia on left hip, moderate partial tear of right cranial cruciate Current problems: Holding right hind leg up when he is too active, cries when he gets up. Conventional treatments: NSAIDs and surgery, both of which the owner declined. Current Holistic therapy: Acupuncture, chiropractic, aquapuncture around the hips and knees (into specific… Read more →
History: Bulldogs have medical problems!But Burl has had fewer than usual.At four months old, his recurrent aspiration pneumonia was due to elongated soft palate; that surgery we could not avoid.Epilepsy, right carpal arthritis. Current problems:Only had three seizures in his life but the last one was severe, lasting many minutes. Conventional treatment:Anti-convulsant therapies were considered but avoided, due to potential… Read more →
History: Every three months, whether it’s his shoulder, neck, low back or knee, Harley needs a hand. Some of his injuries are self-induced like jumping from the back of the couch after the mailman, and others happen because of his breed. Current Issues: The partial rupture of his left cranial cruciate ligament. He would not walk and held the affected… Read more →