With the current growth of public interest in the use, and value, of medicinal plants, our thoughts turn to the conservation of these plants. Increasing demand does not guarantee ongoing supply, for a variety of reasons. Preservation of the knowledge of plant growth and harvesting requirements, habitat loss through natural or man-made disasters, destruction of forests, overharvesting, and climate change are just some of the issues guardians of medicinal herbs and plants need to consider. There is a growing list of herbs, plants, and trees that are now considered endangered or at risk. Echinacea, Slippery Elm, American Ginseng, and Goldenseal are just some of these. Environmental pirating of herbs, plants, and trees and the loss of indigenous rights to ownership of native plants for short-term financial gain by pharmaceutical companies is a very real threat to the sustainability of medicinal plants. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognizes the value of traditional systems in herbal medicine. The intellectual property rights of local populations exist and must be protected wherever and to whomever they belong. So what can we do to assist sustainability and conservation of medicinal plants? When we purchase herbs we can ask: • is the herb sustainably harvested? • is it locally grown? • are there substitutes for endangered species? • is the growing environment supported? • how is biodiversity maintained? • what is the country of origin? Look for labels and companies that advertise "Sustainable Harvesting"; insisting on such practices by the public will go a long way to preserving our precious supplies of medicinal plants, herbs & trees. Picture of our morning harvest of Calendula flowers.

Clip or shave away all hair from the hot spot, as close to the skin as possible. For the first treatment, wash with dilute betadine in water. Then spray with HP Skin Cleanse thoroughly. Spray daily with HP Skin Cleanse Allow to dry, then massage in HP Dermatitis Balm thickly. Apply daily until healed. Improve skin health by improving gut health with HP DogPro. Feed 5 days a

Tresch, et al (2019) provides a systematic review of publications (final number 138), including 4 books and surveyed veterinarians specializing in phytotherapy, to evaluate the most commonly used medicinal plants for therapy of canine skin diseases. These plants were: Calendula officinalis L. (Marigold), Hypericum perforatum L. agg. (St. John's Wort), Matricaria chamomilla L. (syn. Matricaria recutita L., Chamomile) and Salvia officinalis L. (Sage). The ability of extracts of these plants to provide additional therapeutic tools in the treatment of pyoderma, canine atopic dermatitis (CAD), otitis externa (OE), and dermatophytosis were proven through their ability to provide antibacterial and antifungal effects on a broad spectrum of common canine skin bacteria & fungi, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The beneficial effects of all extracts included fighting off infection and promoting wound healing and strengthening skin layers. In addition, synergistic effects with antibiotics and disinfectants were provided by Chamomile and Sage. The ability of these plant extracts to provide therapeutic benefits in the treatment of canine skin disease not only provides increased therapeutic tools but also provides means of helping prevent antibiotic resistance development and development of tolerance to biocides (chlorhexidine) in veterinary medicine.   Put simply - utilising the benefits of herbal medicines - benefits proven through time, use and science, allows not only means of treating wounds and promoting healing, but the ability to help prevent the development of antibiotic resistance and resistance to commonly used antiseptics. With canine skin disease, for example, these are very common diseases and antibiotics are widely, commonly used. So by having the ability to use herbal treatments instead of or in combination with antibiotics, we can fight infection more efficiently and promote more rapid wound healing.

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Resveratrol is found in many foods & is promoted as having many health benefits, for both humans and animals. Indeed, research has shown Resveratrol can provide significant antioxidant properties - protecting cells & tissues from damage. Research has also shown it can provide anti-inflammatory, antibacterial & anticancer effects; protect the heart & be beneficial for the nervous system. HOWEVER - (note the capital letters) there are significant CAUTIONS with Resveratrol. Research has shown there can be significant negative affects of Resveratrol use. For a start, it is poorly absorbed unless produced in very particular forms. More importantly though, the beneficial effects are very DOSE DEPENDANT. Get the dose right - effects are beneficial. But get the dose wrong - effects can be reversed & actually be harmful to the animal. Harmful effects including actually increasing oxidative damage to cells. (Not the desired antioxidant effects) The length of treatment time was important, with negative effects increasing with length of treatment. The age of the patient was also a factor, with oxidative stress increasing in aged patients. Long term use has resulted in negative affects to the kidneys and liver, with patient death attributed to kidney failure. Liver toxicity, diarrhea and skin changes also reported. Interaction with other medications is also a side-effect of Resveratrol. Resveratrol has also been shown to interact with clearance mechanisms in the liver; this can potentially lead increasing both bioavailability and toxicity risk of medications. The correct dose (for a particular disease & for a particular animal) can only be achieved through careful research. Therefore until such information becomes available, Resveratrol will not be used in our products. Salehi B, Mishra AP, Nigam M, Sener B, Kilic M, Sharifi-Rad M, Fokou PVT, Martins N, Sharifi-Rad J. Resveratrol: A Double-Edged Sword in Health Benefits. Biomedicines. 2018 Sep 9;6(3):91. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines6030091. PMID: 30205595; PMCID: PMC6164842. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/resveratrol

Pots of honey, thousands of years old, have been found by archeologists in Egyptian tombs. Unspoiled, the honey is edible and retains its medicinal properties. Why? Reason One: Honey is sugar and in its natural form is very low in moisture. In this environment of low moisture, bacteria and microorganisms do not survive. Reason Two: Low ph - honey is acidic with a ph 3.5-4, also another reason bacteria do not survive. Reason Three: Hydrogen Peroxide - the chemical makeup of a bee's stomach also plays a large part in honey’s resilience. Bees have an enzyme in their stomachs called glucose oxidase (PDF). When the bees regurgitate the nectar from their mouths into the combs to make honey, this enzyme mixes with the nectar, breaking it down into two by-products: gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Commercial honey is heat-treated and pasteurized, destroying the enzymes mentioned above. This is why we only use raw honey in our medicinal products. Beeswax is made by the bees from eight wax-producing glands on the bellies. Beeswax has an almost indefinite shelf life if stored in cool dry conditions. Samples that are thousands of years old have been tested and found to have almost identical properties to freshly produced beeswax.

Mud fever - Greasy Heal - Pastern Dermatitis - being the correct term- can be frustrating to treat and does require ongoing management. The following protocol is used in our Vet Clinic. Our HoneyPro Vet MudFever Balm has been developed in our clinic and is highly effective in treating and managing Mudfever. As much as possible keep the animal in dry yard or paddock. Continually wet skin won't be helpful. Use protective boots if necessary to keep legs dry. Materials required: towelling (tear old towels into hand-washer size pieces), Chlorhexidine, warm water. Clip as much hair away from the site as possible. This is important - long hair will harbour bacteria. Remove all crusty debris by pressing area gently with towelling soaked in warm water and Chlorhexidine 5%. DO NOT RUB the area - this can be painful. Just press and hold for several minutes. It may take several days soaking to remove all debris. Just soak as much as horse tolerates, then repeat next day. Discard towelling after use. Dry thoroughly by pressing gently with dry towel. Discard towel after use. When skin is dry again, apply a thick layer of HoneyPro Mudfever Balm. Repeat daily as required until healed and use as often as necessary to prevent reoccurrence. Observe where the horse contracts the disease i.e. which paddock? As the disease has a fungal/bacterial aetiology - organisms that are soil and plant associated - shifting to a different paddock may prevent infections reoccurring, depending on the soil and pasture species present. In the photos below: scabs have been removed; skin has been washed and dry to leave only pink skin; preferably clip all long hair away if horse tolerates clipping; balm is applied to DRY skin. Boots can be worn over the balm if it is impossible to keep horse out of wet paddocks. However preferably leave open to air. Use daily to treat as as often as necessary to prevent reoccurence. Extremely painful or badly infected skin may need dermal antibiotic treatment initially, as well.

A healthy gut is required to optimise digestion of feed, with horses having an absolute requirement for long stem roughage. Feed needs to be broken down into nutrients that can be absorbed across the gut wall, into the blood stream for the body to use. The mechanics of a healthy gut therefore requires the gut wall tissue (stomach & intestines) to be healthy, have good motility, needs good bacteria & appropriate enzymes to help breakdown the food. Food is Fuel - without fuel the animal cannot survive, breed nor perform at its peak. We need to respect the way the horses gut works because without a properly functioning gut, all other body systems will be affected. The immune system, nervous system, kidneys, liver, skin, muscles, bone - all depend on the the gut to be healthy. Therefore we can see that if the gut is unhealthy - all those other body systems can be affected. That is why we need to support gut health. Not only when an animal is unwell, but to optimise normal functions such as breeding and performance of the animal above and beyond routine daily functioning. Supporting gut health with Herbal Medicine is a no-brainer - horses are Herbivores - ideally suited to the addition of Herbal Medications in their management. HoneyPro Vet GutPro for Horses is a blend of herbal powders that may assist in the maintenance of the entire gastrointestinal system via: - Demulcents to line, soothe & protect gut mucosa for natural protection of the entire gut lining - Antiulcer action to prevent ulcer development, resistance to acid effects - Natural minerals to prevent toxin absorption from the environment & tissue breakdown - Treat & prevent diarrhea - Provide nutrition for cell repair of damaged bowel tissues - Detoxify liver & bowel contents - Liver, kidney & pancreatic protective - Assist coping with stress, lowering cortisol levels, useful for Metabolic Syndrome horses - Prebiotic source & LIVE, Equine specific Probiotics to colonize & grow in the gut - Seaweed for Natures Superfood; source of antioxidants and prebiotics.

When we start diet management of dogs with itchy skin, we advise use of SINGLE PROTEIN DIETS. (SDP) This means we expose the dog to just ONE source of meat protein & preferable a NOVEL protein - one that the dog hasn't had before. For example, we may start with Kangaroo, Salmon or Crocodile, mixed with either regular or sweet potato. We can recommend either a home cooked diet ( roo & potato) or PRIME rolls. That's it! Nothing else! Boring isn't it but tha'ts the best way to start assisting skin management. Treats can be in the form of eg roo tail. NOTHING ELSE except for a Precription Diet of biscuits if required e.g Hills Derm Defense. To add Herbal Medicine to our Management Plan, we examine the WHOLE DOG i.e. we examine all body systems to decide which systems need treating. We often need to address the Immune System, the Gastrointestinal System as well as the Integument (skin). We add, for all dogs, HoneyPro Vet DogPro . For more help, we can also add a Herbal Tonic, either General or on Prescription for individual dogs. These herbal tonics may thus vary from animal to animal . Read More: https://www.honeyprovet.com.au/management-of-itchy-pets