Even in prehistoric times plants were used as valuable treasures of nature against diseases. Their mysterious healing properties were already proven, but still unexplored scientifically. Then as now, plants are still used as remedies and are also recognized medically. In many countries, there is a long tradition of herbalists treating their patients with all sorts of extracts and tinctures from medicinal plants to the benefit of health. Medicinal herbs are defined as plants whose leaves, flowers, stems or roots have specific therapeutic properties.
Even wild animals instinctively seek out grasses, plants, roots and barks to strengthen their vitality or consume herbs when in pain. We want to describe some of these plants which are beneficial to our pets. You will also find these herbs in our products as an important component of their natural nutrition or for beneficial external application.
We hope you enjoy reading this book of nature!
Aloe
Aloe is a genus of plants from the warm regions and occurs especially in South Africa and southern Europe. Here in Germany, it grows in greenhouses. Profile: Aloe becomes 60cm high with 4-7cm thick round stems. The leaves are thick and fleshy. Flowering time is in June. The un-processed aloe contains aloin and this has a laxative effect. It also has a special affinity for the digestive organs and is therefore recommended for chronic gastritis. Furthermore, aloe is used to treat wounds, even in poorly healing wounds and is also used to treat ulcers.
Scientific name: Aloe vulgaris
Used plant part Leaves
Ingredients:: Aloine
Aloe is included here
Artichoke
The artichoke is a medicinal plant with a long history. They aid in the digestion of fat.Profile: It belongs to the thistle family and thrives in warm regions, where it grows mainly in the winter months. The benefits of artichokes are that they are antiseptic and lowers the blood lipid. It has a stimulating effect on the liver and kidney, but also promotes blood circulation and detoxification in the body.
Scientific name: Cynara scolymus
Plant part used: all parts of the plant
Ingredients: The artichoke essentially contains the carbohydrate inulin, protein, calcium, iron, provitamin A and vitamin B1
Artichoke is included here
- Canis Plus® Puppies & Young Dogs Poultry (also smaller pellets)
- Canis Plus® Puppies & Young Dogs Salmon
- Canis Plus® Poultry
- Canis Plus® Lamb
- Canis Plus® Beef
- Canis Plus® Salmon
- Canis Plus® Working Dog - Sport
- Canis Plus® InsectVetal®
- Canis Extra Tausendgrün Organic Herbs for BARF
- Canis Extra Aktiv
- Canis Extra Gelenkvital
- Canis Extra Healthy Bowel
Wild garlic
In the Edda, the large collection of Germanic popular myths, the wild garlic appears as one of the first plants after the creation of the world. Wild garlic belongs to the bulb family and is wild in almost all of Europe. The plant is about 20-50cm high and blooms with many white star-shaped flowers. Wild garlic is easily confused with the venomous and the highly poisonous lily of the valley. It is a nutrient indicator, because wild garlic only grows where the soil is particularly nutritious.
Profile: has a positive effect on skin conditions, worm infestation, intestinal complaints and arteriosclerosis (the thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries). It is also recommended as a blood-purifying spring cure.
Scientific name: Allium ursinum
Used plant part: Leaves
Ingredients: rich in vitamin C, magnesium, iron and manganese. Sulfides are effective against bacteria and fungi
Wild garlic is included here
Birch
The birch is native to Europe and North Asia. It grows on sandy, but also on boggy soils.
Profile: Birch trees have a scientifically proven diuretic effect. When the body accumulates water somewhere, the birch leaves are able to quickly withdraw the blocked liquid. At the same time there is an increased excretion of urinary substances, which has a beneficial effect on metabolic disorders such as rheumatism and gout. Birch tea is often used to treat skin conditions. It can positively influence chronic eczema. Birch water is used for head and hair care.
Scientific name: Betula alba
Plant part used: Mainly the young birch buds, the young leaves, but also the fresh birch sap
Ingredients: The young leaves contain essential oils, tannins and acidic and neutral saponins. Birch tar (made by blanching birch wood and bark) contains mainly carbolic acid and creosol
Birch is included here
Nettle
The nettle has been valued and used as a medicinal plant since ancient times. It is mainly used for rheumatic diseases, but also as a spring cure for purifying blood.
Location: You can actually find the nettle almost everywhere, on roadsides, in gardens or on composting grounds. It is up to 1.5m high and has long burning hairs on leaves and stems, which cause itchy wheals on contact with the skin. It is a diuretic, anti-inflammatory and hematopoietic. It is also often used as a tonic for general immune deficiency, skin disorders and iron deficiency.
Scientific name: Urtica dioica, Urtica urens
Plant part used: Leaves and roots
Ingredients: Stinging nettles have flavonoids, sugar-lowering glucocinines, silica, valuable minerals, iron, provitamin A, vitamin C, plenty of xanthophyll and chlorophyll
Nettle is included here
Fennel
Fennel is native to Asia and was already popular as a medicinal plant with the ancient Egyptians.
Benefits: as a home remedy, fennel is often used for bloating and digestive problems and helps with eye inflammation. In addition to its essential oils, which have a positive effect on the mucous membranes, its anti-spasmodic and antibiotic effect is also helpful for flatulence and stomach and intestinal complaints.
Scientific name: Foeniculum vulgare
Plant part used: tuber with leaves and the fruits
Ingredients: iron, potassium, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, B2, vitamins C and E and essential oils such. Anethole
Fennel is included here
Elderberry
The elderberry is found throughout Europe. Since it spreads not only by seeds, but also by plant shoots, it is difficult to expel.
Characteristics: well-known is the urea, sweat and milk-driving effect of the elderberry or "lilac blossoms", the berry also has the same effect. The berries have blood-purifying and hematopoietic character and cleanse all internal organs.
Scientific name: Sambucus nigra.
Used plant part: both leaves and roots as well as the elderflower and the well-known elderberries.
Ingredients: Elderberry has plenty of vitamin C in the fresh flowers, the plant contains iron, copper and turpentine containing essential oils. Furthermore, the berries contain plenty of vitamins A, B and C (more than blueberry and raspberry).
Elderberry is included here
Garlic
Garlic is one of the oldest medicinal plants known to man and has been used since ancient times for healing and as a tonic. Traditionally, garlic is often used for the following conditions: gastrointestinal disorders with diarrhea or constipation, flatulence and intestinal inflammation. Garlic kills diseased intestinal bacteria and promotes the coli bacteria (normal intestinal dwellers). It is also used for diseases of the air and respiratory tract such as bronchitis, whooping cough and asthma. It is effective for high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis and myocardial (blood flow to the heart) insufficiency. Furthermore, garlic has a worming effect and is used in Indian medicine as a strengthening agent.
Important ingredients of garlic:
Carbohydrates, protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus, magnesium, iron, vitamins B1, B2 and C, ferments, inulin and the sulfur-containing essential oil allicin. Allicin is the compound that causes the smell of garlic and is attributed to the health-promoting effect of garlic.
At Naturavetal® the principle applies: too much does not help at all! That's why our Canis Plus® complete food contains only a very small amount of garlic.
In a variety of studies, no clinical symptoms related to Allium sativum intoxication have been reported in dogs. All tested dogs have been given Canis Plus® complete feed for several years and were healthy, even the blood tests showed no abnormalities.
Scientific name: Allium sativum
Used plant part: Tuber
Ingredients: Essential oils, especially allicin, selenium
Garlic is included here
Dandelion
Dandelion is also known as Milk Thistle. In the Middle Ages the dandelion was used for gout and rheumatic complaints. Even today it is very much appreciated for joint inflammation and water retention.
Location: Dandelion can be found almost everywhere. It belongs to the asteraceae family and grows up to 20cm high.
Characteristics: The stem contains a white milky juice. Dandelion tastes rather bitter and unappetizing. It stimulates the metabolism and is used as a tea for liver and gall bladder problems as well as for blood purification and general old age.
Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale.
Plant part used: roots and leaves.
Ingredients: Dandelion contains an antibiotic substance, vitamins of the B and C group, the bitter substance taraxacin and inulin. Inulin is a carbohydrate that converts into fructose and is said to have a special anti-diabetic effect.
Dandelion is included here
- Canis Plus® Puppies & Young Dogs Poultry (also smaller pellets)
- Canis Plus® Puppies & Young Dogs Salmon
- Canis Plus® Poultry
- Canis Plus® Lamb
- Canis Plus® Beef
- Canis Plus® Salmon
- Canis Plus® Working Dog - Sport
- Canis Plus® Chicken Complete Meal
- Canis Extra Vit/Min Variety Flakes
- Canis Extra Tausendgrün Organic Herbs for BARF
- Canis Extra Aktiv
- Canis Extra Gelenkvital
Parsley
Parsley is one of the most known culinary herbs. Even among the ancient Greeks, parsley was used for its diuretic effect and as an aid to injuries such as bruising, ulcers and mosquito bites.
Located: Parsley is a umbellifer (having its flowers arranged in umbels) and has carrot-like taproots. It is a perennial plant that can grow to over a meter in height.
Characteristics: it provides important support in infections and immune deficiency, promotes blood formation and is a rich source of minerals. In addition, it has a great effect on kidneys and blood vessels.
Scientific name: Petroselinum crispum
Plant part used: fresh leaves
Ingredients: Parsley has a remarkably high content of protein, minerals, calcium, iron and provitamin A and B 1, B2, vitamin E and folic acid. Already 5g leaf parsley cover the daily requirement of provitamin A and vitamin C
Parsley is included here
- Canis Plus® Puppies & Young Dogs Poultry (also smaller pellets)
- Canis Plus® Puppies & Young Dogs Salmon
- Canis Plus® Poultry
- Canis Plus® Lamb
- Canis Plus® Beef
- Canis Plus® Salmon
- Canis Plus® Working Dog - Sport
- Canis Plus® Chicken Complete Meal
- Canis Plus® Game Complete Meal
- Canis Extra Aktiv
- Canis Extra Gelenkvital
Sage
Sage was formerly referred to as a bacteria killer. Sage is mainly grown in gardens and is rarely found in the wild. The sage plant is very hardy. In ancient times, sage was highly valued as a remedy.
Characteristics: Sage acts as an infusion bactericidal, providing quick healing to wounds. It is also used for reducing the overproduction of perspiration i.e sage is an antiperspirant.
Scientific name: Salvia officinalis
Plant part used: Leaves and young shoots
Ingredients: essential oils with salviol, cineole, camphor, tannins and resins
Sage is included here
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by phone. We are here to help you with comprehensive advice. You can reach us Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by phone at 0208 - 531 7804 or mail info@naturavetal.co.uk.