AZ for Humans

We had a lot of fun at the two AZ for Human classes with some amazing results:

It was amazing how many students responded to sweet orange oil to help their ailments ranging from allergies to rheumatoid arthritis (possibly brought on by a viral infection), to stomach disturbances.

We all witnessed many of the results before our eyes. We started with muscle testing and then went on to smell and taste to assess what was needed.

On the Sunday class two of the students responded to carrot seed, one to wild carrot seed, and the other regular carrot seed. To take the test further, they had to smell both carrot seeds (not knowing which was which). It was fascinating for everyone to witness that both students, picked out the oil they had responded to. For those who think humans have lost their ability to use their sense of smell, I think we proved a point.

Some of the conditions encountered during the classes were:

• Psoriasis/ eczema: patch partially disappeared before our eyes using neat roman and german chamomile
• Rheumatoid arthritis (sudden onset): Responded to similar oils to those selected by the goats viral infection, characterised by arthritic symptoms. No pain oils were selected, only anti-viral. As she sipped her hot water with two drops of clove bud and put Melissa and Orange on her tongue, the ache began to ease and fade
• Swollen knee (was getting worse by the day): Applied German Chamomile, Birch, Immortelle and Carrot Seed oil. The oils absorbed very quickly into the leg. The blue disappeared quickly in areas where it was needed most. The swelling went down before our eyes and she could walk again with ease. Feedback: Overnight, the oedema did not return, and the joint did not become stiff and painful as it normally would
• Irritated eye: Responded to liquorice root. Took several teaspoons and said her eye felt a lot better by the end of the day
• Recovery from pneumonia. Took clove oil in warm water, which was alleviating the symptoms. Using her intuition to apply the oils, the student used diluted lavender rubbed onto her chest (where old scar tissue resided in the lungs from previous bouts of pneumonia), she also wanted to rub frankincense around the neck 

I think everyone learnt a lot and understandably it was hugely valuable to feel the effect of the oil on oneself.

Eye awareness

Cleaning around the eye:

The eyes are one of the most sensitive areas of the body and as such must never come into direct contact with an essential oil. When using something like a Sandlawood wipe around the eye, make sure any excess water is squeezed out of the cotton wool. The dilution should be no more than 1 to 2 drops of Sandalwood in 50ml of water or Cornflower water.



It needs to be noted that when working with your clients, you have taught them how to clean around the eye, should that be necessary, and inform them that Cornflower water is extracted from a blue flower and is not obtained from the flour used in cooking.

More on grapes

Grapes are still very much a topic of discussion in classes, since grape seed oil is very popular with dogs and when they select it they do seem to do well on it, but as discussed in a previous blog it is unclear as to whether the whole grape, in rare cases is toxic for some dogs, even fatal, or if it is just the flesh or skin. However in the October dog class, a student told us that her dog had had had a seizer due to eating grapes, none the less when she read that dogs often select the oil with positive effects she decided to offer the grape seed oil, which he continues to take with no ill effect.

This makes me wonder if the culprit is mycotoxin (a fungal toxin) found on the skin of some grapes, especially taking into consideration the work of Sarah Kinson with captive meerkats. Sarah noticed that the only food being taken to the clay was the grapes, which they were dusting them in it before eating them. Another student noticed his parrot pealing the skin off some grapes but not others.

IAZ clothing range

We are very happy to announce that the IAZ clothing range is now available to IAZ graduates:

Practitioner leaflets

We are delighted to say that the practitioner leaflets have arrived. These are the equivalent of an A4 sheet with three folds (the leaflets come already folded). They are available to all IAZ graduates, see website for more details:

More goats, and bovine this time

Fantastic: We have just received more photos and updates on our work in France from Dr Bernadette Lichtfouse




Tom, Dr Bernadette Lichtfouse and myself

We have been told that several farmers have started to use the oils…with very promising results. One farmer has created a blog and another has begun recording data on quantities selected at the farm below, (where we did our first demonstration/talk).



French goat farmers carry remedies for the herd to choose from

The heard in the photo below suffered mainly from nematode infestations, they are exploring clove oil (blue bucket), however not surprisingly garlic essential oil, which has the potential to paralyse the worms within 15 minutes preventing them from reproducing, was favoured (green bucket). What we then saw was fascinating; there was a sudden noise that caused the goats to run in fear to the other end of the paddock, however one remained undisturbed. She was very underweight, most likely worm ridden (see photo below). An innate response would have been to run with the herd for protection, but the garlic would be of greater interest to her survival.


Goats selecting clove oil



One goat stayed behind selecting garlic when the heard left

We spent the final afternoon working with bovines, they were in a beautiful setting in the French countryside. We collected water from the river and put a selection of oils in buckets. They all seemed pretty healthy, but we were interested to see if they needed a particular oil. We offered peppermint, melissa, garlic, clove, green clay, thyme and rose oil. Melissa (generally selected for viral conditions) was the favoured and they finished a 5 litre bucket while we were there, the next favourite oil was clove and a couple selected rose, one of the couple had just given birth, and the other had reproductive problems.

A very busy October: updated 22.10.12

Having returned from our success in France I was invited to talk to thirty students of Natalie Lenton's school of canine massage therapy in Worcestershire.

I spent a very enjoyable day giving a presentation on Applied Zoopharmacognosy and worked with two lovely and responsive dogs during the afternoon session.

We have had an immense amount of positive feedback from this day with many looking at how they can use zoopharmacognosy to calm anxious and nervous dogs. This will then deepen the effects of the canine massage.

Aside from the dogs, we had a rather unusual occurrence. One of the students became aware of an aroma in the demonstration, and then announced to the class, that for the first time in her life, she was able to cross her left leg over her right. She did this subconsciously, and had tried many different therapies without success, and had little understanding why she had this physical problem.


We have also had a Canine practical weekend at Tilley Farm this month, and while this was going on we were also invited to talk with 1st year students from Bristol University. Martin and Lynn represented me, and they gave a demonstration at Holly Hedge. This in turn was followed by the apothecary course that was enjoyed by all.

The month continues with a talk this weekend at Sheila Harpers (International Dog Behaviour and Training Programme), finishing at the end of the month with the Equine practical in the Dorset countryside at Bittles Brook Farm.

Below are a few of our photo highlights so far:

Being introduced by Natalie Lenton

A lot of processing going on

The first step to success for a dog very fearful of polished floors

Jane did a great job teaching the apothecary day and everybody took home a selection of herbal remedies from creams to anti parasitic sprays.  Jane's expertise as a medical herbalist provided a great learning experience with a variety of wood barks and herbs. There was a great atmosphere in the classroom with old and new students sharing their stories. There were faces that I had not seem for a while and it was good to see everyone again. We will have dates up shortly for the next apothecary day in Spring 2013.

Tracy hard at work

The class get to grips with a recipe

Focused teamwork

Cooking underway

Teaching French goat farmers (updated 4.10.12)

I am just back from a week in France teaching 50 goat farmers, who were practising organic methods and wanted to learn how they could incorporate Applied Zoopharmacognosy into the health of their herds. Tom also joined me to teach aspects of the science module which were well received from both the farmers, and the lectures who attended from the Agricultural College.

Previously some the farmers had been introduced to essential oil use by vets following the standard aromatherapy approach, however this was impractical and its use was largely discontinued. At the end of the lecture and demonstration the organiser said that the farmers could now see a new way forward with essential oils and other extracts that would be easier. This method would treat the whole herd while also allowing individual self-selection.

The goats had been put into enclosures according to their disease, mainly viral, bacterial and
parasitic. We gave the animals a choice of essential oils; thyme, garlic, clove, peppermint and melissa in buckets of water plus dried remedies such as Green Clay, Marigold Flowers, Devils Claw, Barley Grass Powder and Wormwood Powder (which was very popular with parasitic goats) amongst others.

The farmers were amazed to observe each herd selecting according to their diseases. The female goats who had just given birth generally selected painkillers such as St Johns Wort and Arnica macerated oil plus Barley Grass (this was the only group that selected Barley Grass). It is also probable that they selected these painkillers since many had the AECV virus that causes arthritis. None selected Devils Claw, usually taken for pain.

For every condition there was a combination of three main essential oils selected per group, however the common denominator throughout was Clove Oil. What we were also overwhelmed with was the hospitality we received from the farmers, especially those that we stayed with and our organiser Dr Bernadette Lichtfouse.

In addition I spent one day teaching an Equine practical workshop that was a lot of fun and to my surprise all the class bar two were English.

All in all a perfect, fulfilling and successful trip to France.

CPD

As an important part of our commitment to professional standards we are asking all graduates to maintain 8 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) per year.

This is stated in the IAZ code of ethics and professional practice published on the main website and can take the form of a workshop or research into an aspect of Zoopharmacognosy, or offering a days work at a rescue centre. You can either do a workshop at the IAZ or elsewhere, but proof of attendance will be required at renewal.

The new Diploma (as seen above) will therefore be valid for a one year period. This process has been in effect since the beginning of September with new graduates and we will be contacting older graduates over the coming weeks.

Clothing and leaflets will soon be available.

Grapeseed oil

The American Veterinary Medicine Association suggests that grapes and raisins can be toxic and fatal to dogs in rare instances; however, it is unclear as to whether the whole grape can be toxic or if it is just the flesh and skin (and not the seed oil). Even though we have had no known instances of poisoning with grapeseed oil, which dogs often select to great effect, we have decided to take it off the shop until more information becomes available.

This is a subject that is discussed in depth in the Science of Herbal extracts with Thomas

It is interesting to note that the Meerkats in the Blog posted below chose to roll grapes in clay before consuming.

IAZ update

I expect many of you will want to know what the Academy has been doing over the summer as the profession is increasingly recognised and as the IAZ becomes the self regulatory body for Applied Zoopharmacognosy

•  A new code of ethics has been designed for being the self regulatory body for Applied Zoopharmacognosy and the standards required to be a recognised professional

• The register of members is the next area I will be attending to and will differentiate between those who trained a long time ago in Animal Aromatics and those who hold a professional Diploma in Zoopharmacognosy

• Graduates of the IAZ can use the following letters after their name to distinguish their training: IAZ.dip

• New diploma design: reissued annually subject to CPD hours being achieved (8hours/annum). In line with other professional bodies this keeps the register associated with current members and anyone not keeping their training up to date will loose their membership and listing in the directory

• New courses have been developed for the Academy: Apothecary, and Counselling and client communication skills

• Most theory classes will be held at Bristol University Botanical Gardens

• Members of the register can purchase printed information leaflets on Zoopharmacognosy for self-promotion (once logo is finalised). Each member of the new register can claim 5 complementary leaflets

• The IAZ website has been updated with a lot more information and new images

• New professional logo in final design stages

• Clothing line with new logo to be launched soon

Andean Bears

Barbara and Wolfgang

by Sarah Kinson

I visited Durrell Conservation Trust in Jersey to work with their Andean bears, Barbara and Wolfgang. Andean bears (Tremarctos Ornatus) are the only bears from South America. Both bears were born in 1985 in separate zoos and then placed together at Durrell in 1987 as a breeding pair. Barbie suffers from alopecia and itchy skin for which no medical explanation has been found. She also paces in her enclosure; a habit already established as part of her behaviour when she arrived at Durrell. I offered oils and remedies mainly to support the skin and for behavioural issues; with some interesting responses to certain ones in particular.

Rose (otto and absolute) – Both bears showed a great interest in and preference for the absolute; inhaling deeply, walking away and then coming back again to inhale more. Neroli - Both bears showed interest, sniffing and coming back for more. Sandalwood - Barbara was very interested in this oil and she inhaled deeply and then lifted her nose high in the air breathing deeply. She then tried to rub her face and eye on the stick of sandalwood so a plate with a few drops of sandalwood in sunflower oil was placed in Barbie’s den which is separate to the shared area; she lapped up all of the oil and lifted the plate up as if looking for more!  Chickweed macerate - Both bears showed a keen interest and ingested a small amount. Barley Grass- anxiety/skin problems-Both bears showed great interest in this; licking the stick with the powder on. Wolfgang was also offered vetiver for his over excitable sexual behaviour; he showed a lot of interest in this oil inhaling deeply.

I was amazed at the responses I had from both bears, they were so keen on the remedies that they were almost glued to the bars of their enclosure, concentrating intently on what was coming next! After the session had ended Wolfgang gathered up the aromatic sticks on which I had offered the various oils and sat holding them for quite some time with his nose in his paws.

I suggested that it may be an idea to add a few drops of rose, neroli and sandalwood in particular, separately on to pieces of muslin cloth for both bears; also to dilute rose and neroli separately in water and spray on the areas where Barbie paced. Sandalwood was to be offered for inhalation from the bottle, as well as adding several drops in sunflower oil for Barbie daily.

Both bears loved the rose sprinkled on cloths and proceeded to walk around for some time with their cloths in their mouths. Their keeper told me that she had sprayed some neroli around the path where Barbie paces indoors and that she had sniffed intently for some time and went to sleep in her bed instead of pacing! She also reported after my visit that Barbie continued to show an interest in sandalwood; in particular when offered on a piece of cloth she would inhale deeply and then proceed to rub her bad eye on it (Sandalwood is often selected by animals with eye problems).

Update

I visited Durrell again in May this year to work with the bears again and see how they were progressing. Barbie still showed great interest in rose, neroli and sandalwood; this time she also selected geranium and bergamot. Wolfgang showed interest in rose and neroli and vetiver, but did not show any interest in the other oils except for a brief sniff. He continues to enjoy sunflower oil on its own.

It was good to see the bears doing well and have the opportunity to work with them again. Jenna is pleased with their progress in general and has seen some improvement in Barbie’s skin and the alopecia has also improved. She also seems less itchy than she was and I did notice that she hadn’t been scratching almost continuously like she was before the first time I visited. Her eye also looked much better. She continues to show interest on and off in sandalwood, rose, neroli and bergamot, geranium and frankincense. Barbie does still pace occasionally but the oils help to break the cycle of this behaviour when sprayed on her pacing routes.

It was a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing animals and have such positive responses and results.

Meerkats: Sunflower oil & Green Clay (Bears to follow) Author Sarah Kinson

I volunteer one day a week at Birmingham Nature Centre, which is a small zoo housing a variety of exotic and endangered animals.

My work there involves the care of many animals including meerkats. I have been offering oils and other secondary compounds for self selection for some time with some interesting responses and results. The group of meerkats particularly like sunflower oil, which they lap up enthusiastically whenever I offer it by pouring on to the rocks and logs in their enclosure.

I recently offered powdered green clay to see their reaction; initially they only scratched around in the clay and rolled in it. However, recently I noticed some of the meerkats taking some of their food and dusting and rolling it in the clay before eating it. On further observation, I realized that it was only the grapes that they were dusting before eating! The only other food I have seen them roll in the clay on one other occasion was a chick; they are fed dead day old chicks as part of their diet.

I have not seen them roll or dust any other foods in the clay since other than the grapes. Therefore, they are possibly using the clay to detoxify any harmful substance on or in the grapes, such as a mycotoxin (a fungal toxin) or a pesticide. As green clay is a good detoxifier, helps aid digestion and helps eliminate internal parasites, this could be why they are utilizing it in this way.

I have also found that they like; chickweed, calendula, dried calendula flowers and dried rose buds and chamomile flowers. They love scratching about in flowers in particular!

Can sunflower oil rid some individuals from worms?

First of all I apologise if I have not been that available recently, but had to go to hospital for major surgery – even though early days I am feeling great and am already returning to the good health I knew years back. Arnica has been amazing!

I mentioned that I am making a case study page for the web (these things always take longer than anticipated!), but in the meantime I feel it is important to talk about worming, especially after recently reading a study on a cat selecting sunflower oil to rid itself of worms, which matches the study by Lynn Hedges - Guest  of a dog that did just the same. To keep you in the picture with the dog, I have included a clip from the article I wrote below

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ANIMAL: Tommy Cat with worms….

SPECIES/BREED/SEX/AGE: cat, male, 8 years old

HISTORY: DATE: 30.06.2011

Author: Janine Cairns
Tommy has regularly been de-wormed over the years, but always seemed to react badly to the medication, taking weeks to get back to normal. He was once again displaying the tell-tail signs of having worms – small, white worms or fragments thereof, stuck in the fur around his tail and white bits dropping off where he’d slept – and seemed lethargic, generally “off-colour” and his owner thought he’d lost a bit of weight. She wondered if I could help, as she was reluctant to take him to the vet again so soon after being vaccinated (3 months before) and de-wormed (6 months before). I agreed, on condition that she takes Tommy to the vet if there was no improvement after 1 week.

After giving Tommy the usual warm welcome, I ushered him into the small area off the living room, leading out to the patio – I wanted fairly enclosed space, where he felt comfortable, but where I could “contain” him enough to get him to concentrate on the remedies. I sat in the doorway to the living room, leaving him the option of moving between me and the door.

Approaching him carefully and slowly, I began by offering him rose otto, he sniffed at it closely, blinking and then turned his head away. I then offered him Valerian to help him relax more deeply and focus. He sniffed, blinked, lay down and started purring. Next, I offered Carrot Seed oil, which is often selected where there has been worm damage, he sniffed then got up and walked away. I gave him a moment and then approached him again with rose otto, lavender and valerian, offering them together. He looked at me and blinked and returned to sit near me. At this point, I offered him Garlic oil (against parasites), this was clearly NOT his remedy of choice: he turned his head away and demonstratively removed himself, tail swishing. I then placed the rose, lavender and valerian fairly close to where he had settled on the mat, which he enjoyed and started to purr again, closing his eyes.

I approached him again to offer him Devil’s Claw powder. He showed no interest, turning away. I then offered Spirulina, which he sniffed, licking his lips and blinking. His interest seemed to indicate staying with the Spirulina, so I mixed a small amount to a paste with water, which I then offered on my fingertip. He cautiously took a lick before backing away and continuing to lick his lips.

Hoping he would select something to help him expel the worms, I then offered him Neem oil, which can be highly effective against parasites. He turned away, showing no interest. I then offered sunflower oil, he licked a drop off my finger. I poured about a teaspoonful onto the tiled floor. He licked it up, without hesitation. I then poured a tablespoonful into a container. He greedily licked that, plus a further tablespoon too, so clearly he wanted sunflower oil, and as much of it as he could get.

OUTCOME AND FOLLOW-UP
I took him back to his home (2 doors away) with my bottle of organic sunflower oil, instructing his guardian to offer him 2-3 tblsp. of oil that evening, along with 1 tsp of Spirulina mixed to a paste in a separate saucer. He drank both.

01.07.2011: The next morning, he took another 3 tblsp. (45ml) of sunflower oil, but no Spirulina. His guardian poured a further 3 tblsp. of oil into his saucer and left it for him to come back to. By evening the saucer was empty.
02.07.2011: The following morning, Tommy took 2 tblsp. of oil. His gardian left more oil in the saucer as before, but by evening he hadn’t touched it.
03.07.2011: On the third morning, Tommy didn’t want any more oil.

Having washed all Tommy’s bedding and any blankets upon which he lies throughout the house, his owner was happy to see that there were no further traces of worms after his Zoopharmacognosy session and 3 days of self-medication.

Comment:
Although I saw no actual evidence of worms being expelled, since Tommy has free access to the garden and adjoining field and only uses a litter box “in emergencies” during the winter, I feel that he was selecting sunflower oil to purge himself and did so with success.

The following points support this view:

1. Tommy has been fed exclusively on kibble since he was a kitten and normally cannot be tempted to eat any other food, so it is absolutely inconceivable that he would have chosen sunflower oil for its taste or as a dietary supplement.
2. He must have felt he needed the oil – in large quantities. (He took about 200ml in total!). Shiva, his sister, had access to the oil in the saucer on the floor all the while Tommy was dosing himself on it. She steered clear of it and wasn’t even tempted to try it because he was drinking it, which she does as a matter of principle with of other treats.
3. Within 8 days, his guardian reported that Tommy seemed his “old self” and definitely brighter and more perky.

Update on Tommy
More than a year later, on 4 August 2012, Tommy once again showed obvious signs of re-infestation with worms. He was offered sunflower oil, which he took, as follows:

05.08.12: Morning – 45mls (3 Tablespoons) his carer expressed surprise that he lapped it up immediately – she usually has no success whatsoever in her attempts to coax him to eat/drink anything other than his dry food!
05.08.12: Evening – 45mls left in a saucer, beside his water bowl, overnight. It was gone by morning.
06.08.12: Morning – 45mls, left in a saucer for him at my front door. It was gone by evening.
07.08.12: Morning – he paid me a visit, so I offered him another 45mls of oil, which he took. On this occasion, I had the opportunity to photograph him – he drank long and determinedly enough for me to go upstairs and get my camera!
07.08.12: Evening – his owner left 45mls in a saucer for him, overnight. The next morning there was half to 2/3 remaining.
08.08.12: Evening - he took about 15mls.
09.08.12: Morning – no interest, either at home or with me.

By the 10 August, neither his guardian nor I could see any trace of worms on him or where Tommy had been (sitting or lying). Since he does not use a litter box during the summer, we did not actually see evidence of purging, but it seems obvious that this is what Tommy was doing by ingesting large amounts of sunflower oil (as he did the last time he had worms).

It is perhaps significant, that throughout these 5 days, Tommy’s companion cat, Shiva, could not be persuaded to even sniff, let alone lick, the sunflower oil.

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In Essence Vol.9 No.1 Summer 2010
Worming is one of the most debated and controversial procedures: over–the–counter wormers can be harsh and have side effects and they are often administered as a routine precaution. However, given the opportunity, an animal will know how to maintain its health. This can be achieved by offering appropriate secondary compounds for self–selection – an innate behaviour vital to their well–being and, ultimately, their survival. The first case study below demonstrates just how discerning animals can be in choosing the treatment they need. Acouple of years ago Lynn Hedges Geast, a graduate at the Ingraham Academy, wrote up this case study on a four–year–old female Staffordshire bull terrier she had treated. The dog had developed a heart murmur after an operation which, the vet advised, could have been caused by the anaesthetic used. He prescribed no medication since the murmur was low grade but recommended regular check–ups to monitor the condition.

Lynn takes up the story: “The dog mainly selected rose otto essential oil (although she also chose neroli, linden blossom, jasmine and frankincense). She sniffed the box but it seemed that whatever I offered her, it wasn’t the one she wanted! She was getting really excited and I felt myself getting anxious that I couldn’t get there quick enough! I started with barleygrass for its nutrients and magnesium but the dog showed no interest.

“Next I offered spirulina for its immune–stimulating properties and nutrient content – which I thought she would go for but there was no response at all. I offered chickweed and comfrey macerated oils, neem and flax oils, and hemp for nervous tension, with no success. I decided to just keep offering, knowing I would get there eventually! She showed moderate interest in arnica macerated oil and rosehips (dried) but they clearly weren’t what she wanted.

“Then I decided to try a fixed oil and offered her sunflower oil. She went absolutely mad for it, jumping up and trying to bite the bottle! I was relieved that I’d found what she wanted but she couldn’t get enough of it. She took a total of 160ml and still wanted more. I tried offering other base oils, thinking that perhaps she was indicating more fatty oils in her diet. I offered safflower, then olive oil which she sniffed, licked with moderate interest but then went straight back to licking the empty sunflower oil bowl. I put another 30ml of sunflower in and she licked it all.

“I offered grapeseed oil but there was no interest, then I offered sunflower oil again and she desperately wanted to lick inside the bottle. I gave her another 30ml (by now she had had 220ml sunflower oil) and she started to slow down a bit, licking her lips and nose a lot and pausing between licks.

“Once finished, I gave her a further 30ml (250ml now – a whole bottle!), of which she left a small amount in the bowl. Then she drank some water, took her toy, settled down in her bed and fell asleep. This seemed a good time to end the consultation.

“She then purged 250ml of sunflower oil and, with it, expelled huge amounts of tapeworm segments! I arranged another visit to re–offer and this time there was no interest in any remedies apart from rose otto. But she was still excited about sunflower oil even though purged. She went through another 200ml the day after purging, and from then on started to cut back on it to 60ml per day”.

Two months later I received an email saying that the dog had just had a check–up and the vet could not identify a heart murmur at all and perhaps thanks to the sunflower oil, the massive cluster of tapeworms she’d had in her body had now completely cleared. Lynn concluded: “thanks to all that zoopharmacognosy stands for, this dog is now in a much happier, healthier place – physically, mentally and emotionally.”

An add in: A young labrador dog was observed climbing up onto the table to eat an onion, which is poisonous, leaving the non–poisonous energy rich apple. However, shortly after ingesting the onion the dog purged, ridding his body of segments of tapeworm. This dog had selected the toxin to rid the body of worms.

Spreading the word...and raising standards

This year the subject of Zoopharmacognosy has truly expanded worldwide. I think this is mainly due to the combination of scientific understanding and behavioural awareness offered by the Academy. This is backed up by prominent research, which enables us to offer the most comprehensive training available. In addition we are introducing our new associated professional skills courses. These courses are now part of the full diploma structure and represent our commitment to producing the best course possible. (click on either of the following to link to website)

• Apothecary training

• Counselling and client communication skills

We are also delighted to announce that Tom has secured the position of assistant editor for medical and biological academic journals and papers. This involves interviews with influential academics, keeping him abreast of the most up to date related information.

 The visit to China was a unique opportunity to spread the message about animal care and was so well received by those present that even journalists were fighting back the tears when they realised how their animals were trying to communicate intelligently with them.

The global interest in Applied Zoopharmacognosy has never been higher. At the moment we are dealing with enquiries from France, Australia, South Africa, Holland, the USA and Canada. I was recently interviewed by the Canadian Federation of Aromathrapy, which produced the following article:

By clicking on either of the pages you can read the full article

www.ingraham.co.uk/courses.asp

The Apothecary with Jane Wallwork-Gush: 1 day workshop

There are some exciting new courses now being run by the Academy. The first is a fun-practical day with Jane, our Medical Herbalist, in Bristol. Others to follow...

On this day you will get to roll up your sleeves and put on your ‘apothecary hat,’ learning how to create the following remedies, and at break time you can make your own herb-tea! By the end of the day you will be able to take home a remedy that your animal may need and learn lots more.

• Beeswax remedies
• Creams and lotions
• Sprays for ringworm/ mites/ tick repellent
• How to create herbs and clay powder blends with essential oils
• How to create gels using aloe and macerated/carrier oils with essential oils
• Everybody will get a set of laminated recipe cards and a set of notes

Location: Bristol

Times: 9.30 – 4.30pm

Date: 13.10.12

Cost: £115.00 (which includes ingredients for your remedy to take home)

To reserve your place, please email Martin: mstubbs.iaz@gmail.com

Psychologies magazine

July Publication 2012


Just heard back today from my interview with Psychologies Magazine in China. So here it is for all those who are fluent in Chinese!

However my interviewer spoke English and these are a few of her words...

"The 2 day exposure to zoopharmacognosy not only shocked me about the connection between plants/essential oils and animals, it also taught me about respecting. Respecting
both human beings and animals, also the gift nature bring us." Psychologies magazine, China

Feline & Canine classes 2012

Once again I am behind with my blog and updating students on the May Feline and Canine practicals, one of the reasons is that we have been looking for a new HQ for the expanding school and the shop and finally it looks like we have found somewhere that is perfect for us, which I am so excited about. I'll keep you updated with details once more has been confirmed.

Back to the May classes

The feline days were very rewarding, we left the cats & kittens that we worked with at the cattery in a relaxed and contented state, helping them cope with their various situations. Many loved rolling in the catnip, which together with the oils encouraged the fearful and timed, that spent their time hiding, to come out to play. According to Alex, Thomas the cat is still his enigmatic self

Mutly, who we worked with in class, needed a little help socializing with other dogs

Feedback “After being worked with in class yesterday, I took him for a walk and we met two whippets who he has screamed at in the past and been very rough with, but not this time. When I thought the coast was clear I let him off (having been excited but quiet while they passed) he charged across the field to find them - my heart was somewhere near my mouth! Next thing I saw was two whippets running with a sofa-hound and having a ball. I called him and he came back with the biggest grin on his face - it was nearly as large as mine!

Today we met one of his favorite dogs to bark at. I popped him on the lead and whipped the lid off the Violet Leaf, placing it in front of him. He inhaled deeply, licked his nose, backed up (into the path of the dog) and then watched him pass by calmly. Wow! I'm unsure who was the most surprised - the dogs, the other owner or me! It was pure magic and I'm so grateful to you and your work.

On the back of this we are now working on him getting on with our cats and retrieving them from exile upstairs. I have three rags with oils on hanging on the barricade which enables them to get upstairs safely, even though it's running the gauntlet a little. He has been calmer
there but still wants to get to chase the running furry things. I spent a while out with the youngest of the cats, Moley (a healing cat) and let him inhale the Violet Leaf, keeping my hand over the top to
stop him touching it. He ended up lying across the front door step with Mutley on the other side snorting in cat fumes - he was purring and making cookies on my arm. He then went and lay in the lane outside the house where, unusually, he didn't budge when a van came along. He got up in a very leisurely way, stretched then ambled off into the wood".

Tooka needed help with skin problems: “we are all living in a haze of green clay - both dogs are still picking up ticks but much less so and we are finding desiccated ones on them-- much calmer and no hot spots”.

Zadie who needed help with loud noises and car sickness– slept all the way home and was not car sick.

Equine class: May 2012

What a great group of students and horses alike. We held the course at Tilley Farm, which is the HQ for TTouch UK, where we always get a wonderfully warm welcome from Sarah, Tina and Maggs.

We had some great cases to work with and the horses were excellent teachers guiding the students to where and how they wanted the oils and extracts. The first day consisted mainly of demonstrations, while the second day the students participated by following through with the horses we worked with on day one. We were working with dust mites, anxiety, arthritis and hormonal problems.

Fleur, a chestnut mare, belonging to Sarah, needed help with her mood due to being in season. The number one essential oil selected for horses that become irritable at this time is rose otto. On this occasion we gave her the choice of rose otto, rose absolute and rose petals. She had no interest in the oils and only wanted the petals. However once in her mouth, she chewed them and then spat them out. Slightly perplexed I offered her rose buds, which she took with relish. Two points that could be considered by this are:

1. The emotional problem stemmed from a physical source, therefore she was needing to treat her body and not her mind, which was highlighted by her choice of route of administration (eating the buds opposed to inhaling the oil).

2. It also highlights how one plant source can hold within it differing quantities of constituents depending upon the form that is being used, so the importance of the correct rose being offered in order for her to help herself.

(Note: Other remedies selected for hormonal problems are Vanilla, Geranium, Clary Sage, liquorice root and Barley Grass)

In the image below (day 2) we had been working with a pony who, before the session began, would have pinned herself against the wall with fear if more than one person had entered her stable. Here you can see she is relaxed and taking oils from the students hands. The session finished with her fast asleep. The main plant oils that she selected were Hemp, Neroli and Jasmine.

RAGWORT POISONING

I was actually going to put up the course held the week before last, at sarah Fishers' Tilly Farm (TTouch HQ), which was brilliant, we had fantastic horses to work with a great results, so will do that next. However first I felt it both appropriate and important to post the case study I recently marked on ragwort poisoning by Sue White, Herefordshire, since it may hopefully help others should they find themselves in the same situation. It is also appropriate since we have just covered poisoning in class.


Often people unfamiliar with the subject will challenge it by reciting instances where animals have poisoned themselves. In most cases this can be explained. In the case of ragwort this usually only happens if the horse is 'starving hungry' not 'greedy' or when ragwort is dried and mixed with the hay.  In this case the bitter molecules that help the horse identify the plant break down. As self selection is dependent on odour this might make it difficult for the horse's self-medicative mechanisms to accurately identify the toxic plant. In regards to dried plants ragwort is the exception rather than the rule; the taste and smell of many herbs are unaltered when dried, which is why they are still used in zoopharmacognosy.


Case Study – Quarter Horse Yearling Maizey.

Maizey was one of a whole yard of horses who all become ill to varying degrees after consuming hay which proved, after investigation, to have ragwort mixed in with it.  As the ragwort was dried and well mixed in to the hay bales it was not easy to detect visually or by taste for the horses. The first signs of the contaminated food effects were not noticeable until after about 4-6 weeks of the hay being trickle fed to the horses. Some of the horses reacted with a slow steady muscle loss and energy depletion, others developed bouts of bad diarrhoea, others appeared normal but then suddenly displayed neurological problems such as co-ordination loss and the staggers.

Three of the youngest horses with muscle wastage and intermittent diarrhoea one by one collapsed and were not be able to get up. The first visit from the vet was a diagnosis of possibly worm burden or a virus. They had to be managed on drips and fed by hand whilst bloods and samples were taken. Worms were counted out as a source of the problem, bacteria and viruses were ruled out and poisoning from an unknown source was eventually confirmed. With still no confirmation of it being Ragwort all the horses were still being fed the contaminated hay – sadly these three yearlings died within days of their collapsing.  A post mortem and subsequent liver biopsy from one of these horses then confirmed the ragwort poisoning. The hay bales were examined and advised to be burnt.

Maizey was not much older than the three that had just died, her main symptoms were a huge amount of muscle wastage, weight loss and intermittent chronic diarrhoea with a fluctuating appetite and a great reduction in her normal energy levels to the point of exhaustion but not collapse or any obvious neurological effects.  I was not able to visit the yard until clearance was given that the problem was not a contagion, but once I could; I visited the day after the third yearling had died. The vet had left a warning to the owner that it was likely that more could die as there was no other treatment he could supply other than high level vitamin B12 supplements which may or may not help. It was in the lap of the gods as they had been trickle fed the ragwort over a couple of months and were all liver damaged to some extent or another.

Maizey had never seen or smelt essential oils before nor had she been offered macerates or herbs for self-selection. As soon as I put my bags down outside her door she was really interested and keen.

I thought about what Maizey had so far endured in the yard during the few weeks leading up to my visit. She had watched three of her playmates die, wasn’t feeling well herself and was surrounded by a lot of low energy, a yard full of sick horses.  I considered it would be an appropriate start to offer her rose otto to see if she needed emotional support first. She sniffed and licked several times followed by the same response to angelica root. She then moved away to process and ate some hay. She then took an interest in the neroli on offer. She liked the neroli a lot and took many left and right nostril sniffs and then took some from my hand, nuzzled me then processed very deeply looking far away and very relaxed for some 4-5 minutes.  I reoffered the rose; she showed no interest and moved away. I then offered yarrow which she took by inhalation only processing thro’ both nostrils then German Chamomile. She licked and sniffed a lot of this with short 15 second phases of processing in between licks.

I moved on to carrot seed to see if something with a little more of a physical use might appeal with cellular repair  – she took 3-4 sniffs and one lick then more sniffs. She processed by grinding her jaw and teeth and licking her lips then took to her hay.

I then offered lemon and lime in turn for the liver and detox in general and she took one sniff of each.  I offered her Ginger which had the same response then bergamot, grapefruit, then juniper all of which she refused by walking away. She showed no interest in peppermint, spearmint nor any other oils at that point. I reoffered rose, neroli and yarrow again followed by german chamomile but she continued to move away and was clearly not interested in any taking more.

I thought about how her body especially her liver would need nutrients to support it for not only detox but for repair and to help build up her blood and strength so offered her seaweed before moving onto powders. She loved it, was very attracted to the seaweed and licked my hand really hard, biting the surface with her teeth trying to get more and more. I offered her kelp and she took 2 small licks but then went back to the seaweed extract. From that reaction I felt that a ‘superfood’ might help so offered her barleygrass. The world turned temporarily green with all the sniffing, blowing and licking and she relished her way through about a quarter to a third of a kilo ultimately preferred as a runny paste, before slowing up. I then offered her nettle powder and she took a similar amount preferring it again as a runny paste.  She then looked satisfied and was beginning to slow down in her responses to being offered anything. She took one tiny hand of rosehips but wasn’t that interested to come for more. She finished with some more seaweed and a final small scoop of barleygrass then went to her hay before going to sleep. She was not interested in dandelion root, wheat grass, slippery elm, liquorice powder, clay, peppermint leaves, macerates or any other oils. I didn’t feel it appropriate to revisit the essential oils I had first offered, as she looked so sleepy and relaxed, to me she showed a horse who primarily needed to take care of her physical state first and foremost.

I left it with the owner to continue offering Maizey seaweed, barleygrass, nettle, neroli, german chamomile and yarrow. I suggested these be offered every day for a week or so, she took them every other day for 2 weeks.  Then 2-3 times for the next 2 weeks and twice for the next 2-3 weeks then once per week and finally only once or twice for the following month.

I revisited the yard three weeks after my initial visit and she took further interest in consuming linseed oil quarter to a half pint at a time to start and dandelion root in addition to the above. She mostly still relished the nettle and barleygrass and sniffed the seaweed a lot. In all Maizey took remedies for about 2 – 3 months then she fully lost interest.

Maizey survived the poisoning and doesn’t show any signs of the ordeal. Her body is fully muscled up and she full of youthful energy ready to be backed this spring.

Maizey was not the only horse on this yard I attended to, the owner wanted all of the horses to be offered the oils and herbs which proved interesting. In all there were about 10 more to attend to. They didn’t all have the same symptoms, and even when they did, they didn’t all choose the same remedies, although they were all poisoned with the same plant, their needs to help themselves were very individual in selection and quantities.

Overall and across the whole yard the list of the most  selected ingredients was Nettle leaves and powder, Dandelion Root and powder, Barleygrass, Mint leaves, Linseed oil, Seaweed, Wheat grass, Rosehips, Kelp and Peppermint essential oil.

The two stallions were the keenest on linseed oil taking in pint at a time measures, also taking seaweed, kelp, dandelion root and peppermint oil and mint leaves. Neither had interest in barleygrass or many of the other remedies Maizey had wanted. The horse with the worst neurological problems was Beau. He developed the staggers which I found quite distressing to witness. He proved very difficult to offer to as he was so dazed and in a strange half delirious state that his responses appeared dulled to the point of almost zero.  I took a long time with him watching and looking for the smallest signs in order to get a feel for his selections but with patience and perseverance even he has come round and now looks back to normal health and none the worse for his ordeal.