Zoopharmacognosy
Zoopharmacognosy refers to the process by which animals naturally forage and self-select plants and plant extracts, soils, insects and psychoactive drugs to self-medicate, preventing or reducing the harmful effects of pathogens and toxins. When a medicinal plant is required by an animal for its therapeutic properties it will taste sweet and palatable. If the animal is healthy the same plant will taste bitter, deterring consumption. This prevents over eating of nature’s pharmacy, ensuring that nature always has a supply of medicinal plants.
Applied Zoopharmacognosy provides a way of helping animals to self-select by offering choices of essential and macerated oils, dried plants and plant extracts that would contain the same or similar constituents to those found in an animal’s natural environment. The animals utilise the plant extract as they need it, via inhalation, ingestion or sometimes topically. This allows an animal to guide its own health.
Animals with a wide variety of issues have responded well to this method, including behavioural / emotional problems, physical problems, poor digestion, poor coat, skin problems and low immune system. Issues that can be supported include: