Today's spotlight is on the botanical herb slippery elm.
What a wonder drug! Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) is considered a Western herb (as opposed to a Chinese or Ayurvedic herb). It comes from a hardwood tree native to North America, and it's the inner bark that's harvested and powderized for medicinal purposes. It was used topically in salves for wounds, burns, and skin inflammations by Native Americans. It was taken by mouth as well to relieve coughs, sore throats, diarrhea and upset stomachs.
Holistic veterinarians will use this herb to treat a variety of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, stress colitis, and some cases of vomiting in dogs and cats. And I will recommend it to my clients' animals topically for certain skin conditions and burns.
It's an herb that should not be given to pregnant animals and since it coats the stomach it could decrease absorption of other medications given by mouth. But otherwise, it has a reputation of being a safe herb.
If your dog or cat is suffering from chronic GI or skin problems contact Dr. Busch for advice on ways to help your animal return to radiant health!
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