Customer Reviews

The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat

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1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the latest edition of Juliette de Bairacli Levy's (a.k.a. the grandmother of the natural rearing movement) classic Herbal Handbook for the Dog (cat owners will be more interested in the book she has written specifically on holistic cat care). Juliette has been breeding, naturally rearing, showing, and traveling the world with her Champion Afghans since the 1930s. This book is dedicated to her Turkuman Afghan Hounds who "have never known disease." As always, Juliette is opinionated, uncompromising, cantankerous, and a tad eccentric, but also full of wisdom and vast amounts of valuable info, and every one of her books makes a fascinating read. The first section of this book deals with nutrition (she emphasizes the importance of feeding a raw diet), breeding and natural rearing (no vaccines, insecticides, etc.) while the second part deals with herbal remedies for everything from mange to distemper. Of course most of her suggestions are out of synch with current veterinary advice, but our own naturally reared Wirehaired Pointers and many other dogs like them are living proof that her methods work -- extremely well. Our dogs have remained disease and parasite-free without vaccines, worming pills, insecticides, antibiotics, steroids, etc. The best protection we can give our beloved Wires is a strong immune system, and all of the above have the effect of weakening our animals' immune systems. Even if you are not ready to go "all natural," this book will make you question the conventional wisdom and hopefully encourage you to further research the many harmful practices (e.g., annual booster shots, combo vaccines, antibiotics and/or steroids for every minor infection, routine wormings, feeding of commercial convenience foods with highly questionable ingredients, etc.) we have learned to accept as both necessary and harmless.

My daughter picked up a Lab/bulldog mix puppy thrown out at a park. His health is not the best to say the least. While searching for a non-steroid solution to his skin allergy rash, I stumbled across references to Ms. Levy's book. This book, along with another by Pitcairn have saved this puppy from dying. An added benefit has been that my Cocker and Dachshund have improved as well. The Cocker is now 13 years old and I had accepted her slowing down and lethatgy to her age. Now that she is eating naturally she has energy that I haven't seen in years. The nicest effect is that she no longer smells horrible and her eyes no longer water and leave stains under her eyes! The book is written so that it is easy for anyone to understand. I am highly recommending this book to all. I think it should be required reading for veterinary students as well.

If you take the time to read the many suggestions and easy-to-understand principles the author writes about, you will find so many pet ailments making so much more sense. Our pet is now 10 times healthier than before, thanks to this woman's wealth of insights and experience. Thank you!

BRIEF AND TO THE POINT MY DOGS WERE DEEMED INCURABLE DUE TO A MULTITUDE OF DISEASE ILLNESSES RESULTING FRON GROSS FLEE AND TICK INFESTATION THAT WENT UNCHECKED OVER A FIVE MONTH PERIOD I WAS AWAY. THE VETS INSISTED ON PUTTING THEM DOWN. I DECIDED TO SCAN MY LIBURARY TO SEE WHAT INFORMATION I MIGHT HAVE IN THE WHOLISTIC WORLD. TO MY SURPRISE I CAME ACROSS THIS BOOK THAT TO DATE I HAD ONLY SCANNED TO READ ABOUT SHAMPOO AND HOUSE BREAKING. I DECIDED TO DEVOUR THIS BOOK PAGE BY PAGE BECAUSE I WAS DESPERATE. IT TOOK 63DAYS OF ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (AND I MEAN NOTHING) BUT FRESH GROUND GARLIC AND HONEY HELD TOGETHER WITH ORGANIC OATMEAL RUN THROUGH THE FOOD PROCESSOR TO MAKE FLOUR. IT WAS 24/7 BUT IT WORKED MY TWO DOGS ARE ALIVE AND WELL TODAY. EVERYONE SAID IT COULD NOT BE DONE. I DID EXACTLY AS JULIE SAID WORD FOR WORD WITHOUT EXCEPTION AND ALL TOTAL 10 AND 1/2 MONTHS MY DOGS WERE LIKE PUPPIES. THIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR ANY PET OWNER AND WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR HEALTH AND LONGIVITY. HUMBLY SUBMITTED BY: C. E. K. RISNER

Ms. de Bairacli Levy is TRULY a gifted breeder, physician and writer. I was amazed to read in one of the previous reviews that this book contains "...very little scientific evidence..." Unbelievable!! In this invaluable book you will find references to a WIDE variety of sources of reliable information, including famous dog breeders, ancient arab teachings, time-proven folklore and her over 60 years of world-wide travel and animal care experience. Why does a system of pet care and proven remedies need to be proposed and stamped AOK by an MD before it is acceptable to use? There are literally HUNDREDS of testimonies from breeders all over the world for the past 50 years (including one in this review section!) that her priniciples and practices are ALL sound. Pariculary chilling and sobering is her section detailing the horrible problems incumbent in the commercial production of beef, written JUST BEFORE the Mad Cow outbreak in England. Not only can she explain to us clearly and simply how people all over the world take care of their pets, but she can predict future calamities as well! While a good, open-minded veterinarian is a valuable person to know, this book will give you all the information you need to not merely heal your dog's sickness or injury, but to give him and any future generations that may follow, a lifetime of vital, disease-free health. And relegate your veterinarian to someone you usually see only in the check-out line of your local supermarket

I had bought two of Juliette's herbal books for cats and dogs when I read another book by a different author who had recommended Juliette's books specifically. One of our cats had developed a strange problem where his fur ceased to grow in a large area on his left flank. The spot started out small but gradually grew large and larger until a spot several inches in diameter was mostly fur-less on our cat. Our vet ran a number a tests which came up negative and we even ran tests twice. Our vet said he didn't know the cause of the problem. We had our cat for years and he is an indoor cat fed typical dry cat food (Whiskas), as are all our kitties, and we also give our cats canned tuna fish frequently, as well as chicken breast, turkey breast and beef occasionally. We didn't think his problem could be diet-related. Our other cats are very healthy and our vet even remarked on their coats saying they were the most beautiful he had seen. We tried some things the vet suggested, including giving our cat vitamin E supplements and even cod liver oil but nothing helped the problem and it just seemed to get worse over several months. I searched around the internet trying to find informataion on a possible cause of his condition but found nothing really. I thought perhaps his problem could be a thyroid condition. When I consulted Juliette's book, she recommended seaweed, garlic or raw egg yolks for thyroid problems. As I already had eggs in the house, I decided to try those first. I mixed raw egg yolk into my cat's tuna fish and fed that to him on several days and then we noticed that his fur looked like it was growing back. I worried about feeding him too much egg yolks as I didn't want him getting too much cholesterol so I ceased feeding the egg yolk after about a week but his fur continued to grow back until it was all the way grown back and he seems fine now. I'm thankful this book helped us find a way to help our cat. It was worth the price of the book just for the help with that one problem, though I will continue to consult the book in future if my cats need any more treatment for any future ailments. Juliette seems very knowledgeable about natural and herbal remedies. I bought her book "Common Herbs for Natural Health" and used some of her recommended treatments on myself as well with very good results.

I picked up a copy of this book per chance one day, looking to improve the condition of my oldest dog (rescued also) and it just so happened that many years later I stumbled across a stray pup (+- 2 months, literally skin and bone, mange, viral warts around and inside his mouth). Once he was in an adequate state to socialize with other dogs, we were faced with having the warts surgically removed, which did not come recommended as the vet advised that they would in all likelihood grow back. On the other hand we thought we had to remove them as his socialization was being impaired (we noticed that other dogs tended to ostracize him). Since he was that young, and considering the importance of proper socialization, we thought we had to do something. At the eleventh hour we stopped the proposed invasive surgical procedure and decided to try Ms De Bairacli Levy's suggestions; setting up a diet which we would try for a month, and lo and behold, a month later 90% of the warts had disappeared. Within 2 months all the warts had disappeared. And all the dogs (4) have been switched to the natural rearing diet. They are really bright eyed and bushy tailed now! And exude the sweet smell of fenugreek!

This book is still one of the most valuable contributions to animal care, even half a century after it's original publication. I must agree with a previous review: if you only own one book about dog or cat care, be sure that it is this one. Juliette has a wonderful flair for telling stories, be it live or in her books. Her travels in many countries contibuted to her vast knowledge of herbal remedies and add to the fascination of this book.

One reviewer (in Germany) writes "outdated and plainly dangerous".
I ask myself if she read the same book? Ever since I got my first copy of this book, then called "The Herbal Handbook for the Dog" I have used Juliette's methods and treatments with great success. I have over the years tried almost every one of her cures, and they work! There is nothing dangerous about her suggestions. Juliette's information about raspberry leaf is correct. It will not cause fetus fatalities nor will it cause premature uterine contractions.

Some of the information is, from a scientific standpoint, outdated, but considering when it was written (not published!) it cannot fairly be called outdated. It is in accordance with the information available at that time.

I.e.: the feeding of grapes and raisins. At the time this last edition was published (1992) no one had ever heard of toxicity due to raisins or grapes. Even today these cases are very rare. I have also fed my dogs grapes and raisins in small amounts for over 30 years - never had even the hint of a problem. In small amounts (less than 15 g for a mid-sized dog) they will probably never be toxic. The cases of raisin or grape toxicity that I know of involved eating fairly large amounts (a handfull or more) of these foods, and apparently retrievers are more prone to this problem.
Were Juliette still alive today, she would probably revise this suggestion.

As far as onions - generally she recommends garlic - and if not available then onions. However, the lethal dose for onions is quite high (50 g per kg body mass) and with garlic a 30 kg dog would need to eat 350 cloves per week to develop heinz body anemia! In the amounts she suggests neither onions nor garlic would be toxic, but simply have a medicinal effect. Garlic, when used wisely is a powerful medicinal plant - it would be a shame to omit it from a materia medica.

To claim that the information is anecdotal is, well - stupid. Much herbal information is anecdotal, which doesn't make it any less true or valuable. Juliette can look back at decades of practical experience, her methods are tried and true. This has a value of it's own, which doesn't require a scientific double blind study to back it up!

She explains the importance and healing effects of fasting, warned us nearly 70 years ago about the dangers of vaccines - and the fact that there would be ever more vaccines and ever more vaccine damage - and introduces us to the wonderful world of medicinal plants in a delightful and passionate way.

But her perhaps most important contribution is her teaching about the importance of a wholesome, nutritious FRESH diet based on raw meat. Today this method of feeding dogs has become a huge trend called BARF. Whoever thinks they invented it - think again - Juliette was way ahead of you!

Juliette is the true grandmother of holistic dog care, a pioneer light years ahead of her time to whom we alle owe a tremendous debt for the groundbreaking work she has done with her books.

Or simply put: BUY THIS BOOK!
(and don't feed grapes, raisins or large amounts of onions and garlic)

I ordered this book because I have two cats and I am interested in herbal healthcare and alternative healthcare for them. I liked this book, but was disappointed in the cat section, which was only a couple of pages. If I owned a dog, I would be delighted by this book. However, as a cat owner, I want a book written specifically for cats.

First I will give the author due credit for her general ideas on natural rearing, caution of over-vaccination, recommendation of a natural raw diet and advice to provide plenty of exercise, sunshine and love.

With that said, some of her suggestions are iffy at best:

The suggestion to not spay and neuter is very ignorant. Overpopulation in dogs and cats leads to euthanasia, homeless pets, pets with bad homes because they were given away to anybody, etc,etc. There is no side effect of spaying and neutering that even comes close to being as harmful to our pets as the side effects of overpopulation.

The author recommends burying meat in the backyard as a healthful alternative to freezing.

She recommends feeding grains with the raw bones, so that the grains can protect the stomach/intestines from any sharp bone fragments. To expect that to work is just silly, and dogs do not need grains in their diets.

She recommends feeding dried fruits,specifically including raisins, but raisins are toxic to dogs!

She recommends red raspberry leaf for pregnant females but this has been scientifically proven to cause a higher fetal mortality rate, and it induces uterine contractions which is not always a good thing.

She does have some good advice, but I wouldn't blindly trust all of the information contained in this book. Natural rearing is best for your dog, but definitely do your own research and make your own informed decisions.