Applied Zoopharmacognosy

I am loving the year long course I am engaged with presently with Caroline Ingraham. I am learning from her vast knowledge and experience of Applied Zoopharmacognosy (translates from the Greek into "Animal, Remedy, Knowing") called IMIM or Ingraham Method of Individualised Medicine.

It celebrates difference - just as each human on the planet is an individual, with different ways of understanding the world, each animal is an individual. This is most marked among dogs - humans have created a multitude of different breeds within a species, and they all respond differently to the world. Some carry genes that metabolise drugs faster or slower (e.g., the MDR1 gene in many Collies and some Shepherds), some carry genes that mean they have an appetite that is always switched on (think Labrador, Beagle). Some breeds have large sensitive noses on a long face, some have very short faces and small noses.

Unlike us humans, who tend to be too cerebral when it comes to choosing our food and plants, our domestic pets (I work with dogs and cats) are very innate in how they KNOW what plant medicine they need, at the time they need it.

It's up to use humans, as caregivers, to make sure we OFFER plants, plant extracts, essential oils, clays and floral waters for our pets to support themselves when needed.

During the course, I have learnt about the active constituents of different plant extracts, how they work in the body, and how to read the responses of the animals they are offered to. This is building on my knowledge of anatomy and physiology, health and disease, pharmacology and veterinary medicine over a quarter of a century.

I have built up a huge collection of essential oils, powdered plant extracts, clays, floral waters and dried herbs and plants during my study.

I am now offering Zoopharmacognosy sessions to clients as part of my Holistic Vet Norfolk work. Three sessions are needed initially, the first is very much getting to know your pet, your management practices, their history right back to birth. It allows them to get to know me, my herb filled garden, and to begin exploring some of the plant remedies. I will begin to help you learn how to interpret your pets individual response to the plant extracts and understand why they are choosing that particular plant. You will come home with a few remedies to start offering yourself at home.

The second and third sessions build on the first, and get you working as a team with your pet, having a deeper understanding of their responses and needs. We will work with one body system at a time, first supporting physical issues like gut and liver health, or kidney and bladder health, before moving onto addressing needs for pain management, then hormonal or emotional support oils for behavioural issues.

Your pet may prioritise plants in a different order to above, I trust the animal, and go with their instincts.

The interval between sessions may be a week, may be a few weeks especially if we identify dietary changes that can be made.

The first session will involve a fair bit of admin for me and my team - I make a timeline of your pet's clinical history from your vet (going back as far as possible, so may mean two or three vets) before we meet, then we spend some time filling in the gaps during the first session. I share very comprehensive notes with you after each session which may take me an hour to complete after our meeting. The first session lasts 1 hr 15min face to face and currently costs £179.17 plus VAT. Many insurance policies will cover my consultation fees, do check the small print carefully.

Subsequent sessions currently cost £89 plus VAT, lasting about 50 minutes.

I may send you home with small amounts of essential oils and nutritive powders which may be charged in addition, then I direct you to trusted retailers for further supplies.

Applied Zoopharmacognosy is a new and emerging field of study, Caroline Ingraham is one of the pioneers, and has over 40 years of experience which she is now sharing with my cohort of students. There are always sceptics when a new field is emerging, especially when there is no big pharma to fund large studies. I have witnessed some amazing results using plant extracts and foods as medicine, I always balance the knowledge of plants and their extracts with the knowledge of conventional medicine I have gained from 25 years in veterinary practice.

As one of my cohort of students said recently -

"I think we are like weeds- people don't pay attention to us and happy to throw us away. But like all weeds, we keep coming back and will eventually take over the world!"

(Paula Buffham)

If you have a dog or cat with a diagnosed or undiagnosed condition, or behaviourally they don't seem quite right, then I will try to work with them to give them a voice - by observing what they select, we can infer where in the body the issue may be. I will try to help you use that information to direct further investigation at your conventional vets, or work though supporting your pet with natural remedies.

To book, use the contact form on my main website, or email contact@holisticvetnorfolk.com