>I've got some Essiac tea coming tomorrow that I ordered.  Does anyone
>have any hints/tips/info to share?  I'm guesstimating that she'll need
>about 0.5mL's twice a day, but does anyone know if it can be mixed with
>her Duck Soup or if it has to be taken 'straight'?  (Which I know she'll
>hate!)
>
>She's also still getting 0.25mL's of Prednisolone twice a day, 10
>'beads' from a Prevacid capsule once a day, and milk thistle twice a
>day.  Is there any risk of interaction with any of this?
 
>Sherrie
 
Hi Sherrie ~
 
As essiac tea is one of the most potent cleansing agents I would not give
it to anyone, ferret or otherwise who is on any medication.  It will run
it right out of them.  As ferrets are so tiny, an appropriate dose MUST
be found.  A long time ago there was a death attributed to this tea being
administered by injection.  Since then injections have not been used.
 
While I applaud the use of essiac tea, whenever I use it on an animal I
do so as a cream with about one drop per 2 ounces of cream mix.  I mainly
use it as a cancer preventative, or for a cleansing regime AFTER the
medication has been stopped.  I would be afraid to give it to a ferret on
such strong meds because it may tip the scales of your ferret's health.
 
I'm not sure this publication is available any longer but the text "The
Essiac Report, Canada's Unknown Cancer Remedy," put out in 1993 may be
of some help to you.  I always encourage my clients to buy it before
using the tea.  The ISBN# is 0-9639818-0-3.
 
Sherrie, if you can tell us what you are trying to do with the Essiac
maybe I can give you an alternative option?
 
Warmly ~
Mary Conley, ND
[Posted in FML issue 4569]