As a gatherer and brewer of my own herbal tonics, I find this mini-eruption
about Timmy's Tonic very interesting.  Personally, I don't use herbs I
don't know a fair amount about, including dosages and all that fun stuff.
Most of the time, I simply take willow for headaches or joint problems,
chamomile for insomnia or anxiety, rose hips when I'm feeling under the
weather, elder blossom with raspberry leaf (or something similar) and
often a bit of orange peel if I have a sore throat.  That sort of thing.  I
don't claim that any of it works miracles.  I do, however, claim that it
works.  Cramp bark (erroneously called high-bush cranberry) really is a
mild anti-spasmodic and relieves most types of cramps, including (women of
the world rejoice!) menstrual pain.  Wonderful stuff.  Grows around here,
too. :-)
 
Now, the point: I don't give any of these to my ferrets.  I wouldn't do so
without a lot more research into the differences between human and ferret
metabolisms and chemistry.  At a guess, I'd say that chamomile would be
fine for them, as would any citrus extracts.  And they do occasionally get
to help me finish off my fruit-flavored teas, which they like very much.
Still, if I had a ferret in pain, I wouldn't give him willow; if I had a
ferret who was having seizures, I wouldn't give him cramp bark.  Maybe
someday I'll be a veterinarian and have the knowledge of ferrets that I'd
need in order to feel comfortable doing so.
 
It's not that I dislike home remedies for ferrets--you should see the
amount of duck soup I have in my freezer!  I simply believe strongly in
exercising caution.
 
From what I've seen in medicine, human AND animal, the actual chemicals
administered are only a small part of the cure.  "Natural" healing is
really about getting a regular amount of exercise, eating healthy foods at
regular intervals, spending some amount of time every day enjoying life,
and otherwise practicing healthy living.  Then you add medicines to take
care of the rest of it--anything that doesn't respond to an enhanced immune
system.
 
I try to apply this thinking to our ferrets as well as ourselves.  They
get plenty of exercise and fun, good food, treats at regular intervals,
and a lot of handling and cuddling.  They also get vet visits, shots, and
surgeries.  It's all supposed to work together--you don't take herbs to
avoid having to go to a doctor when you're really sick.  You take them as
part of the treatment.
 
And, Zen, watch it with the comments about "new-age witches"!  I happen to
be a witch, and at least a few folks would call me new-age... although I'm
not one of them.
 
Jen and the Crazy Business plus lots and lots of wonderful fuzzies
[Posted in FML issue 2789]