Description
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the Pancreas a little J shaped organ behind the stomach.
This organ produces the hormones that keep glucose at the right levels in the body, and therefore, energy at the right levels.
Any sort of drastic energy level fluctuation in your dog means the pancreas is stressed. Whether the pancreas is itself the cause of the problem or some of the many other things that can cause energy fluctuation (sudden loss, shock, etc.), supporting the pancreas in their function can help.
Repeated shocks, emotional or sensory can have the pancreas malfunctioning as can a state of not being stimulated enough over a very long period of time.
Pancreatitis is when the pancreas itself becomes inflamed, swollen sometimes, because some of the digestive juices it makes are burning it. It’s like acidity but instead of in the stomach, in the very organ where some of those juices are made.
Bringing the pancreas to balance requires attention given to both the emotional and lifestyle causes of the problem while using herbs for support of the pancreas and soothing of the inflamed, swollen area.
Emotional and lifestyle causes of Pancreatitis in dogs come down to 2 things most often:
1) Imbalanced emotional environment and diet.
By this I mean, an environment where there is not enough emotional security. This is often accompanied by an imbalanced diet where there is too much food some times and not enough other times. Both the emotional and the physical causes stress the body. Finding a stable emotional environment, just a real situation rather than a deceptive ups-and-downs confusing situation, and with it, a stable diet of sorts will help the pancreas relax and begin to come into balance.
2) Lack of satisfying motivation, stimulation and expression of talent.
The suppression of enjoyment of life is very very bad for both us and our pets. The pancreas gets its cues for blood glucose regulating and digestive juice release from our emotions and the release hormones of pleasure in the body. A dog that’s had a good romp around the place, chewed on a real meat bone for a while, expressed all his or her inner feelings cannot be ill for very long.
Herbs that heal Pancreatitis in Dogs
Valerian, Mistletoe, Parsley, Aloes, Celandine, Jambul, Wheatgrass, Oats, Bladderwrack, Pine Needles, Alfalfa, Cascara Sagrada
Valerian in small doses, doesn’t sedate, in fact works as release of tension in the organs and in that way truly helps relieve the deep abdominal stress and pain of pancreatitis. There are places no other nervine goes as well as Valerian does.
Mistletoe is balances body temperature and with it all the hormonal functions of the dog’s body begin to find balance too. It is vital support during the fluctuation of energy and blood states around an overactive or under-active pancreas. You’ll find your dog’s overall body odor changing as their body temperature comes back to a healthy medium.
Parsley is simple ‘baby food’ vital energy for the body and the brain. Most dogs with pancreatitis have not had sources of simple energy like Parsley for a while in their diets, so this is important.
Aloe soothes.
Celandine works directly to reduce pancreatic swelling, irritation and congestion. It improves blood circulation in the area gently with its clarifying effect. It also supports the liver. The liver and the pancreas work together, so if we have to support the pancreas we have to support the liver in a big way. You could find your dog’s eating habits slightly changing as a result, they might want to drink more water, so do keep an eye on their water bowl to fill it up if it’s getting empty more often than usual.
Jambul has both the vital nutrients required for pancreatic rehabilitation and the ability to stabilize energy use in the body. Dogs that have been through more stress than stability develop habits of using the energy available in their body differently from dogs that have had stable calm lifestyles. Habits developed through stressful times need to be changed if the body has to relax and do things like repair of the organs like the pancreas. Jambul gives the dog’s body that impetuous – to help them use their energy in the calmer pursuits of healing and repair, and come down from the frenetic habits of stressful times.
Wheatgrass has nutrients for the whole body but especially for the liver and pancreas. It’s got what the pancreas needs to rebuild itself physically.
Oats is both nutrition and nervous support for stability and nerve strength. Inflamed nerve endings in pain – that’s what oats addresses. It makes the pancreas feel calm because it gives nutrition without over-stimulation.
Bladderwrack has all the minerals and one very important special thing called natural iodine. Natural iodine found in sea salt and sea weed like bladderwrack, is an important trigger of the body’s hormonal processes and metabolism. The pancreas is vulnerable to metabolic imbalance, so a gentle push towards metabolic balance is important here.
Pine Needle extract is for the stressed body. It has got an immunity boosting properties that makes healing possible. Specifically for pancreatitis I add it in because as it raises the well-being factor of the body, it stimulates the senses, the sense of taste in particular. The senses of taste and smell stimulate the entire digestive system to heal. Giving your dog a real bone to chew would be excellent motivation for them to get back to healing.
Alfalfa is good solid nutrition for all those little things that make up the dog’s organs. It supports the kidneys, which filter and keep blood clean. The kidneys are a big part of the process that maintains the right levels of hormones in the blood. We need the kidneys working well to keep blood flowing around properly and supporting the pancreas in its work. If your dog hasn’t been drinking enough water or urinating often enough, Alfalfa will help.
Cascara Sagrada is a laxative in large doses. In tiny doses however, it is a gentle stimulant of healing of the digestive system and supports balance in the creation and release of pancreatic juices – those same ones that cause the burning and irritation and swelling of the pancreas.
