A Path With Paws

This is a great question that I get quite often.

There are a few options

Note: As of September 2012 I am now selling a few of my formulas through my other business Kingdom of Basil on etsy.com. This is an experiment for now. I still highly, highly recommend working with a holistic vet before starting any herbals. I am happy to make special orders if you are working with a vet who recommends something but does not carry it, just have them contact me.

• The best is to find a local holistic veterinarian to work with. Not only do you get excellent herbs but you also get excellent advice.

  I have my own herbal pharmacy and make most of the formulas I talk about from scratch. I know my herb sources, most of my herbs are from the companies Spring Wind and Mountain Rose Herbs. Both of these companies are very careful to only supply good quality, pesticide free, toxin free, and correctly identified herbs. Because I make herbal formulas from scratch I can adjust them for the animal I am making them for. Not all holistic vets make their own formulas but most have a good supplier of quality herbs and tinctures.
  Pros – good quality herbs for animals, advice and support
  Cons – may be hard to find in some places



• The International District in your city aka Chinatown can be a good place to find some hard to find Chinese herbals. I send all my clients to a local store in Seattle called Lucky An Dong for SanSheDan ChuanBeiYe. It is the best place to find it and it is cheaper than I can buy it wholesale. Most large cities have an international district. You can also often find other formulas in your local ID. There is a couple problems with buying in the ID. The first is that there is sometimes a language barrier unless you speak Mandarin and sometimes you can end up with the wrong product. The second is that many of these products may be high in pesticides or toxins because they are not tested as well (or at all) then herbs through other companies.
  Pros – cheap, can find just about any Chinese formula
  Cons – language barriers, quality of herbs, need to be near or in a large city
• Many herbs can be found online. My favorite place to send people is Amazon.com . They have many quality herbals available both Chinese and western although do not carry everything. Make sure to read the ingredients of the products and match them to what should be in the formula. In most of my herbal and supplements articles I have included a link to Amazon.com for that product if it is available. I choose my link based on what I feel is the best quality product available online. There are other places online that also sell herbals such as Modern Herb Shop. For artemisinin I always send people to Holley Pharmacy since I have used their product for years and know it to work and be high quality. Use some caution when buying online as not all companies are as reliable as Amazon.
  Pros – easy, more reliable then ID, can be ordered from anywhere
  Cons – not as high quality as custom made herbals, no ability to modify formulas
• Many cities have western herbal stores that can make up formulas or sell pre-made formulas. In Seattle we have The herbalist and Tenzing Momo and Dandelion Botanical where you may be able to find some of the herbals I recommend or similar products.
  Pros – good quality herbs, easy to communicate with staff, local
  Cons – may not be able to find what you want as usually are more western



• Sometimes western vets will be willing to order herbs for you. There are many companies that sell directly to vets. Here are a few.
  Natural Path Herbs
  Kan Herbs
  Goldern Flower Chinese herbs
  Dr. Xie’s Jing Tang Herbal
  In addition I will sometimes sell my formulas directly to other veterinarians.
  Pros – high quality herbs, right formulas, open up your vet to new options
  Cons – more work to convince your vet to order herbals, may not be able to convince your vet
• It is possible to make your own herbal formulas. It takes time, access to ingredients and a good blender or grinder. I use a Blendtec blender to grind my herbs. It’s a powerful little machine that can get even my shells and heavy twigs and roots ground down to a powder.

  Because of the risks of making an animal or a person sick from using herbs incorrectly the best Chinese herbal companies will only sell to practitioners. This makes it harder to get good quality herbs if you don’t have a veterinarian to work with. If you are looking to buy western herbs and make formulas yourself, Mountain Rose Herbs does sell to anyone. They do also carry some Chinese herbs that are used in western herbal practice but they are under the western names.
  Pros – high quality herb formulas with some ability to modify
  Cons- a lot of work, requires equipment and knowledge, hard to find suppliers for some Chinese herbs

Good herb hunting!

Return to Integrative and Holistic Methods for Treating Cancer in Cats and Dogs

Will you help me?

With what you ask –

There is only one of me. This world is full of brilliant people with rich experiences.

When I started Path With Paws I really wanted a place where, not only could I share my stories and articles, but where people could come to find community. I have seen that happen in the comments of various articles but I really want to start to move that into the forums.

Why do I want this?

The most important is that I think it will be easier for people to connect with others and get help. The other issue is I am finding I will soon not be able to keep up with the comments and questions I am receiving and need help. You can help! There are so many wonderful people out there with knowledge and experience. I can learn from you as well! And what you have learned can help someone’s beloved animal.

I am going to start moving comments in the articles into the forums if they end up in the comment section. I promise to participate in the forums as much as I can. But I also want them to grow and develop a life of their own. This should be fun!

So if you have a question will you post it in the forums?

If you have some advise or a story to share will you share it?

Together we can make this site great and a place of support for those who need it!

Please join me!

Go to the forums now.

A Puppy in Your Path

Today as I was walking

I couldn’t help but feel

This thousand-pound weight

Holding me to the ground.

It tugged on my dreams

that usually float in the sky,

So that I was staring down at them,

Loathing around my feet.

then: out jumped a motion from my right side eye!

a puppy! Bouncing at me!

it hopped from side to side

landing on my toes.

it licked my hand

and said, “I pick you!”

“Me?” I said looking around

“Yes, *you*!” the puppy grinned.

As I pet this floppy brown foil of my compressed mood,

I only felt the fur, softly gliding through my palm.

I only felt the energy, of love given and returned.

Then the puppy hopped away and said, “I love you!”

And it was gone.

My heart beat, was it beating before?

The sun shone, was it shining before?

My face smiled, could it do that before?

My dreams went back up to the sky to whisper to the gods:

“The self-pity is gone

And she is ready to live-

To spread the word to others that

there is always a puppy in your path”.

Based on true events at St. Scholastica Monastery on

11-08-11

-Katie Schleicher

Janell Osborn sent this poem, written by her daughter Katie, out to the veterinary botanical medicine email list today. It really touched my heart on so many different levels. They gave me permission to share it with you. I hope it touches you also.

It is that time of year again when the best thing I can imagine is curling up on the couch with a pile of cats and a good book. Fall always brings out that hibernation side of me.

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for cozy animal mystery books. Usually these involve libraries, peaceful small towns and extra smart cats and dogs with deep connections to their people. While I love great literature, (just finished the Grapes of Wrath) I find by the time my day is done I just want a book that makes me feel good and makes me laugh a little.

Over the years I have come to have a few favorite series and I wanted to share them with you.

Chet and Bernie Mysteries by Spencer Quinn
I just discovered this series and am really enjoying it. Chet is a very smart, think border collie x 10, mutt dog who joins his person Bernie the private detective in solving crimes in their community. These books are narrated by Chet and I love that the author has left Chet a dog and not made him a human. He gets distracted, loves food, and has the normal dog loyalty that we cherish in our own companions. Chet has a great sense of humor and Bernie is both tough and compassionate. I find myself wishing for a sidekick like Chet! Dog On It is the first book in this series.

Joe Grey Mysteries by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
This is my favorite mystery series. It mixes talking cats and mythology and makes you laugh. Tom Grey is just a normal tom cat until he witnesses a murder and discovers that he can not only talk and read but can also think like a human. After initially being quite disturbed by this development he puts this new skill to good use by ordering smoked salmon from the local deli and billing it to his person Clyde’s credit card. He soon discovers another cat in his town who has the same abilities as he does. Together they work to ferret out clues to the murder and call in anonymous tips to the police. Throughout this series Shirley weaves in ancient Celtic mythology and introduces us to other cats who has this special ability. The first book is Cat on the Edge and I would recommend reading these in order if possible as there are human stories the carry on throughout the books. This is a long series so if you enjoy it you are in for a treat.

Cat in the Stacks Mysteries by Miranda James (actually written by a man)
This is a newer series and a little slower paced then the first two. It is set in a small town in Mississippi and centers around Charlie the new librarian and his cat Diesel. Diesel is a smart Maine coon as large as a dog who walks on a leash and goes everywhere with Charlie. As in most of these series there is a murder and Diesel and Charlie end up trying to figure out what is going on. This one is definitely on the cozy side and although a little old fashion in its tone still a lot of fun. The first book is Murder Past Due and so far there are only two books written.

Mrs. Murphy Mysteries by Rita Mae Brown
This is the series that got me started on reading these animal mysteries. Rita Mae Brown is a fabulous author and is able to weave wonderful tales in her books. Mrs Murphy, Pewter (who are both cats) and Tucker the corgi help their mom Harry the postmaster solve murders in their small town. The animals in these stories really come in life and I also enjoy the humans involved with them. If you can put aside the fact that in this very small town it seems like any newcomer is set up to die these books are a lot of fun to read. The animals always end up saving the day in the end!

There are many books in this series and up until the last two they were all wonderful. Lately Rita seems to make her books more about politics and less about the animals you will grow to love so I recommend stopping before Cat of the Century. The first book is Wish You Were Here.

Magical Cats Mysteries by Sophie Kelly
This is another series focusing on a librarian. Kathleen moves to a small town and ends up with two stray cats, Owen and Hercules. Little does she know that they have magical abilities to disappear and walk through solid walls. My favorite part of these books are the people in them and the town where it feels like everyone will help anyone in need. This series like Cat in the Stacks is more on the cozy side but I enjoyed it all the same. The first book is Curiosity Thrilled the Cat.

Dixie Hemingway Mysteries by Blaize Clement
This series doesn’t involve animals solving mysteries but does involve a petsitter in the Florida Keys who always seems to be in the middle of crime. Dixie used to be a sheriff’s deputy but gave up the job and now takes care of pets for a living. This series is faster paced and has many new and returning colorful characters. The animals add to the background of these stories but don’t have any magical abilities or any direct involvement in the crimes she is trying to solve. Still a lot of fun. Definitely read these in order starting with Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter.

If you have other favorite mystery series please share them with me. I’m always looking for new ones. Hope you enjoy these!