About this episode
Are you concerned about safe herbs for dogs and cats, as well as cautions to be aware of when working with herbs for cats and dogs? If so you won’t want to miss this informative and inspiring interview with animal herbalist and naturopath Swanie Simon! I love it when my guests make things practical and Swanie delivers with instant access to two herbal recipes for pets, a paw salve and a carrot soup that can work wonders to relieve diarrhea. Swanie’s love of animals and nature was apparent from a very young age and she has spent her life working with animals and learning everything she could about them. Influenced by Juliette de Bairacli Levy’s books, she went on to become an herbalist, TCVM practitioner and naturopath for animals (Tierheilpraktiker). Juliette de Bairacli Levy went on to become a dear friend and lived at Swanie’s farm in Germany for several years. Swanie is highly specialized in the natural rearing and treatment of dogs and cats and is one of Europe’s most renowned authors, teachers and herbalists. She is credited with making the subject of raw diets for dogs and cats popular in Europe and has written several best-selling books on the subject. Swanie has been teaching herbalism, TCVM and dog & cat nutrition since 2005 and online classes in Germany since 2014. She is planning online classes in English starting in 2023. Today Swanie lives on a beautiful farm in the high forest region of Germany with 4 dogs, 5 cats, 2 horses, about 20 goats and a gang of chickens. She splits her time between her farm in Germany and her home in the beautiful Provence region of south France. Listen in for: ► What diet is best for dogs and cats? ► Are essential oils a good idea for flea and tick prevention? ► Are there any maintenance herbs that are safe for pets? Here is one of my favorite takeaways from our conversation: “The first, most important thing is always my patient. I want them to feel good, and not my ideology and my ego, but the patient has to feel good.” I met Swanie years ago and her depth of knowledge was immediately apparent. Because I’m often asked about working with herbs for pets, I leaned into Swanie's expertise to hear her many insights on working safely with herbs for dogs and cats and let the conversation go on longer than usual. I think you’ll agree that was a good choice and I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you today! ---- Get full show notes including a transcript of this episode at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com . For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram! The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter . If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com . ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine . She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here .