# Herbs.



## ThreeMagicBeans (Dec 16, 2012)

When we went to Meijer today I picked up some herb seeds to grow:

• Organic Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
• Organic Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Common Sage (Salvia officinalis)

I'm planning on growing them in my room, and when the weather gets warm, in the garden also. I'm really inerested in what plants' properties and uses are. I was wondering if someone could tell me what the benefits are for rats and other critters? Even though I couldn't find mint seeds, we do have mint that grows outside when the weather gets warm.
Can rats be fed Mint, and are there any benefits? What are some other herbs you recommend, which are also beneficial (medicinal)?

Thanks!


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

I know that Mint is usually included in rabbit food to aid digestion, but, alas, I'm not sure with the others. So I'll be watching this thread closely


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Here is the benefits for your current herbs

Basil - I Believe it helps with resp or it's a blood cleanser.

Thyme - Helps with Resp issues

Rosemary - Blood Cleanser and helps with Resp as well

Sage - I don't actually know the benefits of sage

Be careful with mint. there is one species of mint (royal something <- It starts with a P) that is high poisonous to rats.

Mint - Blood cleanser

Here is what I recommend

Cilantro - Blood cleanser

Parsley - Helps with Resp

Oregano - Blood Cleanser

Lavender - Lavender can help with Resp, Blood cleanser, and also has some other benefits (but I forgot what they were). I know that in rabbits it's used when female rabbits have issues giving birth or helps them to recover from mis-carriages/still born litters.

Blood cleanser herbs I like better since they can be helpful for All issues.

If you have the room to grow Ginger root, ginger helps with nerves so if you have rats who are old or are starting to get HED it's a good thing to have on hand since it can help rebuild the nerve endings in their backs/hips.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

LightningWolf said:


> *Knowledge*


Awesome list  What kind of quantities are we talking here? Sprinkling of herbs into mix, a few stems, or a bunch every now and then?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

alexn said:


> Awesome list  What kind of quantities are we talking here? Sprinkling of herbs into mix, a few stems, or a bunch every now and then?


Normally with fresh herbs with the stems and leafs. Normally I do a few sprigs of an herb. I think the amount depends on what your needing them for (like to cure something or just for health maintenance) and how many rats you have/how picky they are.

Also note: Either make sure to give different herbs and rotate them or don't give herbs everyday. I made the mistake of the same herbs everyday and my boys decided that instead of eating it that they would use them to make a big giant nest


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## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

I don't disput that herbs and plants in general contain medicinal compounds. Indeed, a lot of medical insight has been garnered from the field of ethnobotany and pharmacognosy. 

No disrespect to LightningWolf, but I find this concept of a "blood cleanser" a tad annoying. I imagine it is a phrase adapted from Greek and Tudor medicine by snake-oil salesmen and then adopted by herbalists, homeopaths, etc. I don't intend to spark a debate amongst traditional versus alternative medicine. The reality is that the mechanism of action of many medicines, be they derived from plants or synthetically is not always known. In fact, such mechanisms can come to light years after a drug has been on the market (side effects can and do result from drugs acting in more than one fashion). 

Lots of studies for drugs are based on case/control designs with some knowledge regarding the exact mechanics but this is not always complete. Whether the evidence is anecdotal or from clinical trials, this really tells us only that such a drug/herb creates such an outcome for a given condition more often than not. The truth is, we don't really know how it does it.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

No disrespect taken 

I do agree that the word Blood Cleanser is a bit brood in what it actually does, as what it does actually do varys from each herb. In general they are just herbs that can help boost immune systems when an animal is sick or help keep the immune system up in animals that are more prone to issues.


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## SheWroteLove1 (Jan 18, 2013)

Just throwing it out there, herbal green tea helps the sniffles :3 Gave some to my rattie last night.


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## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

@LightningWolf & @SheWroteLove1- apologies, on re-reading my post I realise it had something of a finger-pointing tone. I have no real objection to herbal remedies (I use them myself and for the rats). I just object to the language used by naturalists. I would prefer if the discourse was more honest and the language went along the lines of "we have no idea how this works or if it really does but experience/studies tell us it is effective for this and that". I have a tendency to get stuck on semantics.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

I didn't think your post sounded anything like that. As I've already said, no disrespect taken from you.


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## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

Hephaestion said:


> I don't disput that herbs and plants in general contain medicinal compounds. Indeed, a lot of medical insight has been garnered from the field of ethnobotany and pharmacognosy.
> 
> No disrespect to LightningWolf, but I find this concept of a "blood cleanser" a tad annoying. I imagine it is a phrase adapted from Greek and Tudor medicine by snake-oil salesmen and then adopted by herbalists, homeopaths, etc. I don't intend to spark a debate amongst traditional versus alternative medicine. The reality is that the mechanism of action of many medicines, be they derived from plants or synthetically is not always known. In fact, such mechanisms can come to light years after a drug has been on the market (side effects can and do result from drugs acting in more than one fashion).
> 
> Lots of studies for drugs are based on case/control designs with some knowledge regarding the exact mechanics but this is not always complete. Whether the evidence is anecdotal or from clinical trials, this really tells us only that such a drug/herb creates such an outcome for a given condition more often than not. The truth is, we don't really know how it does it.


Well said!! I could not agree more. As a person that has been exposed to a variety of homeopathic remedies it is frustrating to me sometimes to see these "snake oil" miracle cures pop up here and there. I am one to say it is lovely people are doing and going to great lengths to improve their rats lives, but at most these are personal anecdotes with no backed study and to the discerning and jaundiced person, one is aware you are wasting a lot of $$. 

Keep in mind ALL herbal remedies take WEEKS, if not months, to fully affect every aspect of the immune system and circulatory/respiratory system. No herbal remedy works over night. It takes consistent dosage and consistent use for any herbal administration to have "cured" ailments.

For the record, these "blood cleanSers" are too broad. LW, most of what you listed has anti-inflammatory properties, not "blood cleansing". I can see and understand where one would draw that conclusion though!

Luckily, most herbal remedies and their effects can be readily accessed by the Internet - just be aware that for any real improvement you need to be administering the correct dosage every day, consistently, before you see any real result. 


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## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

I mean no disrespect either, sorry! 


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

ratchet said:


> I mean no disrespect either, sorry!


None taken. Natural remedies is a touchy subject, so I'm not phased by it.

Ok, I need to be more clear on blood cleansers. This is what I really mean - Blood cleansers help remove toxins from the body (similar to Medical/activated Charcoal) and can help boost the immune system (anti-oxidant benefits, which really all herbs have). Hope that clears things up a bit, guess I wasn't thinking to include what I actually mean by Blood cleansing when I posted it.

Oh and a lot of these herbs have other benefits, I'm just posting what they are most known for since their other benefits don't seem to be proven.(example, apparently Cilantro helps with UTIs but I've only found that on one website so far, so I'm not including that). Though a lot of them have been proven in medical tests (like with green tea, it was proven to help cure colds, same goes for blueberries and their benefits for helping stop tumors) or have been recorded numerous times for a certain use in ancient books.

Here, since we're on the topic of herbs lets go on with some spices and fruits that also help.

Cinnamon - Once again, another Blood cleansers. I think this one actually helps more with kidneys then anything else.

Ginger - Anti-inflammatory, rebuilds nerve function, and I want to say it's also recorded as another blood cleanser but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Honey - Long story short, cures everything. Good for wounds, helps reduce cysts and abscesses, resp issues, once again a toxin remover, and I think has been reported to help with UTIs though not 100% sure on that one.

Pumpkin - Anti-inflammatory (I think Squash is similar?)

Berries and Melons - helps prevent the growth of tumors.

Oh and ratchet, which ones did I mention were Anti-inflammatories? I don't recall any of them being them. Looks like I have something to do tomorrow since I probably won't have any homework.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

Some varieties of mint are harmful to rats, aren't they? 


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Gannyaan said:


> Some varieties of mint are harmful to rats, aren't they?


Yes, so far I only know that there is one called Penny royal that is poisonous to rats. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennyroyal


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## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

Cilantro, basil and mint are just few of many anti inflammatory herbs. "Blood cleansing" can mean many things - what it usually mean is that it "promotes circulation" - this is not to be confused with "cleansing toxins from the blood" as that is something entirely different. 


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

ratchet said:


> Cilantro, basil and mint are just few of many anti inflammatory herbs. "Blood cleansing" can mean many things - what it usually mean is that it "promotes circulation" - this is not to be confused with "cleansing toxins from the blood" as that is something entirely different.


That would explain why Soda's arthritis hasn't acted up in a while. I'll admit, I'm still learning proper terms so that's useful stuff to know. I think tomorrow I'm going to do some more research on these herbs to make sure I got all their benefits (and proper terms) down.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Be sure to save some of the seeds to place into a box of organic soil rather than in the garden. Let them grow a bit and then allow the rats to harvest the herbs themselves!


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## SheWroteLove1 (Jan 18, 2013)

No disrespect taken. Carry on


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## ThreeMagicBeans (Dec 16, 2012)

This is very interesting. I'm learning a ton. Thanks everyone! Feel free to keep posting.


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## anglethatispurple (Jan 3, 2013)

I've just started giving my rats some parsely, coriander and oregano because one has been a bit sneezy and they absolutely love them. I think they can be beneficial to their health overall and yummy i love herbs too and which i had thought to add them to there fresh veg earlier. Really want to try the whole growing stuff in dirt and giving it to them to would be so fun to watch, and probably fun for them too.


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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

I gave my boys Sage tonight and all 3 of them rubbed it over their fur on their backs. Why would they do this? Anybody else seen this before?

They smell amazing. ha ha


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

Sugapot said:


> I gave my boys Sage tonight and all 3 of them rubbed it over their fur on their backs. Why would they do this? Anybody else seen this before?
> 
> They smell amazing. ha ha


There are ghosties and ghoulies in your home. They wanted protection 

Or just wanted to smell FABULOUS. 

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## ThreeMagicBeans (Dec 16, 2012)

Quick question about ginger root, I picked up a small chunk of it from the store today, I know it's good for them but how so and what are some ways it can be fed?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Ginger helps with nerves, reason it's recommended to help prevent HED. it's also an anti-inflammatory and good for arthritis. 

Not sure about actual ginger root. We use the powder stuff and just mix it into some baby food or oatmeal. you could probably shred it up to do that, or you can see if they'll take it with out masking it.


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

yes, finally my love for growing herbs serves a purpose!


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

http://www.camarattery.com/herbsnaturalmedicine.htm

I love this link  It has a few good herbs and their uses. I tried to grow herbs but the basil I started with didn't sprout. :'( I'll have to try again so I have fresh, organic herbs for the rats lol


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

a lot of herbs should be fed in moderation, though, right?


which herbs would be okay for a constant maybe every other day thing?


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## Hikari (Feb 5, 2013)

ThreeMagicBeans said:


> Quick question about ginger root, I picked up a small chunk of it from the store today, I know it's good for them but how so and what are some ways it can be fed?


I grate it. It is a little spicy for lack of a better description so a little goes a long way! I just hold the grater over the dish and use a grate. All my pets get ginger with their food, although not an every day because I like to add variety to everyone's diet, and ginger can be overpowering. 
I am a huge fan of ginger, I started to make ginger and honey tea for myself, it really made the difference when I started going to the gym again and my muscles were so sore. When I have a cold I always drink ginger, honey, and lemon tea.


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## ThreeMagicBeans (Dec 16, 2012)

Hikari said:


> I grate it. It is a little spicy for lack of a better description so a little goes a long way! I just hold the grater over the dish and use a grate. All my pets get ginger with their food, although not an every day because I like to add variety to everyone's diet, and ginger can be overpowering. I am a huge fan of ginger, I started to make ginger and honey tea for myself, it really made the difference when I started going to the gym again and my muscles were so sore. When I have a cold I always drink ginger, honey, and lemon tea.


Definitely! I love using ginger for myself. So I was assuming it had some good properties for rats also. Yes, I love real ginger beer, it's a British thing. My mom got me hooked on it since she's British. Ginger also helps when you feel sick or have nausea.


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## Bluelilly (Apr 4, 2013)

*Thank you*

Thank you everybody who has been posting ... I've been wandering about this. Please keep posting any more helpful herbs !!! Thank you !!!


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## Bluelilly (Apr 4, 2013)

I found this link particularly helpfull I don't know if it will help anyone else but I just figured that I should post it. http://www.rattypaedia.org/Fruit_and_Vegetables


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## Hikari (Feb 5, 2013)

ThreeMagicBeans said:


> Definitely! I love using ginger for myself. So I was assuming it had some good properties for rats also. Yes, I love real ginger beer, it's a British thing. My mom got me hooked on it since she's British. Ginger also helps when you feel sick or have nausea.


Ginger Beer sounds awesome!! I am going to have to try that. I have a huge 64oz thermal mug when I get sick I make a giant hot toddy with ginger and an extra shot of rum, and I drink that all day. Last time I had the flu I actually fell asleep with my straw in my mouth, sadly I woke up to dumping my toddy on myself  

I am going to be getting some echinacea tomorrow to start my rats on. This thread has been great, I think I am going to be looking for a few more natural remedies while I am out.


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## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

Oh, ginger beer is delectable. It is the perfect end to a long Summer hike! Try the Crabbies brand or Ginger Joe if you a sweet tooth!


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## Hikari (Feb 5, 2013)

Hephaestion said:


> Oh, ginger beer is delectable. It is the perfect end to a long Summer hike! Try the Crabbies brand or Ginger Joe if you a sweet tooth!


I will be trying ginger beer as soon as I can find it around where I live. I'm going to be going on the hunt for it tomorrow! ^_^


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Continuing with the off-topic (bad moderator!)... I'm planning on making my own ginger beer this year!

Okay, let's promise that we'll keep this on track!


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## ThreeMagicBeans (Dec 16, 2012)

Haha. Sorry for derailing it! ;P


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