Canine Herbalism with Rita Hogan
Rita Hogan, a Canine Herbalist, appeared on ‘A Dog’s Life’ podcast. Her grandmother raised 16 kids in the depression with a midwife. From her life on the farm, Rita would have to go to their fields to find medicine to help her father heal their animals. Her father was a farmer who used holistic pet medicine to assist cows, pigs, horses, and chickens on the farm. This led her to pursue a career in herbal medicine for dogs.
Her dog, Susie, lived an extremely ‘holistic,’ natural life. She ate meat scraps from the farm, vegetables from the garden, and an overall holistic life. She grew up with her dog, who was born a few years prior to her being born herself, and passed away several years following her high school graduation.
She was never spayed or vaccinated.
When in college, her and a colleague were trying to determine Susie’s age, and came to the conclusion that she was between 24 and 27 years old.
Baseline Theory
Rita Hogan focused attention on baseline theory throughout the podcast. Baseline theory combines social behavior with behavioral ecology, neurology, and perception. Using Susie as an example, middle 20’s was the baseline. Now, the baseline is eight years old. “An eight year old, medium-weight dog is considered geriatric” according to Rita. When applying the baseline theory in developed countries, people have accepted this.
Rita went on to a story regarding a comparison between her 14-year-old Pug and two dogs she saw on the beach.
“I was on a beach in Long Beach, Washington, and I’m terrible at guessing people’s ages and I’m terrible at guessing doggies. So I’m without it. I realized that now, but I’m walking down the beach. And these two little pugs are coming at me and I’m a pug person. So I was like, oh, puppies. Oh, and I said, I love old dogs, right?”
They were six and seven years old.
Rita went on to explain “my dog is running down the beach, and he’s twice the age of the younger one. They (the two senior-looking dogs on the beach) were full of arthritis. They could barely walk.” Finbar the Pug, according to Rita, “was in perfect health until he was brought to a veterinarian who pulled 15 teeth without consulting first.” She stated “pug teeth are disgusting no matter what. And they’re like Boston Terrier teeth. They’re orbital and messy. I wanted to get the one that was essentially rotting out of his mouth and leave the rest. So, the 15 teeth were pulled, and a shot of Cipro was given, and he had never had antibiotics his entire life. They gave him a shot of Cipro and within a year he passed away.”
Energetics
The number one key for Rita Hogan involves energetics. She explains there is a spectrum that starts at neutral. There are very few neutral dogs. Most are slightly warm, hot, and very hot. Dogs on the ‘very hot’ side of the spectrum are close to disease just as ‘cold’ or ‘very cold’ sides of the spectrum are close to disease. Hot energetics involves an overabundance of energy in the body. Dogs must be as close to the neutral state as possible for a treatment to be at max effectiveness.
She explained turmeric as an example. Turmeric is prevalent as a warming-spice. If you give a dog who is on the ‘hot’ end of the spectrum, this could cause more inflammation even though it’s known as an anti-inflammatory.
Testimonials
Rita has several testimonials for dog lovers who want to hear real-life success stories. Success stories from her herbal recommendations include:
“I had lost all hope when my furry kid Google got diagnosed with E – cannis, pancreatitis and gastric issues. Rita was god sent. With her help, guidance , herbal therapies and an extensive food list I was able to take my dog out of so many health issues.” — Niti Singh, India
“The improvements in Amber’s condition, since we began working with Rita, have been remarkable. She has led us through a series of steps, each one building upon the other, toward Amber’s healing progression. Not only providing help for our sweet girl, she has also given us such incredible support and positive encouragement all along the way.” — Susan Pyle, Brandenton, Florida
What You Can Do
There’s so many herbs. There’s so much to learn. All dogs have different bodies and their own ‘unique’ personalities. Understanding what you can do to get your dog to 20 years old requires continuous evolution. For help getting your dog to 20, Rita can be contacted via canineherbalist.com. She is also coming out with a Level I Canine Herbalism course that should be available by the end of the year.
About Angela Ardolino
Angela Ardolino is a holistic pet expert who has been caring for animals for over 20 years and operates a rescue farm, Fire Flake Farm, in Florida. She is also the owner of Beautify the Beast, a natural pet salon and shop. After getting her certificate in Medical Cannabis Biology and Therapeutic use from the University of Vermont School of Medicine, she founded CBD Dog Health to provide high quality, all-natural medical cannabis products designed specifically for pets. Angela has seven dogs, Odie a 12-year-old mini-schnauzer, Nina an 8-year-old Doberman. Jolene a 7-year-old mutt, Maza a 7-year-old mutt, Rhemi an 8-year-old poodle, Potato a 15-year-old shih-tzu, and Miss Daisie a 15-year-old black lab, plus 4-10 more at any time she is fostering or boarding. She uses Full Spectrum Hemp Extract on all her pets at her rescue farm every day, and has since 2016. She is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, the Veterinary Cannabis Association and has trained hundreds medical doctors and veterinarians about the therapeutic uses of medical cannabis on animals. Visit www.angelaardolino.com for more information.
About Rita Hogan
Rita Hogan is a Canine Herbalist and Co-Founder of Farm Dog Naturals. Farm Dog Naturals is a herbal remedy company for our canine babies. Rita also offers consulting services for dogs using herbal healing methods. By combinding her love with nature and dogs, she incorporates herbal medicine, complementary therapies and environmental stewardship to help dogs and people find balance and partnership with nature. She is also coming out with a Level I Canine Herbalism course that should be available by the end of the year. Connect with Rita through her website, canineherbalist.com.