What is echinacea?

[Dimi]

I have read about it in other posts but what is it, what is it for, and where do you get it from?

[dragonli]

Try a health food store, or failing that look for them in teabag form. Although they may have other herbs added to the bag. Read the ingredients list.

I recently gave my rats a few sage leaves because they were sneezing an awful lot. The sneezing calmed down SIGNIFICANTLY, and they seem far healthier and more vibrant than before. However, make sure you don't give too much or for too long. Humans can tolerate sage tea every day but only for one to two weeks. Don't know how well rats tolerate it, but between the two fuzzy-heads I gave 3 fresh leaves. They nibbled, then didn't care, but the leaves  were gone the next day. Sage is usually used by humans for throat and respiratory infections as it's  powerful antibiotic. However, you might want to ask your vet first before trying it, as I don't know if some rats may have allergies to it or not, just as with humans.

[RatStalker]

Echinachea is an herb that assists your immune system.  It works.  If you're female, though, avoid the kind with goldenseal in it.  I've read that this will cause women to hemmorage to death, and it causes complications during pregnancy.

I give echinachea to our rats & hammies.  They get 4 drops per 8 ounces of water for an entire week, with the water changed daily.  The rest of the month they get plain water.

It seems to work very well for them.

[Krystal]

I take it with goldenseal.....and I haven't died yet    Don't know about pregnancy complications, my only children will only be rats & cats

[RatStalker]

You're not dead yet?  Are you sure about that?  I mean, you could be a zombie or a vampiress or something.  LOL!  ONly kidding.  Hmmm... Well, I'm glad it isn't causing any problems for you!  That's a relief.  I've read about the hemmoraging thing.  I'm wondering if it's old information?

[Suebee]

Sage is usually used by humans for throat and respiratory infections as it's  powerful antibiotic.

Ooh... I didn't know that!

[Chic 2000]

echinacea is a purple flower plant that looks kinda like a giant clover blossom.  Besides what it looks like, it is supposed to help boost the immune system by 10% to 15%. You can buy echinacea at any supplement store or grocery store in the "natural remedies" section.

As far as it's claims, it does seem to help.  You just have to follow the directions.  A good use for you and your rats is 2 weeks with echinacea and 2 weeks without.  It's effectiveness seems to diminish if used constantly.

Never herd of it causing hemorging.  I use it in my soda or drink every-so-often and I haven't internaly bled to death yet.  Give it to the rats to and they are perfectly fine.

I am a sceptic of herbal remedies but this one seems to help the rats and their myco and immunity problems.  Actual tests in labs have proven echinacea's benifits over time.

Research Findings
Over 500 scientific studies have documented the chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications of echinacea. The most consistently proven effect of echinacea is in stimulating phagocytosis, that is encouraging white blood cells and lymphocytes to attack invading organisms. Specific actions:

increases the number and activity of immune system cells, including anti-tumor cells:
promotes T-cell activation;
stimulates new tissue growth for wound healing;
reduces inflammation in arthritis and inflammatory skin conditions;
Mild antibiotic action: bacteriostatic, anti-viral, anti-fungal.
inhibits the bacterial enzyme hyaluronidase, to help prevent bacterial access to healthy cells.
Specific Studies:
Clinical Study: an extract of echinacea showed an increase of 50%-120% in immune function over a 5 day period (Jurcic, et al. 1989).

Clinical Study: an extract of echinacea significantly increased the resistance to flu and reduced the symptoms of lymph gland swelling, inflamed nasal passages and headache (Braunig, et al. 1992).

Clinical Study: Of 4500 patients with inflammatory skin conditions, including psoriasis, 85% were cured with topical applications of echinacea salve (Wacker & Hilbig, 1978).

Laboratory Study: Human white blood cells, stimulated by echinacea extract increased phagocytosis (consumption) of yeast cells by 20-40% compared to controls. (Wagner and Proksch 1985)

What does all that mean?  That actual scientists have been studying it and it really does seem to do something.  They tested on rats and humans.
So echinacea is a good thing for you and your rats.  Just use it as the lable tells you to.  Some sites have dosage recomendations for rat size doses.  The echinacea with goldenseel is a good thing to.  It really does seem to help with the sneezing when used with meds in treatment.  They give Goldenseel tablets to dogs to.

[Roxanne]

I use Echinacea for myself and really think it helps me fight things off.  When I heard about using it for rats, I
didn't hesitate.  My rat Reno had an abscess that just wouldn't go away.  I started her on the Echinacea one week
on one week off and I really think it's helping her fight off the infection.  Now that the abscess seems to be gone
(knock on wood, cross fingers) I've changed her to one week on, two weeks off.  

[Mandarb]

Based on my knowledge of echinacea which agrees with the research posted by Chic, echinacea basicaly acts to boost teh immune system.  It generaly activates all arms of the immune system and primes it so that it can better take the challange of an infection.  It only activates the immune system to the levels that it would eventualy acheive on its own.  After you have had teh flu for ten days there is not much point to echinacea as your immune system will already be running at full tilt and echinacea does not raise the ultimate level of immunity you acheive.  The bacteriacidal action is it stops bacterai from dividing and growing, it does not kill the bacteria.  Many anitbiotics act like this, they stop the proliferation of the bacteria and allow the body time to catch up and destroy teh bacteria itself.  the fungacidal adn viral activity is possibly through the action on the cells of the hosts body rather than teh infec tive agent.  Phagocytosis is one of the first defense mechanisms in the body, it means that the immune cells are engulfing the foreing material adn destroying it.  THey are eating teh bacteria so to speak.  I'm sorry that was so long, I hope that it helped.