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PERSONAL EXPERIENCES (A to Z)
The following personal experiences are anecdotal, and are not based on clinical trials. Therefore, these personal experiences are for educational purposes only and are not meant for diagnosing or treating medical conditions. We make no medical claims or otherwise for the treatment, prevention, cure or mitigation of disease, and cannot assume responsibility for those who choose to treat themselves. If you or your animal has a medical condition, we recommend that you consult a professional health care or veterinary practitioner, who will assess the condition and recommend the correct treatment and/or product and dosage.
ARTHRITIS
About 6 weeks ago I also started giving Aloe Vera gel with glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM to my Jack Russell, Candy who had been diagnosed as having arthritis in her rear right knee – she had to be carried everywhere, not even being able to manage the back doorstep, let alone the stairs! Now she has her bounce back and is joining us with our other dog for daily walks again on the beach. Another benefit to this is the avoidance of a recommended operation which would have cost £400!
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BLEEDING ULCERS
A friend’s horse had 5-6 bleeding ulcers protruding from the sheath and had been asked by the vet to just wash twice daily. The horse had lost a lot of weight and had tufts of hair all over his body, as though his winter coat had not totally gone – this was July. I went to see this horse specifically to soothe and possibly stop the bleeding. Aloe Vera soap, gelly, shampoo and Aloe Vera gel plus 10 days later, the ulcers had gone and his coat was smooth with a shine and the horse was out in the fields with the other horses and had been ridden once. He had gained a lot of energy and looking very well. Obviously, these ulcers were secondries but over a 2 month period, according to the owner the tumour behind the sheath had shrunk by half.
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CARDIAC DISEASE
My own 14 year old cat, Stanley, was diagnosed with cardiac disease. I took him to the Vet who found his heart rate to be racing between 140 and over 200 and said basically he should be dead! Stanley was kept in by the Vet and 100mls plus was removed from around the heart area that night. Four days later, I brought a very sick cat home. I was given a diuretic pill to give him daily. Initially I had no problems administering these pills but as Stanley got stronger the fighting started and I felt it was unfair as the prognosis was that he would probably only live a week, two at the most. But during this time I gave him Aloe Vera gel in his milk and when I took him back to the Vet for a check-up, he could not believe it was the same cat. His heart rate was 118/9 which is normal but still obviously had the heart condition. The prognosis was still the same but I continued with the Aloe Vera gel. Stanley lived a further 14months very happily without any drugs which is what I was happy about.
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CONTACT HYPERSENSITIVITY (ALOE VERA TRIALS)
An Arab gelding was presented with a large patch of urticarial skin eruption under the saddle area. There were small oedematous plaques and areas of hair loss. The gelding had been biting at the skin, inducing some traumatic damage. Treatment with Aloe Vera gelly was prescribed, and the owner was advised to change the numnah. Within 24 hours, the obvious irritation from the lesion had subsided and the oedematous plaques were absent at re-examination 48 hours later. No further skin lesions developed and no systemic therapy was administered.
A chestnut pony mare was presented with an area of exudative skin on the shoulder. There was marked hair loss. The pony was reported to have been rubbing the area on a post. Examination revealed signs of superficial trauma and infection. Aloe Vera gelly was applied and dispensed for the owner to apply as directed. No other treatment was given. Complete resolution of the lesion occurred within 8 days.
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DIGESTION PROBLEM
My three-year-old Welsh Part-Bred pony suffered a stomach infection, which led to diarrhoea and complete loss of appetite. When presented with hard feed, he would take one or two mouthfuls and then lose interest, and when on good grass, he would mostly just stand looking mournful. We knew of Aloe Vera, and felt this would probably help, but as he would not eat properly (and was not drinking much), we couldn’t get enough of it into him. The vet gave him antibiotics and an injection of something to try to settle his stomach, and although this appeared to have some effect initially, and he started to eat a little more, there was no effect whatsoever on the diarrhoea. By now his weight loss was severe and we were beginning to fear for his survival. We were able to start him on 200ml of Aloe Vera daily, as he was eating a small amount of hard feed, and within a week his diarrhoea had cleared up, his appetite returned and he was re-gaining weight. One happy morning, I was able to announce to a relieved family: “I think Moon’s back!”
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DIARRHOEA
I was told how Aloe Vera gel helped people suffering IBS. I hadn’t a clue what that was thankfully as I haven’t got it. Anyway, after an explanation I realised it may well help a horse I had recently bought. As part of my business I buy and sell horses and my newest one had chronic diarrhoea. Normally with a good worming programme and a little TLC this problem is usually overcome. Not in this case, he was getting worse not better. After a discussion with my vet it was decided it was probably due to worm damage. With no other road to go down I decided to put him on Aloe Vera gel. Within a few weeks he started to improve and within five weeks the diarrhoea was completely gone, he was putting on weight and in general was 100 times better. Now I know it’s not normal and there were a few sceptics in the yard and when I return from holiday his condition had worsened. I then found out that he had not had his daily Aloe Vera gel dose. I put him straight back on it and within the week his condition started to improve again. So much for the sceptics!
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ECZEMA
My nine-year-old dog has a case of eczema, which was being treated by the vet with a steroid cream. I used two tubes over four weeks with no improvement whatsoever. I was introduced to an Aloe Vera cream with propolis. The eczema totally cleared up within two days.
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LAMINITIS AND CUSHING'S
A Shetland pony was stabled constantly in case the lamanitis developed and he was on Bute for this condition. He was also on the verge of Cushing's Disease of which he was given another drug. The pony was in his early 20’s but had been very successful in competitions in driving. Since having the Aloe Vera, the pony has moved yards and is out in a field all day and stabled at night. He is very well indeed and is back in the trap. The owner has stopped the Bute and the other medication for the moment and cannot believe the change in the pony’s wellbeing.
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LIVER DAMAGE
I had a dog with liver damage. He was 10 years old and was originally a rescue as a puppy. He had always had this problem but the Vet said it had reached a serious point and would like to try Aloe Vera. Within 2 months, the dog was very much improved and friends commented that they had never seen the dog look so well and be so energetic.
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MUD FEVER (ALOE VERA TRIAL)
Two horses were treated with Aloe Vera gelly, each horse receiving topical application on two legs. Other horses in the same stable yard were treated with conventional methods. All horses were subjected to rigorous supervision of leg care, including thorough cleaning of the limbs after work, drying of the limbs and rigid hygienic management of the bedding. Horses treated with Aloe Vera gelly showed resolution of the infection on the pasterns and heels within six days. Those treated with conventional ointments recovered no more quickly. Resolution of the infection was judged by the cessation of exudation and reduction in tenderness to digital manipulation.
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POLLEN ALLERGY
Despite best efforts by varying vets my horse was really agitated by pollens throughout the dry season, so much so that riding him became impossible as he shook his head so violently. It was suggested to me I try him on 5 Bee Pollen tablets in conjunction with 200mls of Aloe Vera gel daily. The effects were truly remarkable – within a week he was out hacking and back in work within a fortnight. Once his immune system was fortified with the Aloe Vera gel I was able to reduce the bee pollen tablets accordingly. I have continued to administer the Aloe Vera gel as I feel his immune system benefits from it enormously, not to mention his healthy appetite, shining coat and strong hooves!
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POST-VIRAL SYNDROME (ALOE VERA TRIAL)
Occasionally, after suffering from a viral infection, a horse will fail to respond to conventional treatment and may suffer a prolonged period of “post-viral lethargy syndrome”. The following reports are taken from case studies of two such horses which were treated at a leading Equine Veterinary Clinic in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
“These two horses will serve as good examples of the kind of results we have been getting. The first is a novice eventer which has suffered for several months from dullness, very poor exercise tolerance and a low white blood cell count with monocytosis. The gelding was initially suffering from an acute typical virus infection, but failed to recover. Treatment with autoimmune stimulants, such as levamisole and bapimmune, together with multivitamins made no difference, and the gelding was rested for weeks. We put the horse on the Aloe Vera trial and the owner reported a great improvement in the demeanour and exercise tolerance of the horse within two weeks. More significantly to us, the white cell figures returned to normal within three weeks of the start of the course, the first time we had seen a normal haematological profile for seven months. The improvement has been maintained, and the horse is back in full work.
“The second case is a middle-weight showjumper which was part of an obvious virus episode which went through one of our yards. The other horses all recovered but he remained dull, inappetant and completely lacking in exercise ability. Initial treatment consisted of multivitamins and antibiotics, but again no improvement was seen over several weeks and his white cell picture remained low with relative monocytosis. The owner elected to turn him away rather than pay for further treatment, but the horse came back into work, after two months, as dull as before. Within ten days of taking the Aloe Vera gel, the horse was brighter and eating well; energy and appetite for work also soon improved and when we sampled him, three weeks after starting the course, his blood counts were all normal, again for the first time in months. He has completed a second course of the gel, (four litres in total) and is now considered normal and fully recovered.
“These results and others are obviously very encouraging. Whether the Aloe Vera is acting as an immune stimulant via the cell mediated immunity is impossible to know. It is possible that the gel is actually affecting the distribution of cells within the blood/spleen/bone marrow system, which may be why we are seeing rapid returns to normal profiles. Whatever the reasons, the clinical improvements appear to be beyond dispute.”
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PUNCTURE WOUNDS
Ziggy my pet sheep was born about 10 years ago. I found him in the field one day and it was obvious that he had been attacked by two dogs as he had puncture wounds. Fortunately that evening there was a demonstration about Aloe Vera at the local livery yard and I asked for anything that would help. Ziggy was duly bathed with the Aloe Vera soap, given Aloe Vera spray to give him pain relief and to work on the wounds. Over the next week with regular application of the spray I watched thankfully as Ziggy slowly recovered from his ordeal. That was 4 years ago and Ziggy is still with me although he does still carry the scars. I'm glad I found Aloe Vera and could not recommend it more because I truly believe it saved Ziggy's life. .
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RAIN SCALD
We had a Welsh-Mountain pony mare with a case of rain scald along her back, the worst area being near the dock, with an area devoid of hair and with a small open sore. We groomed out all loose hair, lots of which came out attached to scabby bits of skin, and then washed the whole area with Aloe Vera liquid soap. After drying thoroughly, we applied Aloe Vera cream with propolis on all bare skin. The open sore completely cleared up, without a scar, within ten days and the entire area had grown new hair about 1cm long.
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RINGWORM (ALOE VERA TRIAL)
Three cases of typical infection with ringworm were treated solely with Aloe Vera. In all cases, other horses in the yard were treated with conventional therapy including Systemic Grisofulvin (Equifulvin) and topical Eniconazole (Imaverol). The Aloe Vera gelly was applied three times daily to the affected areas by digital massage using disposable gloves. Treatment was continued for five days. In each case a single tube proved sufficient to treat the horse. The treated horses responded in identical fashion to those treated with topical Eniconazole. In all these cases the treated areas did not expand after initial detection and treatment. The horses were declared free of infection two weeks after the appearance of the last spot of fungal activity. None of these horses required additional treatment with conventional veterinary medicines.
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SARCOIDS
My young mare had developed a sarcoid between her front legs and over the first few months of 2003 it had been getting larger. I had decided to have it surgically removed after I returned from my holiday to Australia in late March. On the 7th March, the day before I was due to fly, I discovered that the sarcoid had burst and it looked a real mess. I really did not want my horse undergoing anaesthesia and surgery while I was away so I instructed a friend to bathe and treat it in my absence. She was only to call the vet if she was really worried. The treatment regime I recommended was to clean the area with very diluted aloe vera based detergent, spray the area with Aloe Vera spray and then apply a combination of equal amounts of Aloe Vera gelly and Aloe Vera cream with propolis topically. This was to be done at least once daily. I arrived back nearly three weeks later on the 27th March and, although the sarcoid still looked very large, it was clean and showed no signs of infection so I continued the regime. Ten days later when I brought her in from the field, to my amazement the sarcoid had disappeared! The surrounding tissue was still quite inflamed and reactive. However this slowly subsided over the next two weeks. Summer 2004 she shows no signs of having had this problem, has NO white hairs at all.
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WORM DAMAGE
A Police horse had been diagnosed with worm damage by the Veterinary Practice. His faeces shot out in liquid form and this had been the norm for the nine years he had been on this yard. He also soaked his bed over night and most of the shavings had to be removed. Over a period of 3 months taking Aloe Vera gel the horse began to urinate less, finally had normal droppings and was a very much happier horse. Even the regular riding instructor passed comment on his behaviour: “Why is he suddenly so amenable these days?”
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WOUNDS
Rio has always been a somewhat accident-prone horse from about 2 weeks old up to the present. As a petulant 2-year old she got into a fearful paddy just because I decided to bring my older horse in from the paddock first. When I got back to get Rio she came galloping towards the field gate, slid to a halt, reared and dangled her front legs over the gate. The gate opened under her weight and she left a chunk of her chest on it as she fell off! We were presented with a cavity I could put both my fists in and a large flap of dangling flesh. My vet came and stitched what he could and administered painkillers and antibiotics. Two days later as the stitches started to tighten; she tried to pull them out and in doing so ripped the flesh alongside the stitched wound. At this point my neighbour suggested I might try some Aloe Vera products. She gave me Aloe Vera spray and Aloe Vera gelly. I applied both products about 4 times a day for the first week and gradually decreased the applications as the wound healed. I took the stitches out myself and within six weeks the whole area had repaired brilliantly with no scaring and the hair was beginning to grow back. Interestingly, when my vet arrived a few months later to give Rio and Robin their regular health check, I invited him to check the wound on Rio’s chest and he couldn’t find it!
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WOUNDS (ALOE VERA TRIALS)
Aloe Vera gelly has been used on a number of cases of infected and uninfected wounds.
A mature Hunter gelding was investigated for an unresponsive skin condition on the chest wall, behind the elbow. The lesions were circumscribed and exudative; initial treatment for Ringworm and Mud fever had failed to improve the condition. A skin scraping and full thickness biopsy were taken, the latter closed with a single monofilament suture. The gelding removed the suture from the biopsy site and inflicted marked trauma to the area with its teeth. A small gaping wound resulted, which distressed the owner and prevented the use of a girth. The wound seeped serum. Aloe Vera gelly was applied pending the results of the biopsy, which eventually confirmed the presence of Ringworm. By the time these results were available, 1 week later, the wound had filled with non-reactive granulation tissue and the original skin lesions were resolving. The owner was pleased with the progress. Further application of the Aloe Vera Gelly was prescribed. The wound healed rapidly, with no exhuberant granulation tissue, and showed no signs of secondary infection.
A steeplechaser, which had fallen badly in a race, sustained multiple abrasions and puncture wounds, none of which were amenable to suturing. Sepsis became established in both back limbs, which filled excessively. After a five-day course of antibiotics, the gelding was sound and the limb swelling had resolved, but several of the abrasions continued to exude serious discharges. Aloe Vera gelly was applied three times daily. Within 48 hours, all the lesions had ceased exudation and had formed thin, flexible scabs. These peeled, five days later, to reveal excellent skin healing.
A hunter gelding suffered a contaminated wound to the coronary band, which included both hoof wall and skin. Suturing was not possible. The wound was cleaned and bandaged firmly, with Aloe Vera gelly, to limit haemorrhage. Dressings were changed daily for three days, each dressing incorporating the Aloe Vera gelly. From day four, the Aloe Vera gelly was applied three times daily without bandages. Healing was rapid and uneventful. There was no evidence of exuberant granulation tissue or infection, and only a small blemish remained in the hoof wall for several months and eventually grew out. There was no permanent effect upon coronary band function or horn production.
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