Re: Re: "Essential" Oils

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

> Thank you, Sue.  I was hoping that someone could explain the mechanics of
> this, not just "it causes anemia in horses".  I can tell you my personal
> experience on garlic with horses, four of them to be exact.  None of the
> four who have been eating garlic powder for 3 years have had any problems.


Well, remember that there can be something going on and it just isnt visible
to the naked eye.  The only way you would be able to identify a
mild/moderate anemia would be through running a CBC, which granted, most
people don't do just for the chuckles of it.  If there were a severe anemia
cooking, then you'd probably notice it as exercise intolerance, etc, but
that would really have to be pretty significant and the rider really paying
attention.


> My three come off of it during the winter, I can't see feeding it when
there
> are no bugs (and I'll get to that in a little bit).  My girl friend feeds
it
> to her horse year round. She feels that it boosts his immune system.

I've heard of that, but not aware of any clinical data, or a mechanism to
support it.  But, okay by me as long as it's not enough to be causing
anemia. :-)


>
> We feed about 2 - 4 oz/day, depending on the time of year and quantity of
> bugs.  Just mix it in with their food and my guys love it.  It takes about
6
> weeks for the garlic to get into their tissues enough to keep the bugs
away

It might be interesting for you to ask your vet to pull a blood sample
during the winter/non-garlic season and another during the height of the
garlic season, to see if there are any signiicant differences in the PCV.
There are plenty of other things that can also affect PCV, but would still
be interesting just to check, especially if you were planning on doing some
riding where you want every RBC you can scrape together.


> Now my question goes to, why don't members of the onion family cause
anemia
> in humans?  I eat ALOT of garlic, more than I care to admit to, and I
don't
> have any problems with it.  So help me on that part.

Well, again, hard to decide if it does or doesnt without running CBCs.  It
might cause anemia there too, eaten in enough quantity---I couldnt tell you
either way, since I don't really do human nutrition (not being nearly as
interesting a creature as horses and cows and things...), and so don't keep
up with the human literature nearly as much (except where I can extrapolate
it to horses). :-)

Susan G