Olivia Wobosel: Intertwining the Science of Life with Species Beyond Our Own

The average human is constantly seeking a state of balance; Balance within themselves, their family and relationships, and their outward experiences. Just as humans need to find their own unique balance to survive and operate as their higher selves, animals and ecosystems do as well. For more than 6,000 years, Ayurveda (literally translated to ‘the science of life’) has been assisting humans in discovering their specific health and lifestyle needs through the use of herbs, meditation, yoga, aromatherapy, and sacred body therapies.  Not only can Ayurveda help humans get in tune with themselves, but there are many ways that Ayurveda can also help improve humans’ relationships with both domesticated and wild animals, provide the knowledge to heal a vast number of ailments in different species through natural remedies, and teach individuals how to apply ayurvedic principles in order to better understand imbalances in specific ecosystems.

Ayurveda and animals have been researched for thousands of years now. A man by the name of Salihotra was the first ever to explore and master this veterinary way of life and went on to write Materia Medica in Veterinary Medicine and was the creator of both Mrig (animal) and Hasti (elephant) Ayurveda. Around 1463 BC, the first ever recorded veterinary hospital was opened by King Ashoka. This hospital utilized a wide variety of Ayurvedic herbs to treat the animals and had great success. These practices have been passed down through generations but are still not as widely known as they could be. It has been a common finding that animals being treated with natural remedies such as Chinese medicine, Homeopathy and Naturopathy have all had mild success but became significantly more successful when the missing component of Ayurveda was integrated into their routines. 

Looking at domesticated animals, we can observe the presence of the doshas in both cats and dogs very easily. The qualities of vata, pitta, and kapha animals are quite similar, if not, the same as the qualities of those doshas presented in humans. If we analyze the nature of a vata human, we will see that their frame will either be very small and frail or tall and slender and this remains true with vata dogs and cats. These vata animals are going to inherently have a physically lean and delicate build and can have a lot of fur, typically of a more dry, fine texture. When in balance they are active, energetic and social. However, when out of balance, vata in dogs and cats can present itself in the form of excess restless/nervous energy, easily frazzled or over-excited and are prone to ailments such as constipation, bloating, arthritis, dry skin and fur, and noise phobias. In order to help keep these pets balance, they should have plenty of lap time, regular routine, and consistent emotional warmth and bonding from their owner. Examples of vata-type dog breeds would be Afghan Hounds, some skittish Chihuahuas, Greyhounds, and Miniature Pinschers. Examples of vata-type cats would be Sphynx, Self-pointed Siamese, Oriental Shorthairs, and Russian Blues. 

If we now look at a pitta human, we will see physical traits that are most commonly medium frame, with an athletic build and sharp, penetrating eyes. This carries over to pitta type cats and dogs whose qualities are handsome in appearance, strong build, less hair, sharp or pointed features, and penetrating eyes. When out of balance, this dosha presents itself in the form of indigestion, diarrhea, eye and skin disorders, inflammation, over-heating, fevers, irritability, and a need to dominate other animals and humans. Keeping a pitta pet balanced requires a strong alpha presence from their owner or another animal in the household, positive play that does not encourage competitive behavior (ex: fetch, swimming), regular social interaction, and cooler temperatures. Examples of a pitta-type dog would be Pitbulls, German Shorthaired Pointers, (feisty) Chihuahuas, Foxhounds, and Boxers. Examples of pitta-type cats would be Bengals, Abyssinians, Egyptian Maus, and Tomcats (sexually mature males that have not been desexed).

Last but not least, we have Kapha dosha. In a human we can see kapha present itself as a larger frame with buttery skin, and thick voluptuous hair. Similarly, in kapha animals, we will observe a solid, heavy build, large eyes, and a thick, heavy coat. When out of balance, these pets will experience lethargy, respiratory troubles, weight gain, cysts, tumors, possessiveness and gluttony. They benefit from a regular exercise routine and emotional support from their caretakers. Examples of a kapha type dog would be St. Bernards, Retrievers, Bernese Mountain dogs, and Malamutes. Examples of kapha type cats would be Mainecoons, Ragdolls, Norwegian Forest Cats, and Persians. 

There are many different ways that Ayurveda can be incorporated into one’s relationship with their pet. For example, a lot of cats and dogs are given ghee with different herbs to assist in calming down certain ailments such as indigestion, thyroid issues, etc. Like it does in humans, the ghee helps these herbs travel quicker through the body to get where they need to be and also adds lubrication to the body, which is something that vata animals will benefit highly from. According to SamaDog, a website dedicated to helping people understand the use of Ayurveda with their dogs, aromatherapy is a very useful practice for different temperament imbalances. Vata dogs will be grounded by scents such as lavender, chamomile and cedar; Pitta dogs will be soothed by scents such as rose, sandalwood, mint, and lemongrass; And kapha dogs will benefit from stimulating scents such as cinnamon, sage and bergamot. Unfortunately, cats cannot ingest and filter these essential oils internally like dogs and humans can, therefore they are unable to receive these therapies, but are very receptive to other herbal remedies such as the use of valerian to spark activity in a lethargic cat, or catnip and cat thyme to help calm the nervous system and induce a more stress-free mind state (PetMD, LLC.)

Now that there is a better understanding of viewing common animals from an Ayurvedic standpoint, we will broaden our scope to look at wild animals and how they have been healed by ethnoveterinary practices in different regions of the world and species that practice zoo-pharmacognosy. In 2007 and 2008, there was a study conducted to observe the use of indigenous veterinary health care practices in Uttarakhand, India. This study revealed that the ethno-veterinary practices were passed on through generations of Pashu Vaidyas (herbal healers) native to the surrounding lands. There were an estimated 73 medicinal plant species (41 herbs, 10 shrubs, 18 trees, and 4 climbers) used to heal livestock such as buffalo, cow, oxen, sheep, goats, horses, mules, dogs, and cats. About 33 of these herbs are able to treat more than one ailment.  Some of the ailments that have been treated by the Pashu Vaidyas for generations include pneumonia, snakebites, bone fractures, worms, vomiting, coughing and yoke galls. In this region, only about 41% of local people vaccinate animals, whereas the rest rely heavily on these natural remedies. 

Moving away from livestock and animals that have access to these therapies via humans, we can analyze the concept of zoo-pharmacognosy in animals that entirely fend for themselves in nature. Zoo-pharmacognosy is the act of animals self-medicating by selecting and ingesting or topically applying plants, soils, insects, and psychoactive drugs to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of pathogens and toxins. Primates are some of the top animals to utilize this inherited skill. Starting at a young age, the mother monkeys will pass knowledge down to their young so that they have the ability to heal themselves when faced with an ailment such as indigestion, parasites, or skin irritation due to insects. More specifically, the capuchin, colobus and macaque monkeys are all susceptible to ectoparasites such as lice, ticks and mosquitoes. In order to deal with these, the white-faced capuchins have learned to rub themselves with the leaves of the piper plant.  The piper plant is a natural antiseptic and is even used in Costa Rica as an insect repellant. When temperatures and humidity rise, the monkeys will rub themselves with these leaves religiously because they have learned that with those spikes in temperature, comes a spike in the insect populations. This act of rubbing has essentially become a social ritual that the monkeys will do together throughout the course of their days. Bonnet and Rhesus macaques have taken up eating dirt from termite mounds or other clay-rich soils that contain kaolin minerals. These minerals have anti-diarrheic properties and soothe the stomach. Likewise, Red colobus monkeys that have a heavy leafy green diet have taken up eating charcoal, which allows the high cyanide levels from the greens to be absorbed. Additionally, the charcoal allows them to eat a wider array of plants with little to no side effects. Another species, the tamarins, have discovered a quick fix to common internal parasites by consuming large seeds of nearby foods in order to dislodge any of these parasites resting in their digestive tract. Without the discovery of these natural remedies, these species would have greater doshic imbalances and would be more susceptible to endangerment or extinction without the already added risk from deforestation, poaching and habitat destruction. These species are constantly practicing, with great success, the self-care and use of herbal remedies that Ayurveda teaches humans to incorporate into their daily lives in order to increase longevity and overall quality of life. 

Understanding how to apply Ayurveda to animals in our everyday life can now help us to shift and apply these principles to an even more vast number of species and ecosystems. For example, we can look at the rapidly declining population of Koalas in Australia. Due to human efforts to clear land for agricultural purposes, the species was already limited to 20,000 left in existence according to a study conducted in 2018 by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Currently, the country has wildfires that have sparked and spread at an immensely alarming rate, causing a vata imbalance in the koalas that have managed to survive. Koalas are a kapha type animal that is very grounded, and does not uproot and venture far from its’ home atop the eucalyptus trees. These trees, however, are more flammable than most and are turning to ash quicker than most animals can flee. Vata dosha is known for its constant motion and that is a trait that these animals have now been forced to take up, in hopes to save their life. Leaving their homes at the tops of these trees, the koalas have climbed down to ground level and fought to leave their burning homes, with little success. Most end up burned to death, or close to it, clinging to life on the side of a road with no food in sight. Unless there is a solution to ending these fires in a timely fashion, this doshic imbalance due to the human decision to continue this deforestation, it could cause the species to become extinct in a very short time. 

Switching gears to a more positive view of Ayurveda applied to an ecosystem, we can look at Yellowstone park and the well-known reintroduction of the Gray Wolf in 1995. This species was wiped out of existence by the Hayden expedition prior to the year 1920 and was not reintroduced to the park for another 75 years. Without the presence of this species in the environment, there was a heavy lack of pitta. Leaving the park with excess vata and kapha animals that were missing a key component to keep the natural balance intact. Elk, acting as a kapha species in this scenario, left the land depleted of essential plant species, such as young willow, aspen, and cottonwood plants because they stayed in one place to graze, without the pressure from the wolves keeping them on the move.  Crucial to the survival of other species, the lack of these plants caused animal populations, such as the beaver, to decline to almost none. Thanks to the reintroduction of 8 wolves from Canada in 1995, the beaver population slowly began to recover. Not only has the population of the wolf now increased to more than 60 wolves and 8 packs as of 2018, but the beaver, elk, deer, and many other species have flourished and returned to their natural state of being, leaving this ecosystem in a state of true tri-doshic balance.

Many other animals who have been impacted negatively by the effects of humans on the earth too and we can all do our part by trying to understand what we can do in order to help these species remain as balanced as possible. In addition to this, we can help to heal the animals closest to us by understanding what they need according to their Ayurvedic constitution, and likewise, understanding our own constitution and what animals would prove to be our most suited companions. Ayurveda is way more than just the science of life for humans; It is a science meant to maintain balance in all aspects of life on this earth and allow for all living things to reach their highest, most essential form of existence and consciousness.