Dr. Conor Brady explains Saligesic, a white willow extract containing salicin, the natural precursor to aspirin. Unlike isolated aspirin, the whole plant includes compounds that reduce ulcer risk, making it safer for long-term use. It mildly thins blood and shouldn't be combined with other anti-inflammatory herbs.
You've mentioned using salagesic for pain instead of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.
Yeah, I said that salagesic is a herbal preparation from white willow. It's where the original aspirin— aspirin came from Aspira filipendula, but initially came from willow, which, because it has a salicylate component and The Salagesic is from MediHerb. It's an Australian formulation by a guy called Kerry Bone, and he works with a guy called Simon Mills. So together they're Mills and Bone. It is generally considered very safe even though it does have a salicylate, salicin component, because there are other elements within the white willow which, which complement and negate the ulcerogenic effects of the salagesic. Yeah, when you take salicylic acid aspirin out of the, the aspirin, it becomes very potent and very kind of— it's a single molecule that the body can— you can get negative effects from that. But if you give it as white willow, you can give this over extended periods, obviously talk to your herbal vet about what is appropriate, but it's much, much, much, much safer and it can be used for inflammation in the gut, unlike non-steroidals.
Are there any contraindications with other supplements and drugs?
Contraindication would just be if there's a bleeding problem because it can thin the blood a wee bit. It's probably not, but one would just have to just keep an eye that.
And you've got to be aware of other herbs that act in the same pathway. So, you know, if you've got Devil's Claw, you know, Salicylic, then you add in, you know, some of the other products you might even come across. Oh, I'm treating for cancer as well, so I'm using CV247. And then before you know it, you've actually lined up a load of non-steroidals together, and that therefore could lead to side effects. So you need to be talking to a veterinary herbalist who knows about the different herbs and their actions so that they're looking at the addition together. Don't just go piling in saying, I need all of the pain relief herbs that are available and I'm going to give them all together.
