People's Pharmacy

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Curtail Dog Flatulence

Posting Date: 01/24/2005

Q. What can you recommend for dog flatulence? It is so smelly and in the winter we can?t put the dog outside at night.

A. Look for CurTail. When drops are added to food, they control pet gas with the same enzyme (alpha galactosidase) found in Beano for humans. CurTail is sold at pet supply stores, or call 800-994-4711.

Q. My whole family has been suffering with colds and flu this winter. No sooner does one child recover than another gets sick.

The kids hate taking cough medicine and we read in your column it doesn?t work that well for children. What else can we do for congestion and those awful nighttime coughs?

A. Ginger tea with honey can be great for coughs and congestion. Animal research suggests that compounds in ginger may be as effective as the most common ingredient in over-the-counter cough remedies.

Thyme tea is also an excellent cough remedy. It can be sweetened to taste to make it more palatable for a child. This herb has been used for centuries to calm coughs.

For nighttime cough, our favorite trick is to apply a coating of Vicks VapoRub to the soles of the feet. Put socks on to protect the sheets.

We are sending you our Guides to Cold Remedies & Unique Uses for Vicks with more information on this old-fashioned remedy and other ways to fight colds. Anyone who would like copies, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. QVi-276, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Q. Can fish oil help depression? Does it interact with antidepressants?

A. Depression requires medical supervision. Counseling is as effective as some medication. Other approaches may include vigorous exercise, exposure to sunshine and fish oil.

One study in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Oct. 2002) found that one gram of EPA daily was effective in people who had not responded to standard therapy.