Happy Cat™ Veterinary Indications Veterinary Data Sheet
It is always important to identify the underlying reason for the expe-rience of stress, so as to discover a positive solution for it where
Happy Cat™ is part of an integrated approach to the treatment and
prevention of feline stress-related behaviours and diseases, and to
Mood disorders Ingredients Happy Cat™ contains 70g Radix Valeriana officinalis – Valerian rhi-
Behaviour disorders
Hyperactivity, restlessness Inter-cat aggression
Phytochemistry
Research on the single ingredient of HappyCat™ has tended to
Psychosomatic disorders
focus on its relaxant or sedative action. Phytochemical constituents
currently regarded as most important in clinical action are:
Monoterpenes (borneol) and sesquiterpenes (valerenic acid,
Indigestion – anorexia, vomiting, diarrhoea, colitis, constipation
valeranone, kessil glycol) contained in the volatile oil fraction.
Valepotriates including dihydrovaltrates, valtrates and
Convalescence
Baldrinals (valepotriate degradation products), including ho-
Cage rest after post-trauma, post-surgery
Lignans, including 1-hydroxypinoresinol.
Musculoskeletal
Amino acids, including γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamine,
Stressful Events Pharmacology
Research indicates that the active ingredient in Happy Cat™ pro-
motes an increase in the activity of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid).
GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS. Happy Cat™ may therefore enhance the biochemical and behavioural ef-
Environmental enrichment Dosage Guidelines
0.02-0.30g/kg/day (divided BID or TID) up to 1 pinch /kg/day (divided BID or TID) 1 g = 3 pinches dried valerian root on average
Higher dosing appropriate for severe, acute conditions. Lower dose appropriate to prevent symptoms or as environmental enrichment. [*based on animal studies, human data and clinical veterinary ex-perience.]
Herb Quality Happy Cat™ contains medical grade herb material, and is certified free of pesticides, heavy metals, aflatoxins.
Fig 1 – Possible sites of action of Happy Cat™.
Safety and Toxicity Valerian officinalis root has been show to: 1. Itself contain GABA, 2.
Happy Cat™ contains one ingredient only – Valeriana officinalis.
Activate glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) – an enzyme involved in
Valerian may generally be considered a safe herb for felines. How-
GABA synthesis in presynaptic nerves, 3. Inhibit GABA reuptake in
ever, herbs with anxiolytic and sedative actions should ideally be
glial cells and neurons, 4. Inhit GABA transaminase – an enzyme
used for a limited duration. Underlying reasons for disease should
involved in GABA catabolism, 5. Bind to GABAA receptors. These
always be sought and changes made wherever and whenever pos-
effects lead to a potentiation of the action of GABA and an increased
Contraindications - None known. Clinical Actions
Herb-drug interactions - No significant herb/drug interactions
with Valeriana officinalis have been reported in humans or ani-
Happy Cat™ offers the following benefits to felines:
mals. Caution is, nevertheless, advised when using in combina-
tion with barbiturates, anaesthetics, and other central nervous
Feline Attractant – naturally attractive to cats allowing easy
Pregnancy - No evidence of increased foetal damage in animal
Anxiolytic - helps to alleviate anxiety, nervous tension. Facili-
Lactation – Valeriana officinalis is regarded as safe in breast-
Sedative – assists in reducing hyper-excitability and hyper-
feeding in humans. The safety of Valerian during lactation in
other animals has not been established, therefore administer
Muscle Relaxant - helps relieve skeletal and smooth muscle
Overdose - Doses up to 20 times the recommended therapeutic
Anticonvulsive – helps calm seizure activity. Promotes balance.
dose have caused only mild symptoms. Very large doses may
Hypotensive - supports a lowering of blood pressure and a re-
cause bradycardia and arrhythmias, and decrease intestinal mo-
tility. The recommended first aid is gastric lavage, charcoal
Analgesic – assists in relieving pain associated with physical
Promising EU export markets for coffee The EU accounts for a considerable part of the global coffee consumption. Since coffee is not cultivated in the EU, the EU countries depend completely on imports from developing countries. The processing of green coffee is done within the EU and does not offer many opportunities for developing country producers. However, although consumption in many EU c
Turner Syndrome Management Guidelines Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group – November 2003 by George Werther, with advice from Margaret Zacharin Introduction Turner syndrome affects around one in 2500 female live births, the majority of which carry mosaicism in at least some tissues. Thus, the phenotypic features vary significantly among affected individuals. Consequently, w