GRAEDONS | People's Herbal Pharmacy Canned pumpkin helps relieve doggie diarrhea

Q. You have written that coconut is helpful to combat diarrhea in dogs as well as in humans. I haven't tried that, but canned pumpkin works wonders. My retired Greyhound racers all get pumpkin with every meal, and we no longer have that problem.
A. Canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix with spices) is popular with dog-lovers. Be cautious with the dose, since too much canned pumpkin might cause constipation in dogs. For sudden or persistent diarrhea, check with your veterinarian.
Q. I am doing my fifth-grade science project on canker sores. Both my brother and I get canker sores, and they can be very painful. Sometimes when my brother gets them, they hurt so much he can't talk.
As a family we decided to try to find something to prevent them or help them heal. My dad read us your column about sauerkraut juice. My mom has a container of it in the refrigerator, but she has not convinced us to try it.
We have tried vitamin C every day for a year, and it has not helped. Neither has l-lysine. What else can you offer?
A. Another supplement to try is a B vitamin called folic acid. One reader taking medicine that depletes the body of this vitamin was prescribed extra folic acid. She reports, "Since I have been on folic acid, the canker sores I used to get in my mouth have all but disappeared." The recommended dietary allowance for folic acid for people in middle school is 150 micrograms a day.
Another remedy some readers have suggested is juice from canned green beans. They eat the beans and swish the juice around in the mouth, just as you would with sauerkraut juice. The sauerkraut juice is not as bad as it sounds.
Some people put a little instant iced tea powder on the sore. They claim the tannin in the tea helps it heal. We hope one of these remedies will be helpful for you and your brother.
Q. I have fought toenail fungus for years, even having several toenails removed from each foot. NO FUN! Then I read somewhere that fungus can't live in an acidic environment.
Two years ago I began putting white vinegar on each toenail with a cotton swab twice a day. I do this in the morning as I have a cup of coffee and read my e-mail, then again each evening after supper. After about six weeks, all evidence of toenail fungus disappeared.
I noticed an extra benefit. I am a very avid hunter, but wearing hunting boots all day makes my feet sweat profusely. So in the fall I've always had smelly feet and athlete's foot. I tried all the powders and creams and even a prescription from my doc. The vinegar cured it all. I will swear to my grave: Vinegar cures foot fungus and prevents its recurrence.
A. Dilute vinegar has been used as a home remedy to fight fungus, alleviate dandruff and even ease arthritis. But vinegar isn't the only inexpensive solution for stinky feet. Soaking them in strong tea can reduce the sweat and the smell. Some people have found that Epsom salts or baking soda soaks are also helpful.
We have gathered a number of home remedies using vinegar and also a variety of simple approaches for smelly feet and nail fungus. Anyone who would like copies of our Guides to Home Remedies and Smelly Feet, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. RF-2, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717-2027.
XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019, or e-mail them at pharmacy@mindspring.com or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org. Their newest book is "The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies" (St. Martin's Press).
& copy; 2004 King Features Syndicate Inc.