Grandma always said that “natural” was better. She grew up during a time when medications for dogs were not so abundant so they had to sometimes make do with what they could conjure up in the kitchen! Grandma would have made a terrific holistic vet!
4 Natural Remedies That Can Benefit Your Pet
1. Aloe vera
You can use the inner gel of the aloe vera plant to reduce the discomfort of skin irritations, cuts or wounds on your pet. After you clean the area, apply raw aloe to provide a soothing effect. A small amount of aloe vera juice, which is a natural laxative, can be added to your pet's food to help with constipation.If your dog develops acral lick dermatitis, also known as lick granuloma, which is an injury to the skin caused by constant licking, consider applying a raw aloe poultice after cleaning the area. Fillet a fresh aloe leaf and place it, gooey side down, on the wound. Replace with a fresh leaf about every four hours.
2. Ginger
Ginger is a widely used, non-toxic, non-irritating remedy for soothing tummy troubles. You can either give it orally, or use it in oil form by applying a few drops to your palm and massaging it into your pet's stomach.Alternatively, you can add small amounts of fresh ground ginger or the dry herb to a tasty meatball or other yummy treats.
Use no more than a pinch (1/16th teaspoon) for kitties, 1/8th teaspoon for small dogs under 10 pounds, 1/4 teaspoon for medium-sized dogs, 1/2 teaspoon for large dogs and 3/4 to 1 teaspoon for giant breeds.
Give the ginger one to three times a day as needed. If you're using it to help with motion sickness, be sure to give it to your pet at least an hour prior to travel. Alternatively, you can add 1/4 cup ginger tea per 20 pounds of body weight to food daily as needed.
3. Coconut oil
I'm a huge believer in the benefits of coconut oil for pets. Coconut oil is a concentrated source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which benefit cognitive function. I recommend feeding 1/4 teaspoon of 100 percent organic, cold-pressed and human-grade coconut oil for every 10 pounds of body weight twice daily for dogs and kitties. This can be added at mealtime to your pet's fresh homemade or commercial raw diet.In addition, coconut oil is a rich source of lauric acid, which is a powerful antimicrobial agent. This makes it an especially good choice for pets with yeast infections or allergies. It may also help with hairballs in cats. Coconut oil can also be used topically for skin conditions. It can help improve the overall condition of your pet's skin and clear up itchy, irritated spots. It also helps soothe and heal cuts, stings, bites and hot spots.
4. Chamomile
Chamomile is a wonderful calming agent. It also has analgesic and anti-spasmodic properties, and is beneficial in soothing the central nervous system. You can use chamomile to calm pets who are, for example, anxious about vet visits. You can also use a cool chamomile tea bag against a wound on your dog's or cat's skin to provide a soothing effect.Something else to consider is a soothing chamomile after-bath rinse for your pet. Add five chamomile tea bags to 2 quarts of very hot water and steep until the water is cool. I actually recommend soaking the tea tabs for about three hours to allow the maximum amount of polyphenols to release into the water.
Remove the tea bags and pour the rinse over your freshly bathed pet from the neck down. Massage into the skin, and don't rinse. You can even “recycle” the used tea bags for use later as a soothing topical poultice for hotspots or rashes.
Currently, our own dog is having some allergy problems, mostly to do with heat and the things flying about outside. We love the idea of using coconut oil as advised above to battle some of his problems and will implement this ASAP!
There also some other impressive things that can be done naturally for your pet and they can be found over on Healthy Pets. We would never tell you not to take Fido to see a vet, especially if all of your natural ministrations do not seem to be working, but it is nice to know we can help or pooch-pal in a way that does not necessarily have to come from a syringe or chemicals in a tablet!
