If, like me, you adore your canine or feline companion and strive to provide them with the highest quality of life, you wouldn’t want to fathom the possibility of them falling ill.
At the first sign of distress, most of us turn to traditional veterinary care.
However, even before any ailment strikes, there are proactive steps you can take at home to safeguard your pet’s health and extend their lifespan.
Here, we’ll explore natural remedies for common pet health issues, shedding light on the path to maintaining their well-being.
Explore natural pet remedies for allergies, ear care, coughs, and more. Enhance your pet’s well-being with holistic solutions.
Natural allergy relief for dogs and cats
Most allergies in dogs are not triggered by inhalation. No, it is the allergens that are absorbed through the skin.
If you have a cat that keeps scratching, loses hair, heals poorly, a dog that has lesions, itchy skin it keeps chewing, this is a chronic allergy.
Its mechanism is complex.
It involves cytokines and T cells, the messengers between cells of the immune system, but above all, it indicates that your little companion secretes an antibody named IgE ( immunoglobulins E ) that he shouldn’t produce.
Of course, antibodies protect the immune system, but in the case of allergy, they bind to allergens like pollen for example, which causes dermal damage and the secretion of histamine directly responsible for the itching.
This is why antihistamines work against allergies.
They reduce the production of histamine and its deleterious effects, especially on the skin.
The most effective natural remedies in this case are:
– Turmeric
The major ingredient in curry, curcumin stimulates the adrenal glands which synthesize and deliver the body’s natural cortisol, the main glucocorticoid hormone.
The standard oral dose is 250-400mg depending on the animal’s weight, given 3 times a day.
Turmeric without black pepper (ad)
– Licorice root
Used for centuries to treat inflammation and viral ailments, licorice is very interesting in chronic conditions.
It is often prescribed to treat contact dermatitis such as psoriasis in humans.
In the case that interests us, you just need to prepare 3 grams of licorice root (ad) in 150ml of water and apply compresses impregnated with this mixture on lesions.
Licorice root is also found in powder and you can give 1 to 4 grams per day depending on your pet’s weight.
As a liquid extract, just a teaspoonful before a meal.
Home remedies for dog ear care
Preventing ear inflammation in dogs starts with proper ear cleaning.
Mix equal parts vinegar and water (50% each) for an ideal ear canal cleaning solution.
However, avoid vinegar if the ear is highly inflamed.
Administer a teaspoon of this mixture into the ear canal and gently massage the base of the ear to distribute it for approximately 15 seconds.
Then, use gauze or cotton to thoroughly dry both the external and internal parts of the ear, whenever feasible.
Home remedies for dog cough
Making cough syrup for dogs is straightforward.
The recipe mirrors that of human cough syrup, incorporating honey, preferably dark, lemon juice, and lukewarm water.
For a dog weighing around 10-20 pounds, combine a tablespoon of honey with lukewarm water and add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Adjust the proportions based on your pet’s weight.
Honey, aside from its antibacterial and antiviral properties, soothes the throat and suppresses coughing.
Cat UTI home remedy
You might not expect it, but the first thing to give in case of a urinary problem is above all vitamin C.
Cats are more prone to UTIs and vitamin C often comes in big chewing tablets.
Note, however, that it is also found in liquid form or directly in a powder that you can easily dilute in water or milk.
A very moderate amount, around 100mg per 10 pounds of weight, is administered once a day.
Homeopathy can also help, and in particular, a remedy called Cantharis (ad)
It is very effective in kidney infections and has no side effects.
Just administer two granules of Cantharis 30CH three or four times a day by dissolving them in milk for 5 to 7 days.
Natural flea control for dogs
How to start treatment for fleas?
If your dog’s skin is very irritated by flea bites, it is a good idea to give him two baths a week with a natural anti-parasitic shampoo.
My favorite homemade recipe is a neutral shampoo with a few drops of peppermint essential oil and clove extract added to it.
This mixture is very effective and poses no risk of toxicity.
You should know that fleas love the damp corners of your home and garden because larvae need 50% humidity to survive.
A flea usually lays about 20 eggs per day on average, but only 5% will develop into larvae.
Perhaps the most effective way to control fleas is to place homemade dehumidifiers in the most suspicious areas.
You can find a whole article on fleas treatment which I urge you to consult if you have this problem.
Atopic dermatitis (hot spots)
When the dog has lesions on the skin that itch constantly, he suffers from atopic dermatitis also called hot spot.
It is very difficult to treat this condition which rather tends to recur frequently.
Veterinarians try to treat it by prescribing antibiotics and cortisone excessively without really convincing results.
Yet there is a simple remedy that consists of adding an aspirin tablet to a cup of black tea.
You then apply this solution to the lesions three or four times a day.
Aspirin delivers an anti-inflammatory effect when black tea and its high content of caffeine, vitamins C, E, B2, minerals (zinc, potassium, magnesium), antioxidants, polyphenols, and tannins help fight bacteria while participating in skin regeneration.
There are many ways to help your dog or cat when his health deteriorates.
Of course, the visit to the vet should not be neglected when it is necessary.
But natural remedies are not useless when they can also make a beneficial contribution to healing.