5 Natural Ways to Quickly Cure Pet Ailments
![Woman holding her cat](/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Woman-holding-her-cat.jpg?w=953)
No need to make an appointment with the vet to solve minor pet ailments — just visit your kitchen for balms that’ll keep your dog or cat healthy and happy for pennies!
Ease arthritis pain with the seaweed cure.
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To treat your pet’s arthritis, supplement his diet with kelp, a seaweed with anti-inflammatory effects. Powdered kelp is easy to mix with dry or wet food and can be found in health-food stores. The vet-recommended daily dose: ¼ teaspoon for cats, ½ teaspoon for small dogs and 1 teaspoon for large dogs. As always, ask your vet before starting a new supplement.
Avoid dental issues with sweet potatoes.
![Sweet Potatoes](https://www.womansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sweet-Potatoes.jpg?w=1024)
Offer your pup a dehydrated sweet potato wedge to protect his teeth and gums. To do: Wash and dry sweet potatoes, slice lengthwise into ¼ inch-thick pieces and bake on a cookie sheet for 3 hours at 250 degrees, turning halfway through; store in the fridge. He’ll love chomping on them!
Stop excess shedding with brewer’s yeast.
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Ugh! Your furry friend is shedding more than usual. To the rescue: brewer’s yeast. It’s a great source of protein, zinc, and biotin, all of which are essential for a healthy coat and skin. The vet recommended dose: ½ teaspoon of powder per every 10 pounds of body weight, sprinkled over food once a day. Your kitty should stop shedding so much in one to three weeks — just one of the several ways to end their pet ailments!
Calm Kitty’s itchy skin with chamomile tea.
![Chamomile tea](https://www.womansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Chamomile-tea.jpg?w=1024)
Dry indoor air can leave your pet’s skin red, itchy and irritated — but chamomile tea can help. Simply brew a cup, chill it in the refrigerator, then pour it into a spray bottle and gently mist your pet’s dry skin three to four times a day. Chamomile contains natural anti-inflammatory compounds that will calm her irritated skin, plus leave her fur soft and shiny.
Keep pets from wheezing with soothing sage.
![Dried sage](https://www.womansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dried-sage.jpg?w=1024)
Achoo! It’s cold season for pets too. Help relieve your little buddy’s sneezing and runny nose with this home remedy: Pour ½ cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of dried sage from your spice rack and steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Once cooled, pour 2 tablespoons per 20 pounds of your pet’s weight of the sage “tea” over wet food. (Vets recommend doing this once a day for two days; check with yours first.) The herb’s antiseptic properties clear up postnasal drip so your sweetie will be back to his old self in no time.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.