5 Natural Ways to Quickly Cure Pet Ailments
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
