Natural Remedies for Common Ailments
Although the vet should be your first port of call when dealing with illness in your furry, finned or scaly friend (and we hope that you are well-covered for this eventuality with a good pet insurance policy), there are some ailments that you can treat at home using natural remedies.
Fleas can spread disease and cause skin irritation through scratching and licking. This means regular flea treatment for your animal friends is advisable. If you want to try some natural remedies then take a look at the following:
- Try adding some garlic to your dog's food as well as some drops of cider vinegar to his drinking water, as fleas dislike the flavour of garlic. Don't use garlic with cats as it has been known to damage feline red blood cells.
- Add a few drops of homeopathic crab-apple flower essence (NOT OIL) to your dog's drinking water. Fleas don't like it apparently.
- Fill a plastic spray bottle with 50:50 water and cider vinegar. Add a few crushed garlic cloves, a few drops of olive oil and washing up liquid. Shake it up and spray your dog, ensuring you avoid sensitive areas like the nose and mouth.
If your pet has an eye irritation, try using a teabag. Put the teabag in a cup and add a small amount of boiling water. Leave to cool down and then use the teabag to bathe the eye, allowing the liquid to dribble into the eye. You can use this for yourself too. (Not the same teabag, obviously!)
For ear mites, mix together vitamin E and half an ounce of almond oil. Put a couple of drops in each ear using a dropper and massage well. Clean the dirty residue with cotton wool. Store the mixture in the fridge.
For open wounds, sores, abscesses, cuts and grazes, try Manuka honey ointment. This will only work if the pet can't lick the honey, so you may want to use an Elizabethan collar or wrap the wound in a dressing soaked in the honey. Manuka honey has incredible healing and anti-bacterial properties and has been used successfully to treat ulcers and even MRSA in hospitals.
Please note that you use any of the remedies described above at your own risk. It is always advisable to seek advice from your vet.
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Here at Animal Friends we value all pets which is why we provide a comprehensive range of pet insurance products to ensure you are always covered in the event that your Cat, Dog or Horse requires sepcialist medical treatment.
