Useful Home Remedies for Dogs Pet Owners Should Know

There are a wide variety of home remedies for dogs that can effectively treat many of the most common ailments our furry friends suffer from.

Please keep in mind though that home medicine is not a replacement for a qualified veterinarian- unfortunately, there are times when a visit to the vet will be necessary. However, for less urgent matters home remedies for dogs can present the perfect solution.

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Sore Paws

Just like people, a dog’s “feet” can also hurt after a long day of running and vigorous play. While they may not have to wear impossibly high heels to work everyday, they do run over a lot of sharp rocks and sticks during playtime.

Occasionally, they pick up thorns in their paws. Other times, it may be a painful cut on the pad of paw. There are several home remedies for dogs that effectively help ease the pain that having four sore paws can bring.

A simple paste made out of pine tar and Fuller’s Earth can generally do the trick. Fuller’s Earth is simply a claylike material that can be found either online in bulk, or locally as a facial treatment clay.

A good way to prevent bacteria from entering any small scrapes that your dog may have incurred while playing is to wash the pads of his feet with soapy water once you get home.

Sunburn

While light-coated dogs are the most susceptible to being sunburned, the sun can affect all coat colors. Generally, places like the nose and ears are sunburned first because these have the least amount of fur-coverage.

Obviously, decreasing the amount of time your dog is allowed to play in the sun will help prevent burns. Fortunately, when this isn’t possible, there are a few home remedies for dogs that are suffering from sunburn.

A small amount of zinc oxide can work wonders when applied to easily burned areas. There are also formulations of sun screen specifically made for dogs. If a burn does occur, try using a cold compress or a damp towel to ease the discomfort your dog feels.

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Arthritis Pain

Arthritis can be just as much of an inconvenience and pain for your dog’s joints as it is on yours, making it difficult to run around and do all the things he enjoys the most. Like fetching balls and investigating that new scent on the tree down the way.

While you can’t make it go away, you can help ease the pain he feels. Glucosamine and chondroitin are two very effective supplements you can give him to help his joints. Supplements are a much safer route to go than the steroid treatments commonly prescribed for arthritis.

Another home remedy for dogs suffering from arthritis is to apply moist heat to the joints that are affected.

Most home remedies for dogs focus on prevention versus treating. For instance, rather than allowing him to gain the extra fifteen pounds by offering him a free-for-all on table scraps, feed him a healthy, well-balanced diet to start with.

Instead of letting ailments such as mange and obesity manifest, it’s much simpler to prevent them from ocurring in the first place- not to mention it’s easier on your pocketbook.