How many times have you tried natural remedies that don’t work?
We’ve tried them all and over the years, we’ve found the best results always come from one place … homeopathy!
Before you say “pfft, homeopathy, that’s just water!” take a moment to consider it’s the fastest growing form of medicine in the world! It also has plenty of research to back it up. And unlike drugs, it’s both effective and safe!
This is why so many people are moving toward homeopathy … they’re seeing that conventional medicine often offers only a temporary fix or carries unwanted side effects (think how great it would be if you could avoid giving antibiotics to your dog and protect his critical intestinal flora, the most important part of his immune system!)
[Related] Your dog’s microbiome is the key to his health. Learn more about it here.
Homeopathy works best when it’s used in acute situations … think about bug bites, sudden vomiting or other common issues dog owners face. Homeopathy can fix them all!
So we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best uses for homeopathy … and they’re all tried and tested here at DNM!
But first, if you’ve never used homeopathic remedies before, you’ll need to do just a bit of homework and read this part below … or, if you’ve used them before, jump right down to the list of our Top 20 Remedies!
How To Give Homeopathic Remedies To Dogs
Here’s the straight goods on how to work with homeopathic remedies for dogs. See the bottom of the page for advice on where to buy your remedies.
Getting The Remedy Into Your Dog
- Homeopathic remedies come in little pellets or granules, or sometimes in liquid form. You can also make your own homeopathic liquid using the pellets or granules (see Liquid Dosing below).
- These pellets or granules need to melt on your dog’s gums so don’t hide them in a treat or in food – they’ll work best when given away from food.
- Dogs have a built-in pouch on the side of their mouths and the remedies can go right in there. Just pull out the lower lip with your fingers – on the side, close to the corner of your dog’s mouth – and that’s the easiest way to get the remedy into them.
- Try not to handle the remedies (as this can interfere with the remedy) but drop them straight from the bottle or the bottle cap – or even a teaspoon – into your dog’s cheek.
Liquid Dosing
- Some dogs spit the pellets out or really resist taking them. In that case, you can make a liquid dose. It can also be easier to use a liquid dose if you have to dose several times.
- Place about 1 oz of spring or filtered water (never use unfiltered tap water) in a glass. Add 2 or 3 pellets or a few granules and stir the mixture. The pellets may not dissolve completely right away, but don’t worry, as long as you’ve stirred it, the remedy will be in the water.
- You can also use a dropper bottle to make up your liquid mixture. If you use a dropper bottle, place the cap on and pound the bottom of the bottle on the palm of your hand about 10 times before dosing – this is called succussing.
- Use a clean glass dropper or teaspoon to place some of the liquid in your dog’s mouth. Try not to let the dropper touch his mouth. If it does, sterilize it before putting it back in the bottle so you don’t contaminate your liquid.
- This mixture will keep on your counter or in your cabinet for two or three days. Do not refrigerate it.
- Stir your mixture (or if using a dropper bottle, succuss as above) before every dose.
How Much To Give
- Don’t worry about how much of the remedy to give. In homeopathy, the size of the dose is not important. You can give one drop of the remedy or five, or one homeopathic pellet or three. Homeopaths like to say “same dose for an elephant or a mouse” … meaning that one tiny white pellet could treat an elephant or 10 pellets could treat a mouse! The size of the dose is different from the “potency” – see Choosing A Potency below.
When To Repeat
- When giving a remedy for acute illness you need to assess the effects of the remedy action quite rapidly as the response and changes will be more dramatic than for chronic conditions.
- Select your remedy, dose once and watch your patient for any changes. You should see improvement quite quickly with acute illness.
- In a severe, intense or emergency situation, you can give your initial dose two or three times, 5 to 15 minutes apart.
- Then observe your dog for changes. If your dog gets better quickly, continue to wait and monitor his condition.
- If your dog improves, then plateaus or gets worse again, redose him. Redosing may be in five minutes, 15 minutes, one hour – or whenever the case indicates.
- Sometimes your dog’s symptoms will change. Be prepared to give a different remedy if the symptoms change … but give only one remedy at a time.
- If the remedy you tried isn’t working at all, stop giving that remedy. Again, you may need to choose a different remedy.
Choosing A Potency
Homeopathic remedies come in different potencies (again, potency is different from the size of the dose). The most commonly available potencies are 6C, 12C 30C or 200C. The higher potencies (like 200C) are usually considered to be deeper acting. If you already have remedies on hand, just use whichever potency you have available. Otherwise if you’re building your first aid kit, buy your remedies in a 30C. This is a versatile, commonly used potency that’s readily available at health stores or online.
Storage
Because homeopathy is an energetic medicine the remedies should not be stored next to heavy electromagnetic appliances such as televisions and computers or left in the bright hot sun for a long time.
So now that you’re comfortable using homeopathic remedies, here’s a list of 20 great things to do with homeopathy! And read to the bottom because at the end of the article you’ll find a few more tips for using these remedies.
20 Of The Best Uses Of Homeopathy For Dogs
(TIP: you can find all of these remedies in a handy-dandy infographic at the end of this post)
1. Cut Nails
Have you ever cut your dog’s nails and they’re now bleeding all over your carpets? Give him Hypericum!
It’s a great remedy for wounds to the nerves, especially in the toes and nails.
[Related: Check out this stress-free way to cut your dog’s nails]
2. Garbage Gut
Did your dog raid the garbage can and now he’s not feeling so well? He’s vomiting and straining to poop it all out? Nux vomica will rescue him!
Nux vomica is the perfect remedy to use after binging or exposure to toxic substances (think about giving it after drugs or surgery too).
3. Tick Bites
Every dog owner fears tick bites! But did you know there’s a remedy that can actually help prevent tick borne illness?
Give your dog Ledum palustre (Ledum) twice a day for two days after the bite.
4. Bumps And Bruises
Arnica is your go-to remedy for any physical injury! If your dog has twisted or sprained himself, give him Arnica. It works great for bruised tissue and initiates faster healing.
5. Foreign Bodies
Has your dog stepped on a hawthorn or does he have a foxtail in his ear?
Silica (also called Silicea) is a fantastic remedy for pushing things that don’t belong out of the body. It can even help empty anal glands!
6. Abscesses
Does your dog have a smelly oozing abscess that’s about to erupt? Hepar sulphuris can help the abscess to mature and start draining pus.
7. Cuts and scrapes
Has your dog ever had a battle with a wire fence? Is the cut or scrape jagged, ragged and painful? Calendula has a great affinity for the skin and is an amazing wound healer.
8. Sudden Vomiting and Diarrhea
Is your dog suddenly under the weather? If he’s vomiting and has foul-smelling diarrhea (especially if there’s undigested food in it), then Arsenicum album will get him feeling better fast!
9. Sudden Fever
If your dog has a sudden fever and he’s panting with pain and has redness in his skin or ears, then Belladonna can bring his temperature down fast!
10. Bloat
Bloat can be a life-threatening condition for dogs. If your dog has colic, painful gas or torsion, take Carbo vegetabilis with you on the way to the emergency vet clinic … you might find by the time you get there, your dog is doing much better!
11. Broken bones
Of course, you need to take your dog to his vet if you suspect he has a broken bone, but you can speed the healing in fractured bones, non or delayed union fractures, and pain from fractures with Symphytum.
12. Red, Watery Eyes
Has your dog been running in tall grass and now his eyes are red? Conjunctivitis and irritated eyes respond very well to Euphrasia.
13. Urinary Tract Infections
Dogs that have burning and urging in the bladder respond very well to Cantharis. Another great use for this remedy is blistered burns to the skin.
[Related: Want to treat UTIs naturally? Learn how here]
14. Frostbite
Dogs can quickly suffer from frostbite to their feet or unprotected areas in the winter months. Agaricus works great for frostbite, especially to the tail, feet and ears.
15. Shock
A dog owner’s worst nightmare is having their dog hit by a car. Nobody wants this to happen, but you can be prepared for the worst … Aconite is the go-to remedy for sudden and overwhelming trauma … give it on the way to the emergency vet! And bring Carbo vegetabilis (also known as the corpse reviver) if he becomes cold and lifeless.
16. Head Or Spine Injury
Once again, dogs can get into trouble fast, and it’s a good idea to be prepared! If your dog is hit by a car or suffers a serious fall or kick (think dogs who hang around horses), then Natrum sulphuricum (Nat sulph) is the go-to remedy for serious head and spinal injury.
17. Over-Doing It
Dogs like to play hard and sometimes it shows the next morning! If your dog is stiff getting up after an active day, then Rhus toxicodendron (Rhus tox) is a great remedy to put the spring back in his step. If there is injury to the joints, then Ruta graveolens (Ruta grav) might be a better choice. Start with Arnica then move on to one of these two remedies to finish.
18. Burns
Minor burns and sunburn will respond well to Urtica urens. If the burns are more severe or the skin is broken, then use Cantharis.
19. Puppy Teething Pain
Just like infant babies, puppies can suffer the discomfort of new teeth. Chamomilla will soothe those symptoms, especially if there is greenish diarrhea.
20. Puncture Wounds
Dogs are prime candidates for bite wounds and insect stings. For any type of puncture wound, Ledum (Ledum palustre) can help heal and prevent later problems. Historically Ledum has proven effective in preventing or stopping tetanus after puncture wounds.
Where Do I Get Homeopathic Remedies?
Homeopathic remedies are incredibly easy to find!
You can buy them online from Amazon, or you can just google the remedy you need if you want to order them elsewhere online. You can also find them at any good health food store, including Whole Foods or Vitamin Shoppe. Look for the 30C potency … this is the most popular and is the easiest to use.
Homeopathic remedies are a naturally effective way to help your dog on his way to recovery! Why not try a few of these and see for yourself how effective they can be … without any risk of side effects!
