Natural Remedies for Dogs that Save Money

Our dogs are our kids and we call them our “Fur Coat Kids.” While we would do anything for them, running to the vet for every ailment is not our style. Our first course of action is to do extensive research for natural remedies for dogs. I am not a vet, nor do I play one in the blog-sphere, but, I have found several very effective natural remedies for dogs that save money. They have been very successful in resolving ailments in my two dogs and I thought they would be worth sharing:

Dog Arthritis – Glucosamine and Condroitin

Our little dog Casey progressively had difficulty walking over the course of a few days and we take dog walks daily. My husband took her to the vet and she was diagnosed with dog arthritis. She received a prescription which she took for a week, but it caused her to have blood in her stool. We immediately took her off the meds and started giving her Glucosamine and Condroitin. I give her 1/2 of a 1500 mg tablet with a little peanut butter every morning. It’s a ritual and my big dog Maggie gets one daily. It’s amazing. Vets will prescribe it, but I just went to Sam’s Club and got the biggest bottle they had for the best price. After a few weeks she was back to her old self taking long walks daily, and running after her ball. She’s been med-free dog arthritis free, and walking fine for 6 months now.

Dog Incontinence or Leaky Bladder – Soy Beans

Next up my big dog Maggie had a leaky bladder. It started one day after consuming lots of water, post walk. When she got up after resting for a while there was a small leak. After watching her for a few days and seeing the randomness of it all I did a little research and found that dog incontinence may afflict 20% of female spayed dogs. Low estrogen levels develop and the low estrogen levels cause a weak bladder sphincter. There were several recommended prescription medications designed to increase estrogen levels, however all had side effects. Instead I bought some organic soy beans and add them to their dinner nightly. Soy contains a natural chemical that mimics estrogen. It took about two weeks to notice a difference and after 4 – 6 weeks … no leaks at all. We’ve been leak-free for about 3 – 4 months now.

Repel Fleas and Other Parasites – Garlic

While studies are not conclusive on the effectiveness of adding garlic to a dog’s diet to repel fleas and parasites, we’ve found it to be successful. We add a small amount of DRY minced garlic to their food daily and have not had them on any other flea or tick remedies. My vet and groomer (before my husband starting cutting Maggie’s hair to save money) suggested this. It’s important that it is the dry, minced garlic and NOT garlic salt or the wet minced garlic sold in the produce area. Just a dash will do.

Dog Allergic Reaction – Benadryl

Maggie got bit by a wasp and her mouth and nose started to swell. Picture Will Smith in the movie Hitch.

We immediately gave her one Benadryl tablet and within 30 – 45 minutes the swelling subsided and after about 2 hours she was as good as new. I keep this on hand as she reacts to such bites quickly and it’s happened more than once.

Alternatives to Store Bought Dog Treats – Carrots, Green Beans and Homemade Biscuits

My dogs would choose raw vegetables over a store bought treat any day. Carrots and green beans are their favorites. In addition to soy beans of course. They actually really like the green beans frozen. They also love my homemade Peanut Butter Flax-abulous Dog Cookies that I make. Another healthy source of estrogen boosting ingredients.

As always, consult your vet. Again, I am not a vet, but these solutions have been researched, suggested by vets or other pet “experts” and tried out with success on my two dogs.

Let me know if you have any other natural remedies for dogs that save money and more importantly have worked for your pet.

Ya GOTTA love the doggies!