6 Effective Home Remedies for Your Dog or Cat

There’s nothing worse than seeing your furry family member feeling not at their best. Naturally, since you love them so much, you want them to feel as good as they can. While there is no substitute for professional medical attention, there are instances when going to the vet is not warranted. Also, the cost for a trip to the veterinarian may be more than your wallet can handle.

Luckily, there are effective home remedies for those times when the symptoms aren’t serious or life-threatening. If you don’t know exactly what is wrong with your dog or cat, you may not know which home remedy to give them. When this occurs, you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. For those common illnesses, the following six remedies can have your best friend feeling their best in no time.

Problem: Constipation — Difficulty or inability to have a bowel movement. You see that they’re straining to relieve themselves.

Remedy: Oat Bran — Mix ½ teaspoon with the food of a small dog or cat. For large dogs, mix 2 teaspoons.

Milk — Most pets can’t digest milk and get diarrhea. Small animals can have 1/8 of a cup twice a day. Large animals can have ½ cup mornings and evenings. Stop giving them milk when the problem is solved.

Pumpkin — Mix a tablespoon or two of canned pumpkin with their food.

Water — Not enough water causes constipation. Let them have plenty of water to drink.

Problem: Hairball — When a cat uses his/her tongue to groom him or herself, it can lead to the ingestion of their own hair.

Remedy: Butter — It’s a natural lubricant. Give your cat between ½ and 1 teaspoon of butter for up to a week.

Problem: Ear Mites — Tiny parasites that invade the ear canal, causing itching and scratching, which can lead to an ear infection.

Remedy: Garlic — Soak 1 clove of crushed garlic in a ¼ cup of olive oil for 8 hours. Remove the garlic. Heat the olive oil until it’s barely warm. Use an eyedropper to put a few drops into the infected ear. Briefly, rub the ear until the oil has penetrated the ear canal. Repeat every other day until the mites are gone. You can reuse the leftover oil as long as it’s barely warm.

Problem: Sprain/Strain — This can occur when your dog has been playing too hard and they start to limp.

Remedy: Epsom Salt — Add ½ cup to a warm bath and let them soak for 5 minutes. If they refuse to go along with this, soak a washcloth with the Epsom salt and water. Apply the washcloth to the affected area.

Problem: Itchy Skin — This is usually caused by dry skin.

Remedy: Oatmeal — Mix with a little water to make a paste. Rub the paste onto the itchy areas. Let the oatmeal/water paste stay on the dog for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Problem: Fleas — Annoying parasites that cause your pet to scratch himself or herself.

Remedy: Citrus — Fleas don’t like citrus. Rubbing your pet’s fur with a small amount of orange or lemon juice will make the fleas want to leave your furry friend alone.

Conclusion

Caring for your dog or cat usually, goes beyond just feeding and cleaning up after them. It is your responsibility as their caretaker to make sure that they not only look good but also feel as good as they possibly can. There are many effective home remedies that can help your cat or dog feel better when a minor medical condition keeps them from acting as perky as they normally do.

Your wallet will definitely thank you for not removing its innards (if it has any innards) at the vet’s office. With the household supplies that you have at home, your four-legged bestie will be feeling better and getting into mischief again in no time.

Animals don’t always know when you’re trying to help them. Have you ever had to administer a home remedy to your animal companion?

Were you able to complete the treatment? How did it work out? I’d love to know.