Herbs For Dogs

Although herbs are a major source of pharmaceuticals, herbs for dogs differ from conventional medications in employing parts of the whole plant instead of isolating individual active components. In traditional forms of herbalism, the selection of herbs hinges upon the dog's personality in addition to its medical consideration. In modern herbalism, there is more emphasis on the chemical elements of the herb itself.

Animals have always known that eating some types of vegetation made them feel better, or helped to cure them of some disease. Dogs will eat grass to bring on vomiting and so get rid of any toxic food they may have consumed.

Herbs for dogs are very versatile and can be developed by different methods - in teas or tinctures, ointments or infusions, compresses or poultices, dried or fresh.

Where ever you have a choice, try to utilise products that have been prepared particularly for animals. Tinctures are more rapidly absorbed than pills in a dog's short digestive tract. Most dogs dislike the taste of alcohol-based tinctures, so the herbal remedies made for animals use vegetable glycerin, which is sweet like corn syrup.

Herbal therapies are often used to correct body functions and are given in short courses. Some dogs do not like to eat fresh or dried herbs, so herbal tablets tend to be used.

Herbs for dogs should not be used in place of consulting a veterinarian, especially for a serious or life-threatening condition. Herbs are best used to support and complement traditional medicine. Broadly speaking, herbs are not often used in emergency situations, but more for chronic conditions that don't have a pressing time element, or as a preventative.

There are thousands of herbs, used in hundreds of different cultures, and it would be impossible to list them all. Below are a few of the more common herbs for dogs. Click the links to find the remedies that they are used in.

Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)

Aloe (Aloe vera)

Burdock (Arctium lappa)

Celery (Apium graveolens)

Chamomilla (Matricaria recutita)

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Huang Qi (Astragalus membranaceous)

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.)

Marigold (Calendula officinalis)

Marshmallow (Althea officinalis)

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Saw Palmetto (Sabal Serrulata)

Scullcap (Scutellaria laterifolia)

Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva)

St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginianum)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

All these remedies can be found at PetAlive, who have a range of homeopathic and nutraceutical remedies and herbs for dogs to help with a variety of ailments commonly experienced by pets. PetAlive guarantee that their products are of the highest quality, safety and effectiveness, and they are all backed by their one year unconditional money back guarantee.

Even today, in most parts of the world, herbs remain a vital ingredient of traditional medicine both for people and for their animals.